Troubles in Northern Ireland - 1960s

Question 1

Wilson’s Government, 1968-70

Answer 1

PROBLEMS IN N.I.
1) Battle of Bogside, august 1969 –> 13 apprentice boys (Protestant) marched to close the city gates of Derry ( a catholic city) –> HOWEVER Catholics in the area of Bogside attacked the march where there was 3 days of rioting

GOV SOLUTIONS:
1) THEREFORE James Callaghan decided to send a British army to N.I to keep the peace, however didn’t resolve anything

GOV FAILURE:
1) IRA reasserted themselves:
- Sinn Fein
- IRA split into 2 –> official IRA and provo’s

Question 2

Heath’s Government 1970-74

Answer 2

PROBLEMS IN N.I.:
1) Bloody Sunday, 30th Jan 1972 –> NICRA organised a march against policy of internment –> 26 unarmed civilians were shot and 13 killed

GOV SOLUTIONS:
1) Gov bought out a policy of interment in 1971 –> which allowed the arrest of suspected troublemakers and held them without trial
2) Widgery Report in 1972 –> which investigated the incident of Bloody Sunday where they concluded that British army had fired shots first whilst trying to control the march
3) Sunningdale Agreement –> power-sharing government

GOV FAILURE:
- Policy of Internment:
1) alienated nationalist community
2) strained relations between Irish and British government

• Sunningdale Agreement
  1) extremists on both sides denounced the Sunningdale agreement as a sell-out
  2) 11 out of 12 constituencies opposed the agreement
  3) Sunningdale agreement had collapsed

Question 3

Wilson and Callaghan Government, 1974-79

Answer 3

PROBLEMS IN N.I.:
1) Province was paralysed by a massive 15 day strike by UWC against Sunningdale agreement –> strike limited telecommunications as well as power of British gov

GOV SOLUTIONS:
2) Government withdrew the special category status for prisoners –> so they would now be treated as common criminals instead of political prisoners

GOV FAILURE:
2) Refusal of special category status led to blanket protests by IRA prisoners who were either naked or wore only blankets
3) Dirty protest 1978 –> smeared excrement all over the cell walls where 250 prisoners took part