Ireland in Ethnic Conflict, HIST 390

The Troubles Ireland in Ethnic Conflict

from 1969-1998

Background Why did the “troubles” even occur?

Why so much violence?

Was it because of…

Religious Differences? Ireland has always been Protestant versus Catholic. Although Northern Ireland belongs to the UK (and therefore, is mainly Protestant, counties within N. Ireland are still predominantly Catholic.

The Home Rule Issue? Southern Ireland had been trying for years to obtain their own government in Dublin, but under British authority.

The Desire for Complete Irish Independence? Southern Ireland became the Republic of Ireland. They got their independence, but can supporters living in Northern Ireland unify both Irelands together?

The Desire For Ireland to Stay Loyal to the Crown? Unionists: We choose to support British Parliament & the Crown.

Momentum Battle of the Bogside: 12-14 August 1969

Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland

November 1969: Ulster Defence Regiment replaces B-Specials

July 1970: All Unionist/Orange Order marches are banned.

February 1971: IRA shoots Robert

Curtis, the first serving soldier to

die in the Troubles.

July 1972: Bloody Friday—22 IRA bombs kill nine civilians and numerous are injured

December 1973: Sunningdale…

1965

1970

1975

The beginning…

What was Sunningdale? Sunningdale was an attempt to create a power-sharing government between the Ulster Unionist party, the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party, and the Alliance party. However, it ended as quickly as it started, as it was met with major opposition from the IRA and from the Protestants, for the IRA wanted total victory and the Protestants thought it’d end up helping form a fully united Ireland.

The Ulster Workers’

Council Strike: May 1974

This protested the assembly vote regarding the complete endorsement of Sunningdale.

This strike involved Unionist

paramilitary groups like the Ulster Defence Association. Electricity output declined and work places were forced to close. The new power-sharing executive had no power over the strikers and soon, the strikers gained the upper hand.

Two weeks later, Chief Executive

Brian Faulkner conceded , the strike ended and Sunningdale was no more.

The Origins of Criminalization: 1976 As paramilitary actions became more violent after Sunningdale fell through, increasing numbers of paramilitary members from both sides were jailed. Typically detained at Long Kesh prison, paramilitary members had one thing ordinary prisoners did not…

Special Category Status (1972): This meant they were political prisoners and were treated to certain privileges ordinary prisoners were not. They didn’t take orders from prison guards but their Officer Commanding (OC), wore normal clothes and not a prison uniform and were exempt from doing prison work.

William Whitelaw, at the time Secretary of State for Northern

Ireland, gave this status to paramilitary prisoners.

Regrets: Criminalization, 1976

Whitelaw, in retrospect four years later, chooses to revoke it.

What does this mean for paramilitary prisoners now?

They are now ordinary prisoners. Their

privileges do not exist. Their crimes are not classified as being “politically” motivated.

Revenge! Early Strikes, 1976-1980

What Would A Paramilitary Do? They went to the extreme to get their

status back. Paramilitary strikes included:

1976: The Blanket Men This protest started it all; when newly detained

prisoners were given their uniform, they refused to wear it and leave their cell. They only had one thing to wear…the blankets on their beds. By 1978, 300 prisoners were “on the blanket.”

1978: The “Dirty” Protests The prisoners didn’t have enough support from

the outside, so they stepped it up a bit in 1978. What started out as a “no-wash” protest culminated into the dirty protest. They refused to leave their cells and as a result, chamber pots got full and caused this…

What would a paramilitary do? Revolt, of course.

Housed in three specific jails throughout Northern Ireland, paramilitary prisoners planned numerous strikes in order to get their political status back.

Check out this map to see more information about the jails, and their location throughout Northern Ireland.

Yes, that is what you think it is on the wall. Prisoners had one way to get rid of their waste in order to avoid being

beaten up by the screws (prison guards) if they dared leave their cells. This strike kept going on until 1980, when they decided to go even more

extreme…

Hunger Strike #1: 1980

• The “ultimate” weapon

• 7 prisoners start it in October 1980

• Blame Margaret Thatcher…

• What exactly, were they protesting for?

The Five Demands 1: They should be allowed to wear their own clothes. 2: They should be given orders by their OC, not the prison guards. 3: They should be allowed to associate with any prisoners, get mail and receive packages. 4: They should be allowed to continue with their paramilitary “education” and have free recreation. 5: Remission, meaning, they’d have the chance for half-off their sentences in exchange for good behavior.

Result?

December 1980: One hunger striker went blind and ended up in the hospital. This was after the government told them “concessions” could be made if the strike was called off.

It was…but then later revealed that no concessions were to be given to the strikers.

PM Margaret “Iron Lady” Thatcher

The IRA’s number one target.

Hunger Strike #2: 1981

• Bobby Sands, leader

• More join him at staggered intervals

• March 1981

• Through his strike he is elected for an MP seat in Fermanagh/South Tyrone.

No more guns, let’s get our way through politics!

Bobby “Geronimo” Sands IRA member, prisoner, writer, and hunger-striker. The bane

of Maggie Thatcher’s premiership.

Testimonies from Bobby Sands what was his life like during the hunger strike?

Sourced from The Bobby Sands Prison Diary.

Aftermath • Sands dies after 66

days on hunger strike.

• Thatcher does not concede: “Crime is crime is crime…it is not political.”

• Nine more perish until it is called off.

• Thatcher seen as a villain for letting an MP die in jail.

Daytum organized the length of each hunger striker’s protest from the longest term

(Doherty) to the shortest (Hurson).

July 1982: IRA bombs

kill 11 soldiers in London

June 1983: Gerry

Adams, of IRA political party Sinn

Fein elected to

Westminster

October 1984:

IRA bomb kills five people at

Conservative Party

conference in Brighton

October 1988: broadcast ban on

paramilitary supporters commences

November 1990: John Major

replaces Thatcher as PM; she resigned

August 1991: Sinn Fein ready to make peace.

1980

1985

1990

On the road to find peace…

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Groups Involved

Responsibility for Deaths from Making Sense of the Troubles by David McKittrick & David McVea

Nationalists Loyalists All Security Forces Others

Nationalist (mainly IRA) were responsible for the brunt of the deaths during the Troubles, but Loyalist paramilitaries were not innocent. All security forces meant auxiliary police groups, like the pro-Loyalist B-

Specials.

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50

100

150

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Civilian Deaths by Year

Civilian Deaths by Year

1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982

1970-1982 1970-1982*

*McKittrick & McVea had a range from 1966-2001, but the 1970s to the Hunger Strike of ‘81 were the peak of the Troubles.

…because peace was needed

1990-1997: To Ceasefire…or not to Ceasefire? •The first part of the 1990s was met with numerous bombings from paramilitary groups as political leaders from Sinn Fein, the Ulster Unionist Party, SDLP and the Northern Ireland government attempted to get paramilitaries to decommission arms and ceasefire. •Once the IRA ceased fire in July of 1997, Sinn Fein was allowed to join political discussions to achieve peace. •These talks eventually led to…

Below: David Trimble, leader of the UUP. Right: Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Fein.

Good Friday Agreement, 1998

Although not universally liked, the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 started a “healing process” for Northern Ireland. Power sharing, like Sunningdale, was involved in the agreement. Nationalism and Unionism were given equal legitimacy and respect.

The attacks slowly began to

stop, with the exception of…

Omagh, 1998 Deadly car bombing that killed 29 civilians in the streets of Omagh.

This was not an act of the IRA; it was the idea of the Real IRA (RIRA).

RIRA was a dissident group of the IRA that did not accept the Good Friday Agreement.

However, RIRA does announce a ceasefire after the Omagh incident.

That car contained the bomb. This was taken minutes before it went off. Both

man and child did survive the explosion.