The events of Bloody Sunday indicated to the London government that Prime Minister Brian Faulkner and his Cabinet were not able to deal with the deteriorating security situation
The British Prime Minister, Edward Heath then announced that he was going to close the Northern Ireland Government and Parliament down (at first for one year although this was later extended) and start running Northern Ireland directly from London (known as Direct Rule)
Reactions to the closing down of the Northern Ireland Parliament
The Irish Government and the SDLP were delighted. They saw the end of Stormont as providing the opportunity of a new start for Northern Ireland.
While the IRA welcomed the end of Stormont, it was less than happy at the appointment of a Secretary of State. It saw Direct Rule as evidence of even greater British involvement in the running of Northern Ireland and announced its determination to continue its struggle to achieve a united Ireland.
Unionist leaders were outraged at the closing down of 'their' Parliament. Massive protests were organised by Ulster Vanguard, but the London Government continued with its plans. There was also an increase in support for loyalist paramilitaries and a spate of sectarian killings. Meanwhile, support for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and other strongly unionist parties also increased.
NICRA stated that its campaign for civil rights would continue.