The Irish Troubles Unit 2 History: Challenge and Change Historical Inquiry

Kat B. Introduction

The Irish Troubles span from 1969 to the inception of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 and was a period of tension between Catholics and Protestants. The early twentieth century influenced the Troubles with the official establishment of Southern Ireland as a free state and Northern Ireland remaining a part of the United Kingdom. With mainly Unionist Protestants residing in the north, the government catered to their needs, disregarding the Nationalist Catholics that still lived there. This caused outrage among the Catholic community; thus, protesting and rioting ensued in hopes of change. Violence escalated with the rise of the Provisional IRA and the British government's determination to suppress the uprisings. The violence that occurred on Bloody Sunday generated further outrage with the deaths of fourteen protesters at the hands of British soldiers. Bloody Sunday created a chain reaction of violence in 1972, which became the climax of violence during the Trouble,s with the yearly death toll reaching 476 people casualties. After three decades of tension and violence, talks of peace began. The Good Friday Agreement was settled between Northern Irish political parties, Irish and British governments with aid from US President Bill Clinton and George Mitchell. ThAgreementnt saw the establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly, that would equally share power between the Unionists and Nationalists. What were the Irish Troubles? Before the 1960s The Irish Troubles were a thirty-year period of political violence in Ireland during the latter half of the twentieth century. Yet the history of the Troubles spans back centuries with feuding relations between the Irish in the south and English settlers in the north. This became the catalyst for long lasting political and religious division within Ireland. The Irish people were traditionally Catholic, yet many English settlers turned to the Protestant Church during its inception. The British Protestants that had settled in Ireland wished for Ireland to fall under British rule and were considered Unioni,st while the Catholic Irish held Nationalists' views and wished to remain independent from British rule. Historian, Carl Warner argued that "these things build into an identity,"1 with the differences between them causing tension and division. From 1919 to 1921, Irish republicans, particularly the IRA, fought in the Irish War for Independence. The outcome of this was the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, on 6 December 1921, which established Southern Ireland as a free state and Northern Ireland as a part of the United Kingdom. Tensions Brewing With this separation, some Catholics were still living in Northern Ireland, and some Protestants were living in Southern Ireland. Carl Warner explains that "therein lies the tension that begins to escalate"2 within the late 1960s and 1970s. There was a heavy amount of discrimination directed at Catholics in Northern Ireland, as was also happening towards the Protestants in Southern Ireland during the 60s and 70s. The Catholic community still living in Northern Ireland in the late 60s weren't privy to the same services as that of the Protestant community. The Catholics "wish[ed] to readdress [the problems],

1 Carl Warner (“What were The Troubles? | Northern Ireland spotlight,” Imperial War Museums, 22nd of July 2020), Accessed on 6/10/2021 2 Carl Warner (“What were The Troubles? | Northern Ireland spotlight,” Imperial War Museums, 22nd of July 2020), Accessed on 6/10/2021

and that's when […] clashes and violence"3 started to occur. Historian Carl Warner expressed that "the only common denominator [between the Catholic Nationalists and the Protestant Unionists] […] [was] loss"4 at this time. The civil rights marches became violent in 1969 when the RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary) were sent in "to keep the peace."5 In August 1969, a large group of Catholics incited rioting in West Londonderry (known as Derry), where the RUC fought them for three days in what became known as the Battle of the Bogside. This is considered the genesis of the Troubles. During this time, the IRA chose not to fight alongside the rioters as a non-violent approach was deemed superior. After seeing the Northern Ireland government suppress the justifiable civil rights movements, Jack Lynch, the Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland), claimed the Irish government would not "stand by and see innocent people injured."6 The Irish Taoiseach's statement concerned Unionists as they thought it was a threat of invasion. This resulted in the UK Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, sending the British Army into Northern Ireland to support the RUC. The IRA and Violence The level of political violence escalated in the 1970s, especially with the rise of the 'Provisional IRA'. An ongoing, internal debate had begun within the ranks of the IRA of whether the IRA's non-violent approach was a result of their leadership "going soft."7 Hence the Provisional IRA was formed in 1970, and its goal was "to drive out the British and make Northern Ireland ungovernable."8 The Provisional IRA supported the use of violence to further their cause, and the loyalist UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) combatted their violence in efforts to "protect the Protestant community."9 More than 3,500 civilians were killed before peace was restored on 10 April 1998 with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement between representatives of Britain, the Republic of Ireland and most Northern Ireland political parties. What was the significance of Bloody Sunday in the Irish Troubles? The Events of Bloody Sunday Bloody Sunday is described as "one of the darkest episodes in Northern Ireland,"10 with intense levels of violence and the fatal shooting of fourteen Catholic citizens occurring at an organised anti-internment march. Internment is the imprisonment of someone without trial, and this affected many individuals who were vocal civil rights activists suspected of

3 Carl Warner (“What were The Troubles? | Northern Ireland spotlight,” Imperial War Museums, 22nd of July 2020), Accessed on 7/10/2021 4 Carl Warner (“What were The Troubles? | Northern Ireland spotlight,” Imperial War Museums, 22nd of July 2020), Accessed on 7/10/2021 5 Carl Warner (“What were The Troubles? | Northern Ireland spotlight,” Imperial War Museums, 22nd of July 2020), Accessed on 7/10/2021 6 Wesley Johnston (“1969 – 1972: The start of the Troubles and the Fall of the Stormont,” History of Ireland), Accessed on the 7/10/2021 7 Wesley Johnston (“1969 – 1972: The start of the Troubles and the Fall of the Stormont,” History of Ireland), Accessed on the 8/10/2021 8 (“Northern Ireland and the Troubles,” Alpha History), Accessed on the 8/10/2021 9 Wesley Johnston (“1969 – 1972: The start of the Troubles and the Fall of the Stormont,” History of Ireland), Accessed on the 8/10/2021 10 Louee Dessent-Jackson ("Bloody Sunday 1972: The day's events explained," On Demand News, 14th of March 2019), Accessed on 16/10/2021

association with the Provisional IRA. Several attacks on British forces by the IRA led to Brian Faulkner, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland's Unionist government, interning several suspected IRA volunteers during 1971. On 30 January 1972, 30,000 people gathered in Derry for an anti-internment rally arranged by NICRA (the Northern Irish Civil Rights Association) to express the

Catholic community's disdain. The march was technically illegal as marches and parades were banned by the Unionist government in an attempt to control violent outbreaks. As the march proceeded, the drafted route down William Street was barricaded by British troops, therefore many continued down a different route, but some decided to confront the armed troops. The protesters had a violent back and forth with rocks and rubber bullets being exchanged. At 4:07 pm British forces moved in to make arrests. Twenty-one British soldiers fired 108 rounds at the fleeing protesters. In less than thirty minutes, thirteen were killed, and one would later die in hospital due to their injuries. The events of Bloody Sunday exhibited "the grinding reality of sectarian violence"11 that would continue throughout the 1970s. Further Events and Inquiries Political violence started to escalate after Bloody Sunday as 476 people (including those at Bloody Sunday) were killed in 1972. By 1992 the death toll had reached 3,500, 2,000 of which were civilians. Bloody Sunday further instilled division as there were "vast amount[s] of mistrust."12 Resentment of the British Government also saw a rise in young Catholics joining the IRA with the intent to fight. "No single act of violence during the Troubles ignited more controversy"13 than Bloody Sunday as two government-level inquiries followed. The inquiries were to determine if the soldiers were morally right for shooting unarmed protesters that soldiers say were armed. The Widgery Report was the first inquiry conducted in early 1972, and Louee Dessent-Jackson argued it created a "lasting legacy of bitterness and injustice,"14 between Nationalist Catholics and Unionist Protestants. This was due to the Widgery Report maintaining the stance that the shootings were justified. The inquiry was considered a "whitewash,"15 as Baron Widgery was an Englishman with no exceptional knowledge of Northern Ireland and its surrounding conflicts. Unsatisfied with the results of the Widgery Report, families of the victims campaigned for a fresh inquiry into the events of Bloody Sunday. The families had collected a 178-page dossier of evidence which led to the opening of the Saville Inquiry. The inquiry was ordered in 1998 by then UK Prime Minister,

11 Carl Warner (“What were The Troubles? | Northern Ireland spotlight,” Imperial War Museums, 22nd of July 2020), Accessed on 16/10/2021 12 Carl Warner (“What were The Troubles? | Northern Ireland spotlight,” Imperial War Museums, 22nd of July 2020), Accessed on 16/10/2021 13 (“Bloody Sunday 1972,” Alpha History), Accessed on the 8/10/2021 14 Louee Dessent-Jackson ("Bloody Sunday 1972: The day's events explained," On Demand News, 14th of March 2019), Accessed on 16/10/2021 15 ("The Saville Inquiry: Q&A," BBC News, 11th of June 2010), Accessed on 16/10/2021

Tony Blair as "the weight of new material available,"16 and the proceedings began in 2000. Over the course of the inquiry, around 1,500 individuals gave evidence as to the unjust of the shootings. The publication of the Saville Inquiry in June 2010 determined a "definite version of events."17 On the same day Prime Minister David Cameron issued a statement to the MPs in the House of Commons, apologising for the events of Bloody Sunday. David Cameron stated, "What happened on Bloody Sunday was both unjustified and unjustifiable. It was wrong."18 What role did the Good Friday Agreement play in reducing tensions within Ireland? Overtures to Peace The Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, was the start of reducing tensions in Ireland with political stability. Bloody Sunday was the catalyst for violence that would continue till the turn of the century. The IRA was the principal offender in the conflicts, carrying out several critical bombings in both Northern Ireland and Britain. Other

armed Loyalist groups, like the Ulster Defense Association (UDA) and the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), carried out violence against British troops that were sent to defuse the conflict. Yet in August 1994, after three decades of violence, the IRA announced its ceasefire "in order to enhance the democratic process,"19 and many paramilitary groups followed their lead in laying down their weapons. The lull in violence allowed for Unionists and Nationalists to start a conversation about their problems and an opportunity to

solve them. As the peace process began, the United States became involved, particularly with the election of Bill Clinton in November 1992. Clinton appointed George Mitchell (pictured above, center) to the position of Special Envoy for Northern Ireland, and he wrote the Mitchell Principles, which would become the basis for negotiations. With George Mitchell leading the talks, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), Sinn Fein, the Alliance Party, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) all lined up to participate in the peace talks. However, the Unionists would not engage unless the IRA decommissioned their weapons with evidence of doing so. This led to infuriated IRA leaders ending their August 1994 ceasefire on 9 February 1996. They carried out a series of bombings before declaring their second ceasefire on 19 July 1997. Peace talks continued abiding by the Mitchell Principles, and moderate Unionists joined the talks as well as British prime minister Tony Blair (pictured above, right) and the Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern (pictured above, left). However, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) abstained from peace discussions. Peace Agreement

16 ("The Saville Inquiry: Q&A," BBC News, 11th of June 2010), Accessed on 16/10/2021 17 ("BBC News NI: What was Bloody Sunday?" BBC News NI, 16th of March 2019), Accessed on 16/10/2021 18 ("Bloody Sunday: PM David Cameron's full statement," BBC News, 15th of June 2010), Accessed on 16/10/2021 19 (“The 1994 Ceasefire,” Alpha History), Accessed on the 20/10/2021

On 10 April 1998, after two years of peace talks and thirty years of political violence, the Good Friday Agreement were settled. George Mitchell declared, "[he was] pleased to announce that the two governments and the political parties in Northern Ireland have reached Agreement."20 ThAgreementnt outlined how a group called the Northern Ireland Assembly would work, with power being equally shared between Unionists and Nationalists. There would be a Legislature that would discuss matters like health, education, and agriculture and an Executive that would administrate the government with the first minister and deputy first minister, each being from the two traditions. With power being shared equally between the two opposing sides, this meant that neither side could dominate and return to how things were previously. The Department of Foreign Affairs (An Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha) contends that the Good Friday Agreement is the "the cornerstone of [Ireland's] commitment to peace and stability."21 Conclusion The Irish Troubles lasted thirty years in the latter half of the twentieth century as political tension developed between Unionist Protestants and Nationalist Catholics. On the 6 December 1921, the Republic of Ireland was entrenched as a free state but was separated from the North of Ireland that fell under British rule. Feuding relations began when Nationalist Catholics that still populated the north weren't given the same opportunities and services as the majority Unionist Protestants. As tension brewed, protests that were organised by NICRA started out peaceful but as the British tried to supress the concerns, more added their voices and the protests became violent affairs. Bloody Sunday was the cornerstone of violence during the Troubles with a back and forth between British soldiers and protester before shots rang out. For twenty-six years after Bloody Sunday, bombings were carried out by the IRA as well as the shootings of an estimated 3,500, 2,000 of which were civilians, all in protest of the unjust system in Northern Ireland. In 1998, things took a turn with the beginning of peace talks between Irish and British governments, aided by US President Bill Clinton. The signing of the Good Friday Agreement on 10 April 1998, saw an end to the violence with the decommissioning of weapons and a power sharing government in Northern Ireland. Bibliography

20 ("What was the Good Friday Agreement," NewsRound, BBC, 10th of April 2018), Accessed on the 20/10/2021 21 ("The Good Friday Agreement and today," The Department of Foreign Affairs (An Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha)), Accessed on the 20/10/2021

1. Carl Warner ("What were The Troubles? | Northern Ireland spotlight," Imperial War Museums, 22 July 2020), Accessed on the

6/10/2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N70TGMyK0QQ

This YouTube video provided general information on the Troubles and how they came to an end as well as several useful quotes by Carl Warner about the Troubles, Bloody Sunday, and the end of the fighting.

2. ("What you need to know about the Troubles," Imperial War Museums), Accessed on the 6/10/2021

https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-troubles This article from the Imperial War Museums gave a timeline of key events from The Troubles and its beginnings.

3. ("History of the Northern Ireland conflict," Sky HISTORY TV channel), Accessed on the 6/10/2021 https://www.history.co.uk/history-of-the-northern-ireland-conflict

This article from Sky HISTORY supplied information on the centuries of separation in Ireland and how that effect the Troubles in the second half of the twentieth century.

4. John Dorney ("The Irish War of Independence – A Brief Overview," The Irish Story, 18 September 2012), Accessed on the 6/10/2021

https://www.theirishstory.com/2012/09/18/the-irish-war-of-independence-a-brief-overview/#.YVzK5xBBy3I This article delivered information on the events leading up to the Troubles, particularly in the early half of the twentieth century.

5. Wesley Johnston ("1969 – 1972: The start of the Troubles and the Fall of the Stormont," History of Ireland), Accessed on the 7/10/2021

https://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/past/history/19691972.html This website provided detailed information on the early years of the Troubles as well as quotes from influential people at the time and different parts of the article.

6. ("Northern Ireland and the Troubles," Alpha History), Accessed on the 8/10/2021 https://alphahistory.com/northernireland/

This website provided useful quotes about the Provisional IRA and simple information on the Troubles.

7. ("The Good Friday Agreement," Alpha History), Accessed on the 8/10/2021 https://alphahistory.com/northernireland/good-friday-agreement/

This website provided basic information on the Good Friday Agreement; what lead up to it, who was a part of thAgreementnt and what thAgreementnt entailed.

8. Louee Dessent-Jackson ("Bloody Sunday 1972: The day's events explained," On Demand News, 14 March 2019), Accessed on the 16/10/2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CquBS2hnLNI This video supplied detailed information on the events of Bloody Sunday as well as quotes from Reporter Louee Dessent-Jackson.

9. ("Bloody Sunday 1972," Alpha History), Accessed on the 8/10/2021 https://alphahistory.com/northernireland/bloody-sunday-1972/#Summary

This website provided a linear sequence of events that detailed the events of Bloody Sunday and what happened after because of it. Furthermore, there were useful quotes about Bloody Sunday's controversy.

10. ("The Saville Inquiry: Q&A," BBC News, 11 June 2010), Accessed on the 16/10/2021 https://www.bbc.com/news/10147362

This news article provided general information on the Saville Inquiry and why it was important.

11. ("BBC News NI: What was Bloody Sunday?" BBC News NI, 16 March 2019), Accessed on the 16/10/2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00pnIEsxA9A

The video delivered a detailed timeline of events that occurred on Bloody Sunday as well as the happenings after and some useful quotes.

12. ("Bloody Sunday: PM David Cameron's full statement," BBC News, 15 June 2010), Accessed on the 16/10/2021 https://www.bbc.com/news/10322295

This website had a full transcript of David Cameron addressing the end of the Saville Inquiry and apologising, which provided quotes.

13. ("Internment in Northern Ireland," Alpha History), Accessed on the 8/10/2021

https://alphahistory.com/northernireland/internment/#Disputes_over_internment This article provided information on what internment was in Northern Ireland and why citizens wanted its removal, hence ending in Bloody Sunday.

14. Raymond McClean ("Extracts from 'The Road to Bloody Sunday,'" CAIN Web Service), Accessed on the 16/10/2021 https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/events/bsunday/mcclean.htm#chap7

This website had extracts from Dr. Raymond McClean's 'The Road to Bloody Sunday' which included first-hand accounts from Dr. McClean on the events of Bloody Sunday.

15. ("Question 2 Bloody Sunday Events and Impact," Toot Hill School), Accessed on the 16/10/2021

https://www.toothillschool.co.uk/data/files/dept/hist/y10coursework/bsundayevents.pdf This PDF provided basic information on the consequences of Bloody Sunday.

16. ("What was the Good Friday Agreement," NewsRound, BBC, 10 April 2018), Accessed on the 20/10/2021

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/14118775 This website provided general information on the Good Friday Agreement and quotes by George Mitchell about its conclusion.

17. Charles Landow and James McBride ("Moving Past the Troubles: The Future of Northern Ireland Peace," Council on Foreign Relations, 23 April 2021), Accessed on the 20/10/2021

https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/moving-past-troubles-future-northern-ireland-peace This article provided in depth information on the Good Friday Agreement as well as detailed information on what happened after.

18. ("The Good Friday Agreement," Alpha History), Accessed on the 20/10/2021 https://alphahistory.com/northernireland/good-friday-agreement/

This link provided a detailed timeline of events that led up to the Good Friday Agreement as well as the American involvement.

19. ("The 1994 Ceasefire," Alpha History), Accessed on the 20/10/2021 https://alphahistory.com/northernireland/1994-ceasefire/

This website provided information on how the IRA felt leading up to the Good Friday Agreement.

20. ("The Good Friday Agreement and today," The Department of Foreign Affairs (An Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha)), Accessed on the 20/10/2021

https://www.dfa.ie/our-role-policies/northern-ireland/the-good-friday-agreement-and-today/ This article provided general information on the Good Friday Agreement and its later effects.

21. ("George Mitchell: Building Peace in Northern Ireland," United States Institute of Peace), Accessed on the 20/10/2021 https://www.usip.org/public-education/educators/george-mitchell-building-peace-northern-ireland

This article provided information on George Mitchell's position and effects in the Northern Ireland disputes.

22. Alan MacLeod ("A Brief History of the Good Friday Agreement," History Extra, 21 January 2018), Accessed on the 24/10/2021 https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/northern-ireland-good-friday-agreement-protestants-catholics-brexit-border-ira/

This website had a picture of British prime minister Tony Blair, US Senator George Mitchell, and Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern after signing the Good Friday Agreement.

23. Andrews Glass ("Civil Rights march ends as 'Bloody Sunday,' 7 March, 1965," Politico, 7 March 2018), Accessed on the 24/10/2021

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/07/this-day-in-politics-march-7-1965-437394 This website provided a photo by 'AP Photo' at the Bloody Sunday march.

24. ("Bloody Sunday: What happened on Sunday 30 January 1972," BBC News, 2 June 2021), Accessed on the 24/10/2021

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-47433319 This news article provided a photo from the Bloody Sunday March before fighting broke out.

25. ("The Provisional IRA killed more than 1,700 people during a 25-year campaign," BBC News, 2 June 2021), Accessed on the 24/10/2021

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-northern-ireland-49337517 This website provided an image of IRA members during the Irish Troubles.