The Troubles In Northern Ireland Flashcards
What were O’Neills Economic policies, Northern Ireland
The economy had slowed in 1950s. He used tax breaks and grants to attract new industries and foreign businesses to the province. He successful creating 65,000 new jobs by 1970. However, most of the investment was in the heavily protestant east the Catholic West remained undeveloped and poor.
Tell me about O’Neills outreach to catholics
He tried to improve relations with Catholics. He was the first Northern Ireland prim minister to visit Catholic school and hospitals and paid tribute to the pope when he died. Catholics began to hope for wider change in Northern Ireland and an end discrimination. However, he was slow to follow these symbolic gestures with concrete changes in housing or employment policies.
Why did the union party oppose to O’Neill
By 1950 union party opposition to O’Neill’s policies were growing, even though no real change to Northern Ireland society had been attempted. Ian Paisley of the free Presbyterian Church attacked O’Neill for betraying the union and the Protestants of Northern Ireland. Paisley launched an O’Neill must go campaign. This opposition made it difficult for O’Neill to respond positively to growing pressure from Catholics for change
Tell me about the two new political parties that were set up
1.social democratic Labour party: was founded as a new nationalist political party in 1970 by the leaders of the civil rights movement. First by Gerry Fitt and then by John Hume. It rejected the use of violence to solve the norths problems and was more concerned in improving people lives than gaining a United Ireland.
- Democratic unionist party: was founded by reverent Ian Paisley in 1971. He posed any compromise with nationalist and demanded harsh measures to deal with IRA violence.
Tell me about bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland
On the 30th of January 1972 NICRA organise emerge to protest against internerment in Derry. It was banned but 15,000 people marched anyway. When Catholic youths on the march threw stones at an army barricade soldiers open fire on the crowd killing 14 and injuring 13 more. There were protest around the world at the shooting as the British had denied what they did in. Dublin protesters burnt down the British Embassy.
Tell me about the signing of the sunningdale agreement
In 1973 election took place for a new Northern Ireland assembly. Afterwards Whitelaw invited the party leaders to talk. He wanted to set up a power sharing government where nationalist unionists would govern together. Eventually in 1973 the leaders of the unionist party, STLP,British government and the Irish government signed the sunningdale agreement agreeing a power sharing executive and to set up a council of Ireland
Tell me about the Ulster workers Council strike
In May 1974 the unionist Ulster workers Council organised a general strike by protestant workers. Goods cannot be transported factories are shut down and the electricity supply was shut off. The executive resigned and the sunningdale agreement collapsed. Direct rule from Westminster was reimposed.
Tell me about the Anglo Irish treaty
By 1985, the British and Irish government were looking for a new way to work together on North Ireland. As the violence continued and Sinn Féin gained support Taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald wanted to show that the political process could work to deliver change. In the Anglo Irish agreement of 1985 he and Margaret Thatcher agreed to increase security, cooperation and that the republic would have a role in the running of Northern Ireland
Tell me about John Hume
John Hume was born in Derry city in 1937. He helped to find the dairy credit union and campaigned for better housing in the city and for a university to be established in Derry. He became involved with the Civil Rights movement after the failure of his housing and university campaigns. In 1970 he had found the SDLP to give a new voice to the nationalist. By the senior member of the SDLP, he was appointed minister for commerce in the sunningdale power sharing executive. After the collapse of the sunningdale agreement he began working closely the Irish government and became leader of the SDLP in 1979. He strongly supported the anglo Irish agreement in 1985 which he helped play a role in negotiating behind the scenes. He wanted a peaceful approach even though his approach inflicted conflict. His work paid off with the IRA ceasefire in 1994 and the Good Friday agreement in 1998. Along with the Ulster unionist party leader David Trimble, John Hume was awarded Nobel peace prize in 1998 for his work during the peace process. He died in 2020 at the age of 83.
Tell me about the Good Friday agreement
Just before Easter 1998, the parties and government reach an agreement on the Good Friday agreement. An attempt at a comprehensive deal to secure as a stable peace for Northern Ireland. It’s main terms included power sharing between all main political parties, cross boarder of bodies to link the north and south, that the republic would give up its constitutional no claim on Northern Ireland and the release of the IRA and loyalist prisoners from jail
What’s circumstances contributed to the outbreak of conflict in Northern Ireland?
The 1960s were a time of major change in Northern Ireland. The Northern Irish Government under O’Neill began to treat the Catholic population better. A generation of educated and organised Catholics began to campaign for an end to discrimination. One group was the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association who used protest marches in their campaign for equal rights. Loyalists opposed these changes. This led to increasing violence, riots and sectarian attacks. Pressure continued to build and in 1969 a significant riot broke out in Derry, known as ‘the Battle of the Bogside’. This is considered to be the beginning of the ‘Troubles’.
What were two consequences of the troubles
Deaths toll: More than 3,500 people died during those decades of conflict. And though the period largely ended with a peace deal in 1998, many of Northern Ireland’s Catholics and Protestants continue to live mostly separate lives. More than 90% of children go to schools segregated by religion
Country divided: due to the troubles and the lasting agreement meant that six counties were now no longer part of Ireland and part of England. Meaning there is a constant divide and separation of Ireland and still conflict between both sides
Tell me about the battle of the bogside
Violence continued on the streets throughout 1969. In August, there were riots when a march by the unionist Apprentice Boys passed by the Catholic Bogside area of Derry. The rioters drove the RUC out of the Bogside,throwing stones and home-made firebombs. They raised barricades across the streets and declared the area ‘Free Derry’. This became known as the Battle of the Bogside.
Tell me about the hunger strike
In the late 1970s, IRA prisoners demanded to be treated as political prisoners rather than as ordinary criminals. They wanted to wear their own clothes and have more visits and contact with the outside. Margaret Thatcher’s government rejected these demands. In 1981, prisoners led by Bobby Sands went on hunger strike, which meant they refused all food until their demands were met. The hunger strike generated sympathy around the world, especially in the Republic. People admired the strikers’ bravery in being willing to die for their beliefs. Anti-British feeling arose and also tension between the Irish and British governments. During the strike, Sands was elected a Westminster MP. However, Thatcher refused to back down and Sands died after 66 days on hunger strike.
