northern ireland the search for a solution

after bloody sunday violence escalated and law and order was about to break down

• the provisional ira set off a car bomb in donegall street 20th march 1972
• killed 7/injured 150. brian faulkner asked london to broaden his powers e.g return b -specials
• pm edward heath took complete control off security, law and order
• in return Faulkner and the n.i gov. resigned
• 28th march 1972 Direct rule came in/ n.i temporary provisions act passed
• this gave britain control of policy,security and justice
• the n.i gov. and stormont was dissolved and william whitelaw became secetary of state
• the people will still be represented elected members but still had no assembly
• this was ment as a temporary rule for 12 months but lasted 35 years

unionist/loyalist

• supporters of faulker felt betrayed it was evidence the ira succeded
• they felt that they may become part of ireland
• they were stirred by  propoganda and forced in to paras e.g UDA (1971) more murders

nationalist/republican

• they were pleased as they lost the unionist control- hopefully lose the discrim policys

this year had the highest death toll of the troubles

• direct rule caused an increase in loyalist paramilitarys killing caths. - *** for tat killings
• the pira were on t attack 24 bombs across n.i on 14th april 1972
• the ira violence was so bad whitelaw met with them in london
• a temporary ceasefire was called off as the british refused to pull out troops
• 21st of july 1972 26 car bombs went off in belfast killing 11/ inuring 130 BLOODY FRIDAY
• in response operation motorman ment the forces took control of the no-go areas
• the success of this ment the brits held talks with the irish and the locals in late 1972

• brits proposed powersharing  in march 1973 for prod and cath but no security/justice
• they also proposed the council of ireland to give the republic some power
• the aim was to undermine the ira by getting the nationalists a role

reactions

• nationalists positive sdlp agreed to take part
• council of ireland split unionists- faulkner supported it but worried about the extent
• the oup and other e.g paisley/craig formed the uuup to fight it
• elections were held in june 1973- an overall majority in favour but some divides

• before the powersharing took place the extent of powers to the council of ireland
• the meeting took place 6th december 1973 with britsh, irish and n.i gov.
• the agreement was met on the brit gov oppose united ireland if n.i majority does and peacefully
• 7 member from irl and 7 from n.i for relations and a consultative assembly to me made later
• faulkner saw it as advisory body,sdlp saw it to increase political links,irish saw it as foundations for unity, brits didnt know

problems

• 10th december 1973 uvf and uda made ulster army council to oppose it
• ira violence was blamed on the executive
• unionist parties distrupted the assembly, 4 january 74 uuc rejected it and faulkner resigned
• hugh louge sdlp said council of ireland set unity foundations this was used by unionists
• edward heath was facing the trade unions and called for a general election 28/2/74
• this was used in n.i as a power sharing election but no treaties except with the uuuc

• the uuuc won 11 of the 12 seats as the power sharing executive didnt have support
• the unionists demanded the agreement got revoked-it was refused
• in late 1973 the ulster workers council was formed to fight the policies they hated

uwc strike

• 14th may 1974 they called for an anti-sunningdale strike
• initally support was limited but they improved co-operation and it grew
• industries closed e.g petrol and electricity as it was striker controlled
• uvf bombs in dublin and monaghan killing 33
• they offered to reduce the size of the agreement but the uwc refused
• the pm decided to intervene and called them spongers on tv on the 11th day
• the army told to take control of petrol stations/ oil depots. the uwc called a shutdown 27th may
• faulkner and co. resigned after secetary of state refused to meet with UWC
• the strike ended 29th may 1974 and DIRECT RULE returned 30th may

sinn fein

• they were the political wing of the republican movement
• they belived in a united ireland with no links and supported the IRA's violence
• for most of 1970's they were unimportant as the focus was on the armed struggle
• the pira belived this was the way to go and no candidates were put up.

special category status

• since 1972 crimes with politics in mind got special category e.g own clothes/no work
• in 1976 SOS roy mason ended this and housed them in the H blocks in the maze near bfast
• the inital responce was to not wear prison clothes and just blankets 'THE BLANKET PROTEST'
• this turned into the 'DIRTY PROTEST'. they refused to slop out their toilet buckets
• they decided to smear their walls with the excrement and by late 1980's 340 ppl were involved
• the gov. refused to restore the political status.
• ira attacks increased with 18 wardens killed between 1976-1980

in 1980 some prisoners went on strike for the 5 demands

1. the right not to wear prison uniform      2. to not do prison work

3.free association with prisoners/societys 4. 1 visit 1 letter and 1 parcel

5. full restoration of remision lost through the protest

the first strike ended in decemeber 1980 when they belived they gained conccesions

• 3 months later a 2nd strike led by ira commander bobby sands started
• they stagered the start of each striker to result in a death a week and got nat. sympathy
• unionists supported thatchers crime is crime stance
• in april 1981 sinn feinn put sand up for election. he was elected on his 40th day striking
• on the 5th may 1981 sands died with 100,000 attending his funeral
• it continued till october 81 where 9 others died
• 4 of the 5 demands were granted after then later the 5th after an escape

• this was one of the main turning points of the troubles
• along with the deaths there was a rise in violence and rioting at the uk embassy in dublin
• the ira campaign killed 13 police, 13 soldiers and 5 civis in the 7 months
• this was one of the bloodiest periods of the troubles 61 killed 34 civis
• 1981- police killed 7 - in the eight years prior 4 killed
• 3 years later the ira bombed the conservtives in brighton nearly killing thatcher
• the republicans had gained more support and international sympathy
• sinn fein began the armalite and the ballot box- they won 2 by elections
• the new gen used guns and votes. 1982- 10% and 1983- gerry adams in west and 13.4%
• the british gov. feared sinn fein would overtake the sdlp

• sinn fein worried the sdlp british and irish gov.
• hume from sdlp got the irish to hold the new irish forum in 1983 summer over irl future
• sinn fein were not invited and the unionists,alliance and british gov. refused
• the forums report 2nd of may 1983 contained 3 new structures

1. united ireland 2. a federal state(comprimises irl and n.i states)3. joint authority (irl and uk joint)

• the unionists rejected this and thatcher gave her famous out out  out speech
• this formed the base for the signing of the hillsborough agreement

• dispite thatchers rejection the 2 governments continued talks. both concerned over the ira
• unionists became aware and concerned
• but on the 15th november pm thatcher and taoiseach fitzgerald signed it at hillsborough

key terms of the agreement

• it set up an intergovernmental conference regarding ireland e.g border security
• a joint civil sevice- gov saw the irish  had a say in n.i and irl saw unity was only by consent
• for thatcher the main aim was border security and the irish saw it as a sdlp boost

reactions

• both govs approved but there was a lack of unionist involvement
• the sdlp and alliance welcomed it for unity and peace
• the unionists were shocked,betrayed as they lost some control in their home

• the uup and dup leaders james molyneaux and ian paisley decided to protest the dublin diktat including non co-operation with the brits.
• the campaign 1885 and early 86 included rallies,strikes civil disobediance and mass resignation
• the british and thatcher ignored them as the brits had little sympathy
• the unionists frustrated with being ignored led violence/intimidation against the ruc with params
• dispite little change paras on both sides continued their violence to prove it didnt work
• the 1990's saw a cycle of loyalists matching the killings their counterparts carried out
• an ira bomb in 198 killed 11 and injured 60 on rememberance day in eniskillen 1987
• june 1994 the uvf shot six men in the heights bar.
• eventually the peace process declared ceasefires and eventually the goodfriday agreement 1998