A Deteriorating Situation 1969-72

• The Battle of the Bogside happened the 12th to the 14th of August 1969
• After an Apprentice Boys march on the 12th August, Catholics and Protestants began throwing missiles. RUC began dismantling Catholic barrigades
• After the battle of the bogside, Catholics maintained the RUC helped Unionists attack Catholic homes but RUC stated they were trying to seperate the two mobs.
• NICRA organised marches on the 13th August 1969 in support of the bogside
• In Belfast in August 1969, RUC stations and Protestant businesses were attacked. 50 buses were hijacked and set on fire. 1 Protestant was killed in gun battle between IRA and RUC. RUC killed a 9 year old Catholic boy. Loyalists burned streets like Bombay, Conway and Cupar. Catholic homes and businesses were burned out by Loyalists
• In Dungannon, in August 1969, 3 Catholics were killed by B-Specials
• On the 14th August a Newry RUC station was bombed
• On the 17th August a Crossmaglen RUC station was petrol bombed
• From the 12th to the 17th August 1969, 8 were killed and 750 injured. 275 businesses were attacked.
• On the 13th August Taoiseach Jack Lynch sent ambulances to the N.I. Border and called for UN peacekeeping force to be sent into N.I.
• The British government refused to allow UN troops into Northern Ireland but agreed to send in British soldiers
• On the 15th August 1969 PM Harold Wilson sent British troops into N.I.
• Reasons for the Troops being sent to N.I.

  1. Increased Sectarian violence
  2. RUC could not control the situation
  3. RUC had only 3,200 members and was overstretched
  4. British were embarrassed by media coverage
  5. To restore law and order
  6. Give politicians breathing space to talk
  7. Protect Catholics
• Nationalists welcomed troops and rejoiced. They believed they would be protected from sectarian attacks and saw it as a defeat for RUC and Stormont. Some Catholics saw them as an occupying force and supported the IRA
• Unionists did not welcome the arrival of troops and felt a loss of control over security. The felt the government had sided with Catholics and were annoyed violence had been rewarded. Stormont requested to control the troops but were rejected.
• The Downing Street declaration came out on the 19th August 1969
• Downing Street Declaration

  1. Reorganisation of the RUC
  2. Ministry of community relations
  3. Community relations commission
  4. Commission of complaints
  5. Reform of local government (gerrymandering and OMOV)
  6. Prevention of discrimination in public jobs
  7. Points system for fair allocation of local authority houses
  8. An inquiry into security (Hunt Report)
  9. Scarman Tribunal to investigate recent complaints
  10. £2million programme to create work and investment grants
• Nationalists were happy with the DSD, but many felt the reforms were not happening fast enough, e.g. the B-Specials did not disband until 31st March 1970. Catholics were increasingly suspicious of the unionist government and looked to Stormont for support
• When the Hunt Report was published on the 10th October 1969, unionists were so angry they marched down the Shankill with intentions to bur Catholics out of nearby flats. They were stopped by police and the army killed two protestants.
• The Hunt report recommended

  Reorganisation and disarmament of the RUC and abolition of the B-Specials to be replaced with the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDF)
• After the Hunt report MP's called for the resignation of James Chichester
• The Scarman tribunal found riots were spontaneous and without intent to overthrow the N.I. government and could've been controlled better by the RUC
• In December 1969 the IRA split and the Provisional IRA was formed.
• The PIRA received money and weapons from the USA
• The PIRA declared themselves the protects of the nationalist community
• The official IRA had a ceasefire in 1972
• In 1974 the official IRA split into the IRSC AND INLA
• The IRSC was the Irish Socialist party and contested elections
• The INLA was the Irish Nationalists Liberation Army and was a militant group who used violence to achieve their aims
• The aims of the PIRA

  1. civil rights
  2. defend the catholic population
  3. destroy the Stormont government
  4. remove British Imperialism from Ireland
• The Falls Road curfew happened from the 3rd to the 5th Of July 1970
• 3,000 troops were sent into The Falls Road to search for weapons. They held a curfew for 35 hours and used tear gas. Many were left without food. This weakened relations between the Army and Nationalists and increased IRA membership.
• The PIRA launched a bombing campaign targeting Protestant shops following the curfew
• The PIRA tarred and feather girls who went out with soldiers
• James Chichester-Clarke resigned on the 20th March 1971
• James Chichester-Clarke was replaced by Brain Faulkner
• Loyalists bombed McGurk's bar killing 15 in December 1971
• The Ulster Volunteer force (UVF) was a paramilitary group that believed civil rights meant Catholic rights. They wanted to ensure N.I. remained part of Britain and wanted to target and do harm to Catholics while preventing appeasement of Catholics. They wanted to stop IRA violence.
• The Ulster Defence Association was set up in September 1971 and was considered too big to be banned after gaining 30,000 members in a year. They wanted to target and do harm to Catholics and resist Republican aggression.
• The Ulster Freedom Fighters were banned in 1973