The 39th G8 summit will be held on 17–18 June 2013 at the Lough Erne Resort, a five-star hotel and golf resort on the shore of Lough Erne (Irish: Loch Éirne) in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.[1] It will be the sixth G8 summit to be held in the United Kingdom. The earlier G8 summits hosted by the United Kingdom were held at London (1977, 1984, 1991), Birmingham (1998) and Gleneagles (2005).
The decision to hold the summit in Northern Ireland has been criticized. This is mainly due to the threat from Irish republican 'dissident' groups, such as the Real IRA, who are waging a low-level paramilitary campaign in Northern Ireland. The summit also coincides with a protest campaign by loyalists and with the Protestant loyalist "marching season".
The date and location of the summit was announced by British Prime Minister David Cameron in November 2012.[1] According to Mark Simpson, the BBC's Ireland Correspondent, the British Government chose Fermanagh for two main reasons: history and geography.[1] Since the formation of Northern Ireland in 1921, there has been tension and violence between its two main communities. The unionist/loyalist community (who are mostly Protestant) generally want Northern Ireland to remain within the United Kingdom, while the Irish nationalist/republican community (who are mostly Catholic) generally want it to leave the United Kingdom and join a united Ireland. From the late 1960s until the late 1990s, these two communities and the British State were involved an ethno-nationalist conflict known as The Troubles, in which over 3,500 people were killed. A peace process led to the Belfast Agreement and ceasefires by the British State,and the paramilitary groups involved (such as the republican Provisional IRA, the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force). The Conservative Party government of David Cameron is a unionist one. By holding it in Northern Ireland, Cameron "will hope it sends the message to the rest of the world that the peace process has worked and normality has returned".[1] The second reason is geography. G8 summits have always drawn large demonstrations, but Fermanagh's geography will make it hard for protesters. Much of the Lough Erne Resort is surrounded by water and almost all of the roads within 30 miles are single carriageway.[1]
However, some have criticized the decision to hold the summit in Northern Ireland, due to ongoing protests and small-scale violence by both republicans and loyalists.[2] Since the Provisional IRA called a ceasefire at the end of The Troubles, dissident republican splinter groups have continued its paramilitary campaign. The main groups involved in this low-intensity campaign are the Real IRA, Continuity IRA and Óglaigh na hÉireann. Security sources expect that these groups will try to launch an attack during the summit, which "would hijack global headlines".[3]
There is also the likelihood of disruption and violence involving loyalists. The summit will take place during the "marching season", when Protestant and loyalist groups (such as the Orange Order) hold many parades throughout Northern Ireland and Protestant loyalist areas are bedecked with Union Jacks and bunting.[4] This is a tense time in Northern Ireland and it often results in clashes between the two main communities. Furthermore, since December 2012, loyalists have been holding daily street protests. They have been protesting against the decision to lessen the number of days the Union Jack flies from Belfast City Hall. Some of these protests have sparked rioting. Protesters have discussed holding a Union Jack protest at the G8 summit.[5]
On 23 March 2013, a car bomb was defused 16 miles (26 km) from the Lough Erne Resort. Republican group Óglaigh na hÉireann said it had planned to detonate it at the hotel but had to abort the attack.[6]
http://www.swp.ie/content/g8-gang-coming-fermanagh
Coordinates: 54°23′52″N7°41′36″W / 54.3978°N 7.6933°W / 54.3978; -7.6933