Denis Bradley believes Alliance should be playing bigger role in conversation on shared island

Mr. Bradley is optimistic about the future but a ‘little bit impatient for the debate’ to get underway on political structures that ensure the permanent reconciliation of the Irish and Anglo traditions on the island.

"I think we are past the war which is great. The Good Friday Agreement is a brilliant piece of work but it doesn't really tackle the constitutional issue beyond the border poll and I think that the real discussion and the real debate is about how the ‘Anglo’ issue - in other words unionism - lives on the island with nationalism, republicanism, with Irishness. How does Irishness embrace and engage unionism and how do we get into that discussion?” he asked.

The former priest was speaking after the publication of his new memoir ‘Peace Comes Dropping Slow: My Life in the Troubles’, which delivers an intriguing account of the peace process in which he played a pivotal role as part of an influential ‘back-channel’ between the IRA and the British.

In the book Mr. Bradley warns unionism’s ‘refusal to discuss a permanent solution ensures the growth of Sinn Féin in the North’.

"Of course unionism does that thing, 'if we get involved in that discussion it is an admission that is is all over’. I think that is a lost argument from the point of view that demographics, plus other things, are inevitably making that an ongoing conflict and tension that can't be resolved by sitting back and saying I'm not going to speak to you and I'm not going to listen to you’.

"I think both sides have to listen to each other,” he told the ‘Journal’.

Mr. Bradley believes Alliance should be playing a bigger role in the debate.

In the book, he states: “I have been challenging the political party that attracts the most support from what is called the middle ground, the Alliance Party. I keep advising that the party needs to weigh the scales in support of seeking a permanent solution.”

Speaking to the ‘Journal’ he expanded: “I'm critical of Alliance because I think that they hold about 20 per cent [of the vote] and they can make it happen without necessarily breaking their own back.

"What I mean by that is that they can say this discussion will happen because we will make it happen because we have enough power to make it happen and even if we don't take sides we can make the discussion happen.

"That means forcing the British Government and the Irish Government to discuss this in a fashion that they are putting off rather than grasping and I also think that unionism is putting it off.

"I think that if Alliance were to say very strongly, ‘it's going to happen and we are going to make it happen even if we don't necessarily take a stance on it’, I think that will begin to change the dynamics.”

Mr. Bradley believes this should happen ‘sooner rather than later’.

"I'm very optimistic but I'm just a little bit impatient for the debate to happen now or soon at least rather than five, six, seven, eight or ten years time.”

Denis Bradley book recalls pivotal moments in peace process