3. Northern Ireland in the 70s

Question 1

When was Internment introducted?

Answer 1

August 1971

Question 2

What was internment and its aims?

Answer 2

• Arresting suspected troublemakers and holding them without trail
• it’s aim was to remove troublemakers from their communities and reduce sectarian tensions

Question 3

Results of internment?

Answer 3

• Did opposite of aim
• alienated Catholic pop and made them feel persecuted.
• Increased tension between London and Dublin govs.
• Broke the cross-party agreement in House of Commons - opposed by many Labour MP’s, veiwed it as ethical and wrong.

Question 4

Bloody Sunday date

Answer 4

30th Jan 1972

Question 5

Bloody Sunday events

Answer 5

British soldiers opened fire on a civil rights march against Internment in the Bogside, Londonderry

Question 6

Bloody Sunday casulties and injuries

Answer 6

13 unarmed civvilians killed + 13 injuried.

Question 7

Bloody Sunday Inquirey

Answer 7

• By Lord Widgery - blamed shots that had been fired at the British Army for the casulties.
• Published may ‘72, condemned by Irish republicans as a ‘white wash’.
• SO, the British embassy in Dublin was burned down + Support for the IRA grew and they were able to raise funds in the USA.

Question 8

1972 deaths, explosions and shooting incidents

Answer 8

Deaths = 480
Explosions = 1,382
Shooting incidents = 10,628

Question 9

Martin McGuiness

Answer 9

• Member of Provisional IRA in early 70s, claims to have left in 1974.
• Elected as MP for Sinn Fein in ‘97 but didnt tke his seat.
• Sinn Fein’s cheif negotiator at talks that led to good friday agreement 1998.
• Later became deputy first minister in devolved Northen Ireland Assembly after 2007.

Question 10

John Hume

Answer 10

• Involved in Irish civil rights movement in 60s.
• Co-founded Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP), became leader 1979.
• Worked w/ Sinn Fein to bring about IRA ceasefires in 90s + brining him and British gov together to talk.
• Won nobel peace prize for Good friday agreement involvement.

Question 11

Ian Paisley

Answer 11

• Led loyalist opposition to Catholic civil rights movement in 60s + involved in setting up loyalist orgs.
• Evangelical Protestant, outspokenly criticised Catholics.
• Famously denouned the Pope as Antichrist.
• Formed Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) 1971

Question 12

Unionist and loyalist parties:

Answer 12

• Ulster Unionist Party (UUP)
• Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)
• Allience

Question 13

Naionalist and republican parties

Answer 13

• Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP)
• SInn Fein (radical, IRA)

Question 14

What was direct rule?

Answer 14

Northern Ireland to be ruled from London rather than having its own separate parliment.

Question 15

When was direct rule introduced?

Answer 15

• March 1972
• after he suspended the Stormont parliament.

Question 16

under direct rule, who was appointed secretary of state?

Answer 16

Willie Whitelaw

Question 17

What with Heaths aim for direct rule?

Answer 17

To try defeat the IRA but also look for a permenant political solution that would ensure peace.

Question 18

direct rule problems?

Answer 18

Problems arise due to the differences between the two parties and their difference in political ideology (it was hard to negotiate and come to an agreement).

Question 19

Protestant fears:

Answer 19

• Afraid they’ll lose their privileges.
• Worried it will lead to Nationalist victory (through compromise)
• The British Army’s presence - hostility towards the Army, Bloody Sunday= less likely to comply with Whitelaw
• Direct Rule itself = unfamiliar and unelected leaders people of Ireland against it.

Question 20

Who came up with the Sunningdale agreement? Backed by?

Answer 20

Whitelaw and Heath
Backed by Westminister, Dublin, SDLP and UUP
1973

Question 21

What did the Sunningdale agreement propose?

Answer 21

• power sharing executive of both nationalists and unionists - both garenteed representation.
• new NI Assembly elected under system of propertional representation.
• Council of Ireland that would have some ipput from the Republic of Ireland.

Question 22

Who denounced and opposed the Sunningdale agreement?

Answer 22

Denounced = republicand + loyalists
Opposed = UVF + UDA
UUP voted to pull out Jan 1974

Question 23

Failures of Sunningdale agreement?

Answer 23

• prospects of settlement further undermined by miners strike + 74 election.
• the parties which opposed put up a single candidate in each constituency.
• pro-Sunningale voters were spilt.
• 11/12 constituencies returned candidates that opposed the agreement.
• Concern about the agreement meant tory party couldn’t reply on UUP suppoirt thus preventing them from continuing in government.

Question 24

Events in NI troubles 74-79

14th may 1974

Answer 24

Ulster Workers Council strike = suported by Ian Paisley, UDA, UVF. Paramilitary org ensured strike was supoorted by unionists + at same time set off bombs in Republic of Ireland and attacked Catholic civillians.
* severly limited telecommunications and Britain decalred state of emergency.

Question 25

Sunningdale agreement context: UUP, DUP, SDLP, Sinn Fein.

Answer 25

• UUP= traditionally always supported the conservatives—moderates
• DUP= uncompromising, leader didn’t like the Catholics (Ian Paisley)
• SDLP= tried to fight for civil rights for Catholics. Apposed violent riots (non-violent)
• Sinn Fein= extreme Nationalists

Question 26

Events in NI troubles 74-79

17th May 1974

Answer 26

Loyalist car bombs kill 26 in Dublin and 7 in Monaghan.

Question 27

Events in NI troubles 74-79

28th may 1974

Answer 27

Sunningdale agreement collapses

Question 28

Events in NI troubles 74-79

Oct 1974

Answer 28

Guildford pub bomb kills 5

Question 29

Events in NI troubles 74-79

Nov 1974

Answer 29

Birmingham pub bomb kills 19

Question 30

Events in NI troubles 74-79

oct 1975

Answer 30

12 killed in NI in series of attacks by IVF

Question 31

Events in NI troubles 74-79

Oct 1976

Answer 31

Republic prisioners begin ‘blanket protest”

Question 32

Events in NI troubles 74-79

March 1979

Answer 32

Airey Neave, conservative spokesman on NI killed by IRA car bomb in HoC car park.

Question 33

Northen ireland constitution assmebly

Answer 33

Announced establishment by Wilson.
= an elected body that would determine the future of gov in NI.
* Electios in July 1975 = majority of unionists who were opposed to any power sharing.
* agreement w/ nationalists not possible.
* dissolved 1976.

Question 34

WHen and what did the removal of special status cateory mean?

Answer 34

• 1976
• for political prisonors
• meant no longer cnsidered political prisioners byt would be treated as criminals

Question 35

Removal of special status cateory disliked by?

Answer 35

Parlimentaries = believed they were engaged in a war.

Question 36

“Blanket protests”

Answer 36

• IRA prisoners were naked or wore only blanets as otherwise they would hav to wesr the criminal uniform.
• Escalted to become ‘dirty protest’ 1978 = smeared excreetment on cell walls ‘slop out’ as alledged ill-treatment made them refuse to leave cells.

Question 37

Number of IRA prisoners taking part in these protests?

Answer 37

250 by 1979 + demands grew to regain political status.

Question 38

Catholic reactions of sunningdale treatment:

Answer 38

• Catholics were aggrieved over:
• Unemployment, which always affected them the most
• The continued presence over the British Army
• The slow progress in gaining their civil rights
• The way the law seemed tilted against them e.g. Diplock Courts = riminal courts in Northern Ireland for non-jury trial of specified serious crimes