Disclosure of Secret IRA Contacts Embarrasses Major, Perils Accord

LONDON — Disclosure on Sunday of secret contacts between the Irish Republican Army and the British government embarrassed Prime Minister John Major and threatened hopes of peace for Northern Ireland by Christmas.

Leaders of the Rev. Ian Paisley’s hard-line pro-British Democratic Union Party immediately called for the resignation of Major and Sir Patrick Mayhew, the Northern Ireland secretary.

Both Paisley, a fierce opponent of the Irish Republicans and of union with Ireland, and Gerry Adams, president of the Sinn Fein political party closely allied with the IRA, accused the government of lying.

Less than a month ago, Major told Parliament that talking to the IRA would “turn my stomach.”

The Observer newspaper Sunday published a leaked official message delivered in February to Michael McGuinness, a Sinn Fein leader second only to Adams.

Numerous other London papers, radio and television followed with similar reports and commentary. The Rev. William McCrea, a Democratic Unionist member of Parliament loyal to Paisley, reportedly leaked the “aide memoire.”

Major and his ministers have consistently denied that the government has had any communications with the IRA. But Sir Patrick’s office confirmed the authenticity of the message for the Observer.