3. 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.
4. The Home Rule Issue?
Southern Ireland had been trying for years to
obtain their own government in Dublin, but
under British authority.
5. 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?
6. The Desire For Ireland to Stay Loyal to the Crown?
Unionists: We choose to support British Parliament & the Crown.
8. 1965 1975
July
July 1972:
1970: All
Bloody
Unionist/
Friday—22
Orange
IRA bombs
Order
kill nine
marches
civilians and
are
numerous
banned.
are injured
November February 1971:
1969: Ulster IRA shoots Robert December 1973:
Defence Curtis, the first Sunningdale…
Regiment serving soldier to
replaces B- die in the
Specials Troubles.
1970 The beginning…
9. 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.
10. The Ulster
Workers’ This protested the assembly vote
regarding the complete
Council Strike: endorsement of Sunningdale.
May 1974 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.
11. 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 William Whitelaw, at the time
Officer Commanding (OC), wore normal Secretary of State for Northern
clothes and not a prison uniform and were Ireland, gave this status to
exempt from doing prison work. paramilitary prisoners.
12. 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.
13. What Would A Paramilitary Do?
Revenge! They went to the extreme to get their
status back. Paramilitary strikes
Early Strikes, included:
1976-1980
1976: The Blanket Men
What would a paramilitary do?
This protest started it all; when newly detained
Revolt, of course.
prisoners were given their uniform, they refused
to wear it and leave their cell. They only had one
Housed in three specific jails thing to wear…the blankets on their beds. By
throughout Northern Ireland, 1978, 300 prisoners were “on the blanket.”
paramilitary prisoners planned
numerous strikes in order to
get their political status back. 1978: The “Dirty” Protests
The prisoners didn’t have enough support from
the outside, so they stepped it up a bit in 1978.
Check out this map to see What started out as a “no-wash” protest
more information about the culminated into the dirty protest. They refused to
jails, and their location leave their cells and as a result, chamber pots got
throughout Northern Ireland. full and caused this…
14. 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…
15. Hunger Strike #1: 1980
• The “ultimate”
weapon
• 7 prisoners start it
in October 1980
• Blame Margaret
Thatcher…
• What exactly, were
they protesting
for?
16. 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.
17. 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.
19. Hunger Strike #2: 1981
• Bobby Sands,
leader
• More join him at
staggered intervals
• March 1981
No more guns, let’s get our
• Through his strike way through politics!
he is elected for
an MP seat in
Fermanagh/South
Tyrone.
20. Bobby “Geronimo” Sands
IRA member, prisoner, writer, and hunger-striker. The bane
of Maggie Thatcher’s premiership.
21. Testimonies from Bobby Sands
what was his life like during the hunger strike?
Sourced from The Bobby Sands Prison Diary.
22. 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).
23. 1980 June 1983:
1990
Gerry
Adams, of
IRA political October 1988:
party Sinn broadcast ban on
Fein elected paramilitary August 1991:
to supporters Sinn Fein ready
Westminster commences to make peace.
July 1982: October November 1990:
IRA bombs 1984: John Major
kill 11 IRA bomb replaces Thatcher
soldiers in kills five as PM; she
London people at resigned
Conservative
Party
conference
in Brighton
On the road to
1985 find peace…
24. Responsibility for Deaths
from Making Sense of the Troubles by David McKittrick & David McVea
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Groups Involved
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.
25. Civilian Deaths by Year
300
1970-1982*
1970-1982
250
200
Civilian
Deaths by
Year
150
100
50
0 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982
*McKittrick & McVea had a range from 1966-2001, but the 1970s to
the Hunger Strike of ‘81 were the peak of the Troubles.
27. 1990-1997: To Ceasefire…or not to Ceasefire?
•The first part of the 1990s was met
Below: David
with numerous bombings from Trimble, leader
paramilitary groups as political leaders of the UUP.
from Sinn Fein, the Ulster Unionist
Party, SDLP and the Northern Ireland Right: Gerry
government attempted to get Adams, leader
paramilitaries to decommission arms of Sinn Fein.
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…
28. 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…
29. 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.
That car contained the bomb. This was
taken minutes before it went off. Both
However, RIRA does man and child did survive the explosion.
announce a ceasefire after
the Omagh incident.
