NICRA (Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association

Annotations:

• Put in here the topic the essay is about

1. 1.The setting up of the NICRA

   Annotations:

   • What are you going to talk about?
   1. Formed in 1967
   2. Young and educated Catholics
      1. Bernadette Devlin, John Hume, Austin Currie
      2. Wouldn’t accept second-class citizenship
   3. Inspired by Civil Right Movement in US
      1. Martin Luther King(1929-1968)
2. 2. Aims

   Annotations:

   • What is the first point/theme in your essay?
   1. One person one vote
      1. Allow all people over 18 to vote
      2. Remove the multiple votes from business owners
   2. Ending gerrymandering
      1. Redrawing of electoral boundaries
   3. Legislation against discrimination
      1. Allocation of jobs
      2. Housing
   4. Repeal of Special Powers Act
      1. So police can’t arrest and detain suspects without trial
   5. End to B-Specials
      1. Biased sectarian force(Protestants and Unionists)
3. 3.Support and Oppostion
   1. Support
      1. New generation Catholic’s
      2. Nationalists who believed local party lost touch with their needs
      3. Moderate Unionists
         1. Catholic’s unfairly treated
         2. If NICRA aims achieved, no reason for united Ireland.
   2. Oppostion
      1. Large section of Unionist population
         1. IRA under different name
         2. Afraid would weaken Protestant control
4. 4. Dawn of the Troubles and the First March
   1. Village of Caledon, near Dungannon in Tyrone
   2. 1968-two Catholic families denied house by local council
      1. House given to 19 year old unmarried Protestant girl
         1. Austin Currie raised matter in council and Stormont-unsuccessful. Ordered to leave chamber at Stormont.
            1. Occupied Caledon house in protest-evicted by RUC- incident gained widespread publicity.
   3. First march Saturday 24 August 1968
      1. Coalisland to Dungannon- highlights discrimination in housing against Catholics.
         1. 2000 people
            1. In response, Ian Paisley led 1,500 Loyalist demonstrators to confront them
               1. Pattern of demonstration and counter-demonstration established.
5. 5. 2nd March and violence in Londonderry
   1. 5 October 1968
      1. Highlight discrimination of Londonderry Corporation’s housing policy
         1. Apprentice Boys set up March in response.
            1. Minister for Home Affairs-William Craig-banned march-ban was ignored.
               1. Police used water cannons and batons on peaceful marchers.
                  1. Teams of journalists witnessed these incidents such as RTÉ cameraman Gay O’Brien.
                     1. Within 24 hours, Derry was an international news story.
   2. Further marches made situation worse
      1. Continued marches even after banned
      2. Through Protestant areas-seen as provocative.
      3. Counter demonstrations clashed -Apprentice Boys.
6. 6. Conclusion to NICRA protests with O’Neils reform programme

   Annotations:

   • Sum up what you have discussed in the essay - NO NEW IDEAS
   1. Meeting with British Prime Minister Harold Wilson due to unrest
      1. 5-point reform programme-22 Nov 1968
         1. Points system for fairer allocation of council houses
         2. Londonderry Corporation replaced by development Commission
         3. Parts of 1922 Special Powers Act removed
         4. Ombudsman established to examine complaints
         5. Changes to voting system for local elections
            1. No additional votes for business owners