{"id":2582,"date":"2018-03-05T11:08:21","date_gmt":"2018-03-05T11:08:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/?page_id=2582"},"modified":"2026-06-02T15:29:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T15:29:21","slug":"troubles-northern-ireland","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/british-history\/ireland\/troubles-northern-ireland\/","title":{"rendered":"Troubles in Northern Ireland"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Troubles in Northern Ireland is the name given to the period of sectarian violence. Paramilitary groups gained support during the Civil Rights campaign. This led to clashes and use of violence towards other groups and the authorities. The way in which the authorities dealt with the Troubles is seen as a contributory factor in them escalating. Northern Ireland saw no-go areas in Belfast and Derry.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Troubles<\/p>\n

The Troubles 1968-1972<\/h2>\n

Tensions began to rise in Northern Ireland as people started to demand changes to the way in which Northern Ireland was run. Poor housing, high unemployment and institutionalised discrimination led to protests beginning. Perhaps inspired by the Civil Rights campaigners in America, the protest took the form of marches. The marches, whilst initially peaceful protests, triggered a series of violent clashes that brought about a rapid rise in the number of sectarian attacks within the province.<\/p>\n

Timeline of the Troubles in Northern Ireland<\/h3>\n

October \u201868
\nCivil Rights march in Derry ends violently.<\/p>\n

October \u201868
\nPeople\u2019s Democracy and The Derry Citizens\u2019 Action Committee established.<\/p>\n

January \u201869
\nPeoples Democracy organise a march from Belfast to Derry. Riots start in Derry before the marchers arrive. The marchers are attacked by protestant extremists.<\/p>\n

January-February \u201869
\nCatholics in Bogside barricade themselves in.<\/p>\n

April \u201869
\nO\u2019Neill resigns as Prime Minister.<\/p>\n

April \u201969
\nBernadette Devlin elected to Westminster, she warns of the consequences of sending the army to the province in her maiden speech.<\/p>\n

July \u201869
\nApprentice Boys march past Bogside in Derry, causing riots that the police become involved in.<\/p>\n

July-August \u201969 \u2018The Battle of the Bogside\u2019 Prolonged violence in the Bogside region.<\/p>\n

August \u201869
\nDowning Street Declaration. Troops sent to Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n

October \u201869
\nHunt Report states that the B-Specials should be disbanded: Protestants furious at this prospect.<\/p>\n

February \u201871
\nFirst British soldier killed by IRA in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n

August \u201971
\nGovernment introduces Internment to crush Terrorists: instead it leads to renewed IRA and UVF action.<\/p>\n

December \u201871
\nUDA formed.<\/p>\n

January \u201872
\nBloody Sunday<\/p>\n

Further background information<\/h3>\n

People from both the Catholic and Protestant communities initially supported the Civil Rights movement. Some Protestants however saw the Civil Rights movement as a catholic protest, with aims other than those being publicly stated. Protestant leaders such as Ian Paisley were quick to express their concerns, which led to some elements of the protestant population becoming extremist in their response to the marches. Such distrust led to violence on the streets and an increase in hatreds. Protestant violence, and the ineffectiveness (some say collaboration of) the police, led to the IRA being able to claim it was the only force capable of protecting the Catholic population. Government inaptitude and misinterpretation of events further complicated matters. Sending the army to Northern Ireland provoked further Catholic hatred and animosity, the curfew in the Falls road and the way in which internment was used confirming to many that the army was a Unionist force. Faced with this \u2018problem\u2019 the IRA sought to use force to evict the British from Northern Ireland. In turn this led to more Protestants being willing to partake in terrorist activities as both sides became convinced that they needed to protect themselves.<\/p>\n

Source Material<\/h3>\n

Source A<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe refused to accept the politicians logic that the problems could be seen in terms of Catholic versus Protestant\u2026 the crowd at that\u2026 Civil Rights march was interested in people\u2019s needs.\u201d\u00a0Bernadette Devlin<\/strong><\/em>, 1969<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Source B<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOur investigations have led us to the unhesitating conclusion that on the night of 4-5 January, a number of policemen were guilty of misconduct which involved assault and battery, malicious damage to property in the streets in the mainly Catholic Bogside area.\u201d\u00a0Cameron Report<\/strong><\/em>, 1969<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Source C<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe decision was taken to search Catholic areas for arms. The arms searches were an attempt to crush the IRA before they became a serious threat, but they served only to increase IRA recruitment. 1n 1970 a 34 hour curfew was imposed on the Catholic Falls Road to allow arms searches to take place.\u201d
\nFrom \u2018Northern Ireland and its neighbours<\/em><\/strong>\u2019.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Source D<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe army moved in and battered its way up the Shankill Road with a bloodthirsty enthusiasm. In the shooting two Protestants were killed and a dozen wounded. Many others were beaten of kicked unconscious. Who in the Bogside can doubt that at last law and order were being administered impartially?\u201d
\nEamonn McCann<\/strong><\/em>, writing about Riots in the Protestant Shankill Road in 1969.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Irish Question and Troubles in Northern Ireland<\/a><\/h3>\n

Home Rule for Ireland<\/a> – The Easter Rising, 1916<\/a> – Partition of Ireland<\/a> – The Troubles in Northern Ireland, 1968-72<\/a> – Teachers Resources: Troubles in Northern Ireland<\/a><\/p>\n

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The Troubles in Northern Ireland is the name given to the period of sectarian violence. Paramilitary groups gained support during the Civil Rights campaign. This led to clashes and use of violence towards other groups and the authorities. The way in which the authorities dealt with the Troubles is seen as a contributory factor in… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":2563,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2582","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t