voices of 74: prelude 2/2
Despite widespread Unionist opposition and voices of discontent within sections of the Nationalist community, authorities pushed ahead with the Sunningdale experiment, and the executive took its place in January 1974. However, despite any optimism around these attempts, tensions had been building and Unionism was fragmenting, leading to the decisive elections of February 1974 which became a virtual referendum on Sunningdale.
'There was a lot of unionist discontent with Sunningdale and with the package, but it was predominantly the Council of Ireland, the Sunningdale was, what was the phrase, Dublin is only a Sunningdale away I think was the posters that were up in Belfast at the time.'
Boyd Black