Topic Three - Northern Ireland 1965 - 1985 [6] Flashcards
Study Source A [6 marks]
I want a new airport worthy of our position as the busiest air centre in Britain outside London. I am planning for a new hospital in Londonderry - the most modern in the world. We need new laboratories and research facilities at Queen’s University to make sure we are at the forefront of knowledge
(Terence O’Neill explaining his economic plans to improve the economy of Northern Ireland).
Using Source A and your own knowledge, describe O’Neills plans to improve the economy of Northern Ireland.
It is clear from the evidence in Source A that O’Neill had a number of ideas as to how he wanted to improve the NI economy. He first of all states that he wanted a new airport as Northern Ireland was the busiest air centre in Britain outside London. This was the upgrading of RAF Aldegrove to become an international airport.
He also states in the source that plans were in place for a new hospital in Derry at Altnagelvin which would be state of the art and also that research facilities and laboratories would be planned for QUB and this would place Northern Ireland at the forefront of knowledge. As well as all of this O’Neill also put in place the ministry for Development which would mirror the work of the Department of the Environment in the UK.
He also proposed other infrastructure projects like the M1 motorway and rail upgrades. The economic Council was put in place under the direction of Brian Faulkner and a new university was to be sited at Coleraine.
How did O’Neill try to improve relations with nationalists in NI in the 1960’s?
Terence O’Neill tried to improve relations with the Nationalist community in a number of ways during his time as PM of NÍ between 1963 and 1969. He made the decision to become more engaged with the catholic community and visited schools and hospitals run by Catholic religious orders.
He visited Assumption Grammar School for Girls in 1965 which gave the impression he was a PM for all in NI. He also increased funding to these institutions on the same level as the state run institutions.
O’Neill also passed his official condolences to Cardinal Conway the spiritual leader of Ireland’s Catholics on the death of Pope John XXIII in 1963 and also visited the primate in Armagh.
Terence O’Neill also made the unprecedented step of banning the UVF, a loyalist paramilitary organisation which had been targeting Catholics. Finally, in the aftermath of Civil rights marches in Derry in October 1968 and elsewhere he introduced the Five Point Programme for reform on November 22nd 1968.
How did O’Neill try to improve the economy in NI in the 1960’s?
Terence O’Neill came into office as PM in 1963 and his primary motivation was to improve the economy in NI. He felt this would lead to a more prosperous and peaceful NI.
He went about this with a number of initiatives. In January 1965 the ministry for Development was established to mirror the work of the U.K. Department for the environment.
Tax breaks and grants were offered to foreign companies as incentives to invest in NI, this yielded success with companies such as Michelin and Grundig. The Government also invested £900 million sterling into the NI economy.
There was slo improvements to the new motorways, rail networks and a new international airport at RAF Aldegrove. The government also commenced the building of a new town at Craigavon between Lurgan and Portadown.
Finally there was also investment in the construction of a new university at Coleraine which would have have short and longer term economic benefits.
What methods were used by NICRA to achieve its aims in 1968 and 1969?
Or
What actions did the NICRA and People’s Democracy take to try to gain civil rights for the people of NI?
The NICRA was established in January 1967 with the aim of achieving Civil Rights for all the citizens of Northern Ireland. They were most famously remembered for the public marches and demonstrations they organised notably between Coalisland and Dungannon on August 24th 1968, in Derry on October 5th 1968 and again in Derry on August 12th 1969.
They also made use of the media particularly the modern medium of television which was able to broadcast images of their activities across the world.
The NICRA also engaged in acts of civil disobedience such as sit-down protests and squatting in houses to highlight the inequality in housing allocation. This was famously done in Caledon in Co. Tryone in June 1968.
They also took their campaign to the courts where decisions made by local authorities were challenged through the judicial system.
Finally, the NICRA also promoted the withholding of rents and rates as a means of protest at government action and inaction.
How did the Unionist government and the RUC respond to the Civil Rights Movement between 1968 and 1969?
The Unionist government of NI which had governed uninterrupted since 1920 and partition dealt with the challenge of the Civil Rights movement in a number of ways.
First they permitted the protests to proceed. Then they sent out the RUC and B-Specials to stop both the legal marches like that in Dungannon in August 1968 and that which had been declared illegal in Derry in October that year.
The government also declared NICRA marches illegal for example Derry October 5th 1968 and Derry again in August 12th 1969.
The RUC were deployed to escort the famous People’s Democracy March from Belfast to Derry in January 1969 but they failed to do this when the marchers came under attack at Burntollett.
Finally, the government responded to the violence which erupted after the march in Derry and to the pressure applied by the Civil Rights Movement by introducing the Five point programme for reform which came on November 22nd 1968. Cameron Commission was introduced on January 15th 1969 in the aftermath of violence attendant on Civil rights marches.
How did Unionists and Nationalists in NI respond to O’Neill Five Point Programme of November 1968?
There were a range of reactions from both Nationalists and Unionists to O’Neill’s Five Point Programme of November 22nd 1968. Some Nationalists had become increasingly frustrated with the pace of change and believed that the programme was ‘too little, too late’ and dismissed it as such. Others of a moderate disposition accepted it as a good start to the process of reform.
In the Unionists community the more extreme believed it was another betrayal by O’Neill and that he was giving in to republican motivated violence. Ian Paisley the populist demagogue intensified his criticism of O’Neill and called for his resignation and new elections. This also intensified the ‘O’Neill Must GO’ Campaign.
There were moderates in the Unionist community who agreed with O’Neill and that his reforms were necessary but also that they were sufficient and no more were needed.
Again there were others within the UUP who were unhappy as exemplified by Brian Faulkner who resigned in protest at the programme. The UVF also intensified their campaign against O’Neills reforms.
How did O’Neill try to improve relations with the Republic of Ireland between 1963 and 1969?
One of the three strands of Terence O’Neill’s policy for Northern Ireland was to improve relations with the north’s closest neighbour, the Republic of Ireland.
He tried to achieve this through a variety of strategies. He first of all made speeches which were of a conciliatory nature, for example when he stated: “We share many of the same rivers, the same mountains and some of the same problems’.
O’Neill set out to make the co-operation a reality by inviting the Taoiseach Séan Lemass to Stormont in January 1965, this was the first official meeting between the two leaders since Partition.
O’Neill made the return visit to to Dublin later that Year.
He also extended the invitation to Lemass’ successor Jack Lynch in 1967.
Between the two governments they agreed to initiatives which facilitated electricity supply across the border.
O’Neill also permitted the establishment of Dublin based Trade Unions for NI for northern workers which also improved cross border co-operation.
There were also agreements on a united tourism initiative.
In what ways did some Unionists challenge O’Neill and his policies in the late 1960s?
When Terence O’Neill embarked upon his policy of liberalising NI he encountered opposition from within Unionism in many guises. When he invited Lemass North without informing his cabinet in 1965 it raised opposition within his own party and some ministers resigned in protest.
As well as this more extreme Unionists including Ian Paisley began the ‘O’Neill must GO’ Campaign designed to force him out of office.
The extension of the invitation to Lemass’ successor Jack Lynch led to an intensification of the campaign and the comical scene in January 1967 of Paisley pelting Lynch’s car with snowballs.
As the Civil rights campaign grew in force O’Neill introduced the Five Point Programme which created outrage among some in Unionism with Brian Faulkner resigning from the cabinet and others calling for O’Neill’s resignation and new elections.
His détente with Cardinal Conway also led to many protests from extreme Unionists and Loyalists.
How did O’Neill deal with the economic problems facing NI in the 1960s?
Terence O’Neill who had become Prime Minister of Northern Ireland in 1963 had come to the office with a plan of modernising Northern Ireland.
He saw the first priority was to modernise and update the economy which would make Northern Ireland a more attractive place for all. The traditional industries of linen, engineering and ship-building were in decline in the 1960s and so prime minister O’Neill had to find alternative sources of employment.
He set about encouraging foreign businesses to set up in Northern Ireland by offering them tax breaks and grants to incentivise the move.
This worked with companies like Grundig and Michelin setting up in the north.
He also established the Ministry for Development which was to oversee large infrastructural projects like the building of motorways and the upgrading of the international airport.
In order for work like this to be carried out O’Neill invested £900 million sterling into the economy.
The Economic Council was established under Brian Faulkner and this government body had the remit of strategically planning the Northern Ireland Economy.
The new town Craigavon was also built with the idea of providing work and modern living and a university was built in Coleraine to again provide jobs and inward investment and also then to provide a graduate workforce for potential investors and employers.
What actions did O’Neill take to improve relations with northern Nationalists in the 1960s?
Terence O’Neill a liberal Unionist intended to create a new Northern Ireland where all would feel welcome and valued.
To this end he initiated changes to improve relations with nationalists.
He deliberately went on public visits to Catholic run schools like Assumption Grammar, Ballynahinch and St. Colman’s College which illustrated equality of treatment.
He also increased funding to Catholic run schools to match that of state schools which again reassured the Catholic and Nationalist population.
On the occasion of the death of Pope John XXIII, Captain O’Neill offered his condolences to Cardinal Conway, the Primate of All-Ireland and also went on to visit the Cardinal in Armagh.
This encouraged Catholics that O’Neill was genuine in his friendship and that the Northern State was welcoming to Catholics.
In 1966 he famously proscribed the UVF making them an illegal organisation which illustrated that he could even be handed when it came to Loyalist crime.
In November 22nd 1968 he introduced his Five Point Programme of reform which met some of the demands of NICRA.
How did Nationalists respond to the events of Bloody Sunday?
Nationalists of all shades were horrified and angered by Bloody Sunday.
Some gave their support to the PIRA
Some even joined the ranks of the PIRA to gain a measure of revenge
There were protests and riots across NI
NICRA ceased their marches against Internment
The rent and rate strikes continued
Nationalist MPs withdrew from Stormont
How did the people of NI respond to the introduction of Internment in 1971?
Under provisions of the 1922 SPA the Unionist government in NI introduced internment.
Internment is arrest, detention and interrogation without charge or trial
Operation Demetrius August 8th/9th 1971
Only Nationalists were targeted and 2357 were arrested in the first 6 months
Nationalists warned residents of British army approach (By hitting bin lids together loudly to alert residents of the incoming army?)
There were riots and disturbances against the army
The PIRA intensified its campaign and used the army as its target on occasions
NICRA organised marches (January 30th 1972 - NICRA march - Bloody Sunday)
SDLP and NICRA urged rent and rate strikes
Unionists were for the most part in support of the introduction of internment
Some saw the potential danger of a one-sided application of internment though.
How did Nationalists and Unionists respond to the events of Bloody Sunday, 30th January 1972?
Some moderate Unionists looked on with horror at the actions of the army knowing it would have repercussions.
Other Unionists believed the army acted within its rights in using lethal force against an illegal march.
Nationalists of all shades were horrified and angered by Bloody Sunday.
Some gave their support to the PIRA
Some even joined the ranks of the PIRA to gain a measure of revenge
There were protests and riots across NI
NICRA ceased their marches against Internment
The rent and rate strikes continued
Nationalist MPs withdrew from Stormont
How did Nationalists attitudes to the presence of British troops in NI change between 1969 and 1971?
On August 14th/15th 1969 the British troops were deployed to Northern Ireland.
They were universally welcomed by the nationalist population as their saviours from the loyalist mob.
They were welcomed famously with cups of tea
Control of the troops was handed to the Unionist government
The British army was deployed in riot control situations alongside the RUC and B-Specials.
The army was aware it was becoming ‘Piggy in the middle’
The NI government deployed the army in arms searches in Catholic areas
The army knew it was in a no win situation. If they did nothing the PIRA would grow. If they acted they would alienate the Nationalist community
July 1970 - The Falls road curfew
August 1971 - Internment was introduced
Because of these actions the attitude to the British troops turned from support to outright opposition.
In what ways did violence increase in NI in July & August 1969?
The traditional marching season brought with it tensions in NI. This was made worse by the tensions raised due to Civil rights.
In August 1969 NICRA organised a march for 12th August in Derry
This heightened tensions as the Apprentice Boys march was the same day.
The NICRA march went ahead and predictably ended in violence.
Thus began the Battle of the Bogside (August 12th-15th)
Violence spread across NI - Bombay Street was burned
The British army were deployed to calm the unrest.
The IRA were angered and re-emerged
The IRA split into Official and Provisional wings vowing to end British Imperialism in Ireland
Sticks and stones were replaced by bullets and bombs.
