Background to Bloody Sunday

The Government of Ireland Act (1920) created Northern Ireland (N.I.) by dividing the 6 north-eastern counties of Ireland from the other 26 counties. These 6 counties, Fermanagh, Antrim, Tyrone, Derry, Armagh and Down, had a majority of Unionists. The other 26 counties, and Ireland as a whole, had a Nationalist/Republican majority and had supported Sinn Féin in its attempts to establish an independent Ireland.

The northern Unionists refused to live in an Ireland that would be controlled by Nationalists/Republicans. As a result of this the British Government created Northern Ireland. One third of the population of Northern Ireland were Nationalists/Republicans, who did not want to be divided from the rest of Ireland.

Throughout its history NI was unstable. Unionists, fearing attack from the Irish Republic and their Nationalist neighbours, would not share power with Nationalists and gerrymandered electoral boundaries in areas in which Nationalists were in the majority to ensure that Nationalists were denied power.

Nationalists resented being governed by the Unionists and saw little hope in elections, because they were unable to win power. The Unionist party could not be defeated by the Nationalist party because when NI was created it was designed to always have a Unionist majority.

The state of NI was attacked by militant Republicians - the IRA, in the 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's and 1960's. Between 1956 - 1962 the IRA had attacked NI but in 1962 they stopped because they had no support from Nationalists living there.

It seemed in the 1960's that the possibility of a settlement might exist.Sean Lemass, the Taoiseach met Terence O'Neill, the Prime Minister of N.I, to discuss improving relations. This enraged some Loyalist extremists and the UVF became active again in 1966.

But within the Nationalist community, while concern about the border was decreasing, there was increasing anger about discrimination in jobs, housing and voting rights.

This led to the formation of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association on the 1st February 1967. The NICRA took to the streets to demand their aims, which were:

1. One man one vote in local elections

2. the removal of gerrymandered boundaries

3. anti-discrimination laws

4. fair allocation of public housing

5. repeal of the special powers act

6. disbanding the RUC

On 5th Oct 1968, in Derry City, the worlds media witnessed civil rights demonstrators being attacked by the police. This turned the Civil Rights Movement into a mass movement.

(Left) Civil Rights demonstrator being arrested, October 5th 1968 In November 1968, in response to the Civil Rights campaign, Terrence O'Neill announced the following Reform Package. 1. local councils to allocate housing on a points system 2. an Ombudaman to be appointed to appoint grievances 3. Derry Corporation to be replaced 4. local gov to be reformed 5. Special powers act to be reformed

These reforms angered Unionists who opposed any change and failed to satisfy Nationalists, who wanted more changes. Terence O'Neill was in trouble.

In Jan 1969 a civil rights march from Belfast to Derry took place. On the last day the march was attacked by loyalists twice before reaching Derry. That night rioting took place. Relations between Derry's Nationalists, the police and government got steadily worse. On 12th August 1969, during the annual Unionist Apprentice Boys parade in Derry, violence erupted.

(Right) Bogside youths occupy the roof of the Rosville Flats, which dominated the entrance to the Bogside. As the parade passed the edge of the Bogside stones were thrown. Police responded by driving the Nationalists into the Bogside but when they tried to follow them into the area they were stopped. Petrol bombs, stones and bottles were used by the residents to stop the police from entering. After 2 days the police, exhausted and demoralized, were replaced by British Soldiers. The rioting ended in Derry when it became clear that the soldiers wouldn't try to enter the Bogside. (Right) The first clash between residents and police on the edge of the Bogside. The violence in Derry ended but in Belfast it continued into the next day, with 6 people being killed, 150 homes burnt and 3,500 families fleeing their homes. On 15th August British soldiers were on the streets of Belfast.

Violence continued and the IRA, who had been all but extinct in Aug 1969, became more involved. In Belfast clashes between Nationalists and Unionists continued and in July 1970, following one of these clashes, the Army sealed off the Lower Falls area for 2 days.

As violence increased the Stormont government came under increasing pressure to clamp down on the IRA, and on 9th August 1971 internment was introduced.

Across NI 342 men were arrested and imprisoned without trial. The reaction of the Nationalist community was furious.This anger was reinforced when news of the treatment of the internees, the "hooded men" became known. This anger took the form of increased support for the IRA. It was also expressed in a series of protest marches organized by NICRA.

One of the protests took place in Derry on the 30th Jan 1972, the day that is now known as Bloody Sunday.

Back to Top