During the period of the Northern Irish conflict known as the Troubles, acts of violence and terrorism were committed not only within Northern Ireland, but also outside its borders. In the early 1970's, the Irish Republican Army bombed targets in London. One high profile incident occurred in 1974, when the Horse and Groom pub in Guildford was blown up.  Four soldiers and one innocent citizen were killed.  Eleven people were wrongly accused of the bombings, found guilty, and then jailed. They became known as the Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven.

After a long campaign to establish the innocence of the eleven people, in October of 1989, the British Court of Appeals overturned the sentences of the Guildford Four. Two years later the court also threw out the sentences of the Maguire Seven.

A campaign for a formal apology began after the sentences were overturned. Gerry Conlon (one of the Guildford Four) and his family met with leaders, developed a petition and collected over 10,000 signatures. The petition called on English Prime Minister Tony Blair to "issue a public apology for the miscarriage of justice which saw Giuseppe Conlon die in jail for a crime he did not commit." (Giuseppe, one of the Maguire Seven, was Gerry's father.) The petition also called for care and counseling to be provided to the Conlon family and all those who had suffered similarly.¹

In February of 2005, thirty-one years after the bombing in London by the IRA, Blair finally apologized to those people who were wrongly accused and imprisoned. His apology was carried on live television as "breaking news." In his apology, Blair referred to the fact that the eleven who were accused and imprisoned deserved "to be completely and publicly exonerated." He also used the words "sorry" and "apology." ²

The surviving members of the eleven and their families expressed satisfaction and relief when they heard the apology. Mrs. Maguire, who was accused of sheltering Giuseppe Conlon and two others in London, said:

"It will mean that our family, my children, their children and our great grandchildren too will be able to live in their country without a slur on their name and it will give me peace of mind if and when I join my husband who has died." ³

Gerry Conlon said "Tony Blair has healed rifts, he is helping to heal wounds. It's a day I never thought would come."⁴

While the individuals involved, their friends and families, and thousands of people who were part of the campaign were pleased with the apology, many also thought that it took too long, particularly given the fact that as a young member of Parliament Tony Blair campaigned for the release of the Guildford Four. Many people also noted that the apology was perhaps a political act in response to the negotiations with the Irish Republican Army, who had suggested that they would end the ceasefire and not disarm. (The IRA did officially disarm a year later.)

Connections for the Classroom...

• In this case of false accusations, imprisonment, and delayed justice, how important was Blair's apology? Is an apology a crucial aspect of reconciliation, without which there can be no "moving forward" for the person wrongly accused? Or is the act of apologizing-of asking for forgiveness-an empty one that falls short, even to the point of being offensive to former victims?
• Gerry Conlon said of Blair and his apology, "Tony Blair has healed rifts, he is helping to heal wounds. It's a day I never thought would come."⁵ This is a strong statement about the power of an apology. Think of some examples in your own community or society of painful historical events. Do you think a formal public apology might have the potential to "heal wounds" created by these past events?
• Some people criticized Blair's apology as being politically motivated and therefore questioned his sincerity. How important is it that an apology is totally sincere, untainted by politics or self-interest?
  
  Others criticized the apology as coming far too long after the fact. What are some of the consequences of an apology not being offered in a timely manner? Can an apology end up being too late? Can an apology end up causing more damage than good?
  
  
• Think about an apology from your personal experiences that you have either made or received. What did the apology accomplish? In what ways did it fall short?
  
  

• How can human beings (perhaps even neighbors) who live in community with those they feel should offer apologies, build a shared future together in the absence of such apologies? 

• What is the relationship between justice, forgiveness and peace?  Are these three principles dependent upon one another?
  
  
• The story of Gerry Conlon's case was made famous in the film In the Name of the Father starring Daniel Day-Lewis.
  
  

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 ¹ "Blair Expected to Give Conlon Apology," by Fionnuala O'Connor. Irish Voice. Source.
² "PM Apology Over IRA Bomb Jailings." From BBC News at bbc.co.uk/news. February 9, 2005. Source.
³ "Bomb Accused Hope for PM Apology." From BBC News at bbc.co.uk/news. February 9, 2005. Source.
⁴ "PM Apology Over IRA Bomb Jailings." From BBC News at bbc.co.uk/news. February 9, 2005. Source.
⁵ Ibid. Source.