Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

1. Terrence O'Neill

   • Became PM in 1963
     • Not a popular choice among his own party the OUP, who wanted Brian Faulkner to become leader
   • Economic Policies
     • Investment of £900 million in the economy
     • Modernisation of railway systems and new motorways
     • Co-operation with the Dublin-based Irish Trades Union Congress
     • Economic Council under Brian Faulkner
     • Ministry of Development (including transport and local government) in January 1965 to drive economic revival
     • New city between Lugan and Portadown, Craigavon
     • New university in Coleriane (caused controversy)
     • Successes
       • A number of multinational firms opened
         • Michelin, Dupont, Goodyear,etc.
       • Construction of motorway system begun
       • Oil refinery opened in Belfast
       • New airport under development
       • Agreement signed for supply of electricty from the South
       • 35,000 new jobs
       • Failures
         • 1963-1969- finacial assistance given to Harland and Wolff to keep it afloat
         • Unemployment averaged between 7% and 8%
         • Companies refused grants to open factories west side of the Bann, remote areas not big enough for export markets
         • Unemployment in the west was 12.5%
         • Traditional industries reclining
           • rope making, linen, shipbuilding
         • 20,000 jobs lost
     • Political Policies
       • On 14 January 1965 O'Neill met with Taoiseach Sean Lemass- the first face-to-face meeting since 1925.
       • Visited William Conway, Archbishop of Armagh
       • Offered offical condolences on the death of Pope John XXII in June 1963
       • Visited Catholic schools and hospitals and increased finacial support
       • Unionist reactions
       • Declared UVF illegal after it killed two Catholics in 1966
       • Introduced Five Point Reform Programme in 1968, Catholic civil rights
       • Electricity, Tourism and Trade links with ROI
       • Improve relations between both states, as Nationalists identified with the ROI
   • Promised to introduce 'bold and imaginative measures'
   • Believed the 'face of Ulster' had to change for N.I to prosper