The Problems Of Northern Ireland Flashcards
What was happening with the troubles when Wilson took over?
-divisions in NI already undermining power sharing executive set up under Sunningdale
+ led by Ulster Unionist Faulkner
What was happening with the catholic and Protestants when Wilson took over?
-catholics lost confidence in Ulster Unionist majority
-many Protestants terrified their politicians about to sacrifice their rights as part of unpopular council of Ireland
What was Wilson’s stance?
-backed Faulkner 100%
-despite local Ulster Unionist constituency groups withdrew support + formed paramilitary coalition under ‘Ulster army council’
What happened on the 15th May 1974?
-Ulster workers council called strike to bring down Sunningdale executive - they viewed as republican
What was their aim?
-political aim
-restore Ulster self-gov or direct rule from Westminster
-leaders of strike strong loyalists + members of vigilante Ulster defence association
What happened during the Ulster workers council strike?
-power across NI down to 40% — factories dropped in production
-UWC warned 8000 workers any cars in carparks at shipyards be set on fire
-masked men with guns + clubs ensured key factories followed strike
What did Ulster Defence Association do during the strike?
-erected barricades preventing people going to work
-cut off Belfast city centre
-catholics arriving for work were intimidated, beaten + threatened with execution
What happened Friday 17th May?
-RUC did little + army didn’t act
-3 car bombs exploded in Dublin killing 26
-fourth bomb 90 mins later killed 7
-Ulster volunteer force claimed responsibility
Who was Len Murray and what did he hope to do?
-TUC general secretary
-flew to Belfast to lead back to work march
-was convinced if he asked 10,000 shipyard workers to go back to work they would
What was the result of Murray’s asking?
-he found only 200 supporters
-women changed ‘no surrender’
-pelted with eggs + iron piping
What did Faulkner and Wilson fear for?
-accepted Sunningdale would fail
-questioned how avoid Protestant extremist group taking control NI
-worried catholic would fear for their lives if this happened
What did Wilson + Faulkner agree in response?
-army used to control essential supplies
-Wilson deliver televised address to nations in hopes calming situation down — was disastrous
What did Wilson say in his speech?
-ridiculed violent protestors + strikers — they were ‘sponging off of Westminster + Br democracy’
-Wilson played into hands of UWC
What was reaction to the speech?
-Protestants wore sponges in their lapels
-UWC called complete stoppage of remaining workplaces
-28th May Sunningdale collapsed
How did moderate unionists react?
-felt abandoned by Westminster
-viewed Wilson as hypocrite for leaving repub of Ireland to deal with IRA when he couldn’t put down loyalist strike
-speech attempt calm thing down but revealed frustration
What was passed in July 1974?
-NI act
-created constitutional convention to reintroduce power sharing
What happened with the constitutional convention?
-first elections 1975 60% turnout
-but when 83 convention members met went back to divisive positions + refused compromise
-Ulster unionists presented notions declaring repubs no right take part in future gov of NI
Why was the convention dissolved?
-motion passed with majority of 3
-dissolved 1976
What were the mainland bombings of 1974-75?
-June ‘74 PIRA bombed houses parl — high profile
-month later IRA bombs London incl. tower london - killed 1 + 40 injured
-PIRA continued hit high profile targets ‘75 — Oxford st, Connaught sqr
Where did PIRA bomb 5th Oct 1974?
-pubs frequented by soldiers preferred target
-bombed 2 pubs Guildford — killed 5 + injured 60
What happened 21st Nov 1974?
-bombs central Birmingham pubs
-21 killed
-over 180 injured
What was the gov response to the mainland bombings?
-prevention terrorism act 1974
-police extended powers stop + search
Who was Mason and what did he do in response?
-1976 sec state NI
-hard line approach to violence
-ulsterisation, criminalisation + normalisation
What was Ulsterisation?
-gave power to RUC so Br army less prominent
-RUC increasingly on front line - Westminster channeled funds RUC instead
-RUC policing more aggressive - new interrogation techniques rule as torture by SC
What was criminalisation?
-for mason conflict nit war but fight against criminal gangs
-IRA = terrorists not political activists
-mason removed rights of terrorist prisoners receive special category status = now normal criminals
What was the result of criminalisation?
-prisoners required wear prison uniforms (normalisation)
-accept reduction in free time within prison
-same visiting rights as others
-take part in prison work
How did the terrorist prisoners react?
-requirement wear prisoner uniforms resulted in blanket protest by IRA prisoners
-this escorted to dirty protest after 1978
What was the blanket protest?
-protest by INLA + IRA
-prisoners either naked or worse just blankets
What was the dirty protest that the blanket protest escalated to?
-repub prisoners alleging ill treatment by guards + refused leave cells
-meant cells not cleaned or chamber pots emptied
-smeared excrement on their walls
-by mid 1978 250-300 prisoners protesting + 1979 9/10 new prisoners joined in
What was the result of Masons new approach?
-threat from PIRA lessened
-appeal loyalist groups reduced
-Ian Paisley (loyalist) tried organise another general strike 1977 it failed
What happened with mason in charge (positives)?
-ordinary protestants felt no need to rebel
-death toll reduced
-1974 260 killed + 1975 295 but 1977 dropped to 111 under mason
-1978 down to 82
What happened with mason in charge (negatives)?
-NI slipped into poverty + Ind decline
-increased public sympathy for prisoners due to strikes as clear people not properly tried
-troubles don’t stop — tension not alleviated despite violence reducing
-mason dealt with violence + not root cause
