Unit 2: Topic 1 The O’Neill years

• The O'Neill Years
• Terence O'Neill became Northern Ireland's prime minister


  March 1963
• O'Neill's aims

  • To improve relations with the Republic of Ireland
  • Bring employment to NI to ease pressure on jobs
• Economic reform under O'Neill


  1. Invested £900 million in NI

  2. Multinational companies were set up (Grundig, Michelin, Dupont)

  3. Improved communication through new road and rail network

  4. New university built at Coleraine

  5. New city Craigavon designed to relieve housing pressure and attract foreign investment

  6. New airport and oil refinery developed and set up in Belfast
• 35,000 new jobs created
• Unemployment in the west at 12%
• O'Neill's political reforms

  • Aimed to build better relationships with the Republic of Ireland
  • Adopted a less hostile attitude than Brookborough
  • Offered official condolences to the Catholic Church
  • Visited Catholic schools, hospitals and met with Catholic leaders
• The first meeting of Northern Ireland's main political parties in 40 years took place on 14th January 1965
• In 1965 it was announced that NI and the Republic would co-operate on tourism and electricity supply
• Nationalist leaders initially supported O'Neill's policies
• Some Protestant activists and the Free Presbyterian Church leader Ian Paisley objected to O'Neill's reforms and visits
• Unionist MPs like George Fitt who supported O'Neill were attacked at Orange Order celebrations
• Unionists felt O'Neill was granting too many concessions to Catholics