From Neil Hannon to Bertie Ahern, musicians, politicians and PR gurus recall the crucial part that a 1998 gig played in Northern Ireland’s peace process
Music politics can be uneasy bedfellows. But on 19 May 1998, at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, they combined to make a real difference. It was just five and a half weeks after one of the most historic days in Northern Ireland’s history: on 10 April, the Good Friday agreement, brokered by the Irish and British governments, was finally sealed between the main political parties.
It was a watershed moment that would eventually help to end four decades of chaos and bloodshed. However, the agreement still needed the support of the people on both sides of the border. Referendums were set for 22 May. In the intervening weeks, a mood of negativity and controversy was emerging over the release of republican and loyalist prisoners, weapons decommissioning and major police reform. A yes vote was by no means a formality.
