NI TOPIC ONE The O’Neill Years

Question 1

Where was discrimination present in 1960s?

Answer 1

Voting, housing, jobs

Question 2

Discrimination in voting

Answer 2

Gerrymandering = rigged electorial boundaries, mostly present in Londonderry (mainly nationalist city but unionists often elected)
Ratepayers Only = to vote you had to pay rates, discriminating against nationalists as they didn’t own much land

Question 4

Discrimination in housing

Answer 4

Councils were mostly unionist, meaning unionists were favoured over nationalists
Nationalists could rarely get houses
This meant nationalists couldn’t pay rates and therefore couldn’t vote

Question 5

Discrimination in jobs

Answer 5

Struggled to find jobs in government, as it didn’t trust they would stay loyal to NI and want a United Ireland instead
Couldn’t get jobs in big companies eg H&W

Question 6

O’Neill

Answer 6

Elected 1963
Was a unionist
Party called OUP

Question 7

What were O’Neills goals?

Answer 7

To end discrimination through three aims
1. Improve the economy
2. Improve relations between unionists and nationalists
3. Improve relations between NI and Republic of Ireland

Question 8

How did O’Neill try to improve the economy? (AIM 1)

Answer 8

1. New hospital, motorway, airport
2. New university in Coleraine (to train a new workforce)
3. New city of Craigavon
4. Set up Ministry of Development (to bring in new businesses eg Du Pont)

Question 9

How did unionists react to O’Neill’s attempt at improving the economy? (AIM 1)

Question 10

How did nationalists react to O’Neill’s attempt at improving the economy? (AIM 1)

Answer 10

They were unsure
- new factories in the east (Unionists lived here) rather than in the west (housed Nationalists)
- Craigavon was named after the first unionist PM which they felt was inconsiderate
- Coleraine had the new university and was a unionist town which suggested O’Neill was biased

Question 11

How did O’Neill try and improve relations between unionists and nationalists? (AIM 2)

Answer 11

1. Increase funding for Catholic schools/hospitals
2. Meet leader of Catholic Church: Cardinal Conway
3. Banned UVF after it killed 2 catholics
4. Offered condolences for Pope John 23rd’s death

Question 12

How did unionists (including moderate) react to O’Neill’s attempt at improving relations between nationalists and unionists? (AIM 2)

Answer 12

Moderate - supported as they felt no threat
Others - unsure as they were favouring nationalists

Question 14

How did nationalists react to O’Neill’s attempt at improving relations between nationalists and unionists? (AIM 2)

Answer 14

Supported - the youth wanted him to do more

Question 15

How did O’Neill try and improve relations between NI and Republic of Ireland (AIM 3)

Answer 15

Met Irish PM Lemass - 1965
Met Irish PM Lynch - 1967

Question 16

How did unionists (including moderate and OUP members) react to O’Neill’s attempt at improving relations between NI and Republic of Ireland? (AIM 3)

Answer 16

Moderate - supported as they felt no threat
Others - opposed because of politics and religion as Protestants could become a minority in a United Ireland
OUP - opposed. there was a plot to sack O’Neill in 1966