The Irish government so dreaded the consequences of an independent Northern Ireland that FitzGerald refused to ask the British not to withdraw — as he feared that openly discussing the issue could permit the British to proceed — and other members of government opposed the Irish Cabinet even discussing what FitzGerald referred to as a " doomsday scenario " . He wrote in 2006 that " Neither then nor since has public opinion in Ireland realised how close to disaster our whole island came during the last two years of Harold Wilson 's premiership . " Merlyn Rees , the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland , had lifted the proscription against the UVF in April 1974 . In December , one month after the Birmingham pub bombings which killed 21 people , the IRA declared a ceasefire ; this would theoretically last throughout most of the following year . The ceasefire notwithstanding , sectarian killings actually escalated in 1975 , along with internal feuding between rival paramilitary groups . This made 1975 one of the " bloodiest years of the conflict "
Birmingham pub bombings
Birmingham pub bombings
The Troubles