Ch17. NI 1949-1963 Flashcards
When did the Irish Free State leave the British Commonwealth and severe all connections with the King of England?
April 1949
What was the impact that the declaration of the Republic have on the connection between NI and UK?
It strengthened the union between the two
What govt was in power in Britain at the time of the declaration of the Republic? And who was its PM?
The Labour Govt; Clement Attlee
What was the response of the British govt for NI after the declaration of the Republic?
Labour Govt, led by Clement Attlee , Gave a guarantee to the unionists in NI
- passed Ireland Act 1949
Ireland Act 1949
Stated that NI would remain part of the UK unless the Belfast Parliament would vote against the Union.
(Extremely unlikely as unionists had a huge majority)
What sort of mentality did the Unionists in NI have?
A sieges mentality
Never felt secure and free from internal and external threats to their rule
Who was Sir Basil Brookes and what is he famous for saying?
Minister of Agriculture in NI
Later PM
Encouraged businessmen not to employ Catholics , 99% of whom are disloyal
Government of Ireland Act 1920
Divided Ireland into two self-governing states, introducing partition
Under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, what areas did the Imperial Parliament in London have control over regarding NI?
War and peace
Foreign affairs
Taxation
What was the Home Rule style parliament in NI responsible for under the Govt of Ireland Act 1920?
Day to day running of the state Law and order Education Health Local government
What two things made up the NI parliament ?
Senate
House of Commons
How many MPs were in the House of Commons and how many of them were usually unionists?
52; at least 40 were usually unionists
How much of the NI population was Unionist?
Two thirds
Name three controversial steps the Unionist Govt took to secure it’s place within the UK.
- The Special Powers Act 1922
- Establishment of B-Specials who assisted the Royal Ulster Constabulary
- The abolition of proportional representation (PR) in elections
The Special Powers Act 1922
- gave extensive emergency powers to the government
- internment without trial
- police could arrest and detain you under suspicion, with no proof needed
- used primarily against the Nationalist com.
Proportional representation (PR) Which system was it fairer than?
PR allows minorities to be in politics and get seats in parliament, getting as many seats as the % of votes they got.
Fairer to minorities than the “First Past the Post” systems
Who coined the phrase “A Protestant state for a Protestant people?”
Sir James Craig, First PM of NI
When did NI suffer economic depression?
1920s and 1930s
What was at a very low standard during the NI economic recession?
Healthcare
Housing
Social welfare
Give the fact about immigration due to unemployment during the NI economic recession
Between 1926 and 1937
50,000 people emigrated
What happened during the 1930s in Belfast as a result of the economic recession?
Riots , mixed
Give the fact about the average income in NI compared to Britain during the depression
In 1938, average income of a person in NI was 56% of that of a person in Britain
Which sectors of the economy of NI benefited from its involvement in WW2?
- food production
- Harland and Wolff shipyard—— warships
- Shortts aircraft —- fighter planes
- engineering
- textile — parachutes &linen for uniforms
How did NI help in a strategic way in WW2 ?
Its ports and runways were used as a landing base and a strategic point for US involvement in WW2.
Give the fact about unemployment declining after WW2
From 25% during the 1930s to 5% in 1945.
Wages also rose
When did the Belfast Blitz take place?
April & May 1941
How many people were killed in the Belfast Blitz?
1,100
How many houses were destroyed or damaged during Belfast blitz?
56,000
How much pounds worth of damage was done to property during the Belfast Blitz?
£20 million
What did Winston Churchill say at the end of the war regarding NI’s involvement ?
He paid tribute by declaring that without the use of its ports, Britain would have had the extra duty of invading the Free State
When was Churchill overwhelmingly defeated in a general election and what govt and PM took his place?
July 1945
Labour Govt
Clement Attlee
What is the name of the reforms that the new govt in Britain introduced after the war?
The Beverage Report 1947
What changes were brought in the new welfare state?
Increased taxation for : Free Healthcare; NHS set up Better Social welfare Free Education Higher pensions for the elderly and disabled
How did the leaders of the unionist party react to this new welfare state?
- opposed radical social change
- closely linked to Conservative party in Westminster
- were fearful of these reforms being extended to the nationalist community
Who became PM in NI after James Craig? What were the years of his rule?
Sir Basil Brooke; 1943-1963
In return for _________ ________ from the British Govt, NI accepted what from the British govt?
In return for increased funding, NI accepted greater control by the British Treasury in London.
Funding used for welfare state.
Who was in charge of the healthcare services in NI?
The NI General Health Services Board
What was the situation with healthcare in the 40s in NI? (Before the welfare state)
- lagged behind the provisions in the rest of the UK
- the rich could afford to pay for private healthcare while the poor had to depend on an underfunded and inadequate public health system
When was the NHS set up?
NHS was set up in 1948
How did NHS work?
- free medical service open to all
- people could attend doctor of their choice
- free medication
Fact about TB deaths before the improvements in healthcare
During the forties, TB was responsible for almost half the deaths in the 15-25 age group
How did the NI govt tackle TB?
- a Tuberculosis Authority set up in 1941
- effective screening programme +
- use of new drugs
- helped to bring the rate of Tb deaths down to the same level as in the Uk by 1954
What new system was set up under the new welfare state regarding social welfare?
National Insurance
- all workers paid contributions into a social insurance fund
- then received state payments after retirement or if unemployed
- sick, elderly & widowed payments improved vastly
Fact about need for housing in NI before the welfare state
In 1943 a survey revealed there was a need of 200,000 new houses in NI
What concrete step was taken by NI to tackle the housing problem?
In 1945 Minister for Health and Local Government (William Grant) set up the NI Housing Trust, which had the power to borrow money from the government in order to build houses.
Who was the Minister for Health and Local Government in NI in 1945?
William Grant
Fact about houses built during welfare state in NI
Between 1945 and 1963, around 113,000 new houses were built
Was the NI Housing Trust fair in its allocation of houses to Protestants and Catholics?
Yes ; but the same could not be said of local authorities
What were some of the worst local authorities famous for their discrimination against Catholics when allocating houses?
-Derry Council
-Dungannan Council
-Omagh Council
Areas of Catholic majority population but councils were Unionist controlled.
What changes were made to education in the new welfare state?
- Education Act 1947
- at the end of primary education, students say the 11-Plus
- most able 20% attended grammar schools; strictly academic curriculum
- other 80% attended secondary/intermediate schools; more technical programme
How did the students pay for the new education system under the Welfare state?
Vast majority did not pay fees
Huge increase in state grants for all schools
Fact about numbers of students in education after the reforms
The numbers attending second-level schools in NI doubled between 1947 and 1952.
What caused unhappiness in the churches over the education reforms?
- catholic bishops complained their schools were receiving lower funding
- believed the state was gaining too much control over education
- both churches alarmed at the diminished role of religious instruction in state schools
Who was the Education Minister during the reforms? What do we know about him?
Colonel Hall-Thompson
He resigned in 1949 when Lord Brookeborough(PM) failed to support his plans concerning pensions for Catholic teachers
Two effects of education reforms on NI society
- more educated: both Protestants and Catholics remained at school longer and attended university in greater numbers
- Paved the way for the civil rights movement as educated and articulate young Catholics emerged who were not ready to put up with discrimination
What was the economic position of NI in the UK in the 50s? Give a statistic too
- the most disadvantaged region
- in the 50s rate of unemployment was 7%, in marked contrast to the economic prosperity of Britain &Europe at the time
Agriculture in NI in 40s
- 1/4 of the workforce engaged in agriculture in late 40s
- majority worked on small family farms (uneconomical)
- enjoyed govt subsidies and guaranteed prices on British market
Agriculture in 50s NI
- during the fifties the no’s working in agriculture declined by 27%
- largely due to the increased use of machinery
Traditional industries NI after 1945 (1)
- linen industry experienced a rapid decline on world markets
- synthetic materials like rayon and nylon became more popular
- many linen factories closed down and 27,000 jobs were lost between 1948 and 1964
Traditional industries in Ni after 1945 (2)
- shipbuilding continues to prosper in the immediate post-war period
- declined after 1955 due to increased competition from Germany and Japan
What incentives were offered to foreign companies locating in NI?
- grants to build factories
- cheap sites of land
- lower rates of tax for companies
Fact about employment going up due to NI incentives for foreign companies to locate there.
Largely As a result of these incentives, 55,000 new jobs were created between 1945-1963.
How many seats did nationalist have in the Stormont parliament in 1945?
10 seats - first time they entered parliament since 1930s
When was the Irish Anti-Partition League set up?
On 15 Nov 1945, when nationalist MPs and senators were among 500 people who gathered in Dungannon Co.Tyrone to set up the Irish Anti Partition League.
What was the aim of the Irish Anti-Partition League?
To unite all nationalists into a solo bloc in order to campaign against partition.
Where did the Irish Anti Partition League look to for support?
From the de Valera govt in Dublin and from Irish emigrants in USA
The Free State’s support for the Irish Anti Partition League (de Valera)
-de Valera began an international campaign against partition
The Free State’s support for the Irish Anti Partition League (John A. Costello)
- the First Inter Party Govt (Costello) continued the campaign
- Costello said he wanted “to take the gun out of Irish politics” -> Irish unity by peaceful means
- public relations campaign begun under direction of Minister for External Affairs Sean MacBride, to persuade British govt to end partition
- British govt did little to persuade unionists of the adv of entering United ireland
What were the people who wanted Irish unity by peaceful parliamentary means called?
Nationalists
What were th e people who wanted Irish unity through violence called?
Republicans
When did the IRA Border Campaign start and end?
December 1956 to 26 Feb 1962
What was the Border Campaign codenamed?
Operation Harvest
How did Operation Harvest begin?
In Dec 1956 w a number of attacks on RUC barracks in border areas
What was the Border campaign seen as?
An attack on “British imperialism”
What was the most famous event of the Border Campaign?
31 Dec 1956 ; 12 IRA men attacked RUC barracks in Brookeborough, Co Fermanagh. Two IRA men were killed: Fergal O’Hanlon and Seán South.
Effects of the deaths of two IRA men involved in Brookeborough attack
-wave of sympathy; huge numbers attended their funerals
-in general election in Republic in March 1957, four Sinn Féin TDs were elected
( they refused to take their seats -abstention)
What strict measures did the Brookeborough Govt take against the IRA Border campaign?
-Special Powers Act
-Security improves at police barracks
-B-Specials called into action to support RUC
-internment without trial introduced
(Exclusively Protestant; exclusively used against IRA or nationalists)
Fact about IRA loss of power during Border Campaign.
By autumn 1958 nearly all of the leading IRA activists were either in prison or dead
When did internment come to an end in the Republic ?
March 1959
When did internment come to an end in NI?
April 1961
How did the Border Campaign end?
On 26 February 1962 the IRA issued an official statement announcing the end of the Border Campaign
Results of the Border Campaign
- 12 IRA men killed ; 6 RUC men killed
- 32 members of security forces injured
- over 200 IRA members convicted and sentenced
- did not bring Irish unity any closer
- IRA did not emerge as a force in NI until the Troubles in 1969
- its failure showed the lack of public support both North and South for IRA
Brookeborough’s failure
Its refusal to recognize that the nationalists could participate more in public affairs ; some reconciliation might have been achieved
Biggest challenge for the Brookeborough govt
Economic : unemployment was high ; trade unions protested
How did the Brookeborough govt go out of power?
While trade unions were protesting against unemployment
- in general election 1962 the unionists lost votes and seats to the NI Labour Party
- discontent grew among unionists with Brookeborough after this election and he was compelled to resign
What was the name of the catholic hospital in Belfast and who was it owned by? What was the issue with it regarding the welfare state?
Mater Hospital ; mercy nuns
- feared the hospital authorities’ interference in their provision of healthcare as a Catholic hospital
- Health Minister insisted they be fully in or fully out the new healthcare system
- opted out ; did not receive building grants or state payments
- Catholics attending there still had to pay fees even though they were already paying their taxes and were entitled to free healthcare
- not solved until 1972
Sectarian issue in state schools
Catholics did not want to send their children to state schools bc there was no religious education , so the state schools became exclusively Protestant
Fact about funding for Catholic schools
Catholic schools received only 50% in building grants. This was later raised to 65%. Many unionists protested against the raise .
