Northern Ireland timeline - ‘The Troubles’
Background:
Catholics were 1/3 of the NI population. They were discriminated against in politics (voting system favoured
Protestant) and domestic affairs (more likely to be the subjects of police harassment by the almost
exclusively Protestant RUC and Ulster Special Constabulary).
There were cultural differences: Catholics identified as Irish, while Protestants as British.
Date Event Details
1960s Formation of Northern Ireland By John Hume and Bernadette Devlin. Conducted marches,
Civil Rights Association (NICRA). that were often disrupted.
1968 March in Derry against Banned when unionists said that they would organise a
discrimination and counterdemonstration, but still went on. RUC violently
gerrymandering. suppressed the marchers with batons and a water cannon.
1969 Apprentice Boys march in Derry Clash between nationalists and the RUC, which was acting
– battle of the Bogside. as a buffer between loyalist marchers and Catholic
residents of the area.
Late Provisional Irish Republican Adopted the tactics of guerrilla warfare, financed partly by
1960s Army emerged as the champion members of the Irish diaspora in the United States and
of Northern Ireland’s later supplied with arms and munitions by the government
nationalists. of Libyan strongman Muammar al-Qaddafi.
Later in Protests in Belfast and
1969 elsewhere.
1970 British Army entered NI. To control the protests. First viewed well by nationalists,
later despised.
1971 Introduction of internment. People could be arrested and jailed without trial. 95% of
arrested were Catholics.
1970s Rioting and peace walls Action in Belfast and Derry, bombings of public places (by
both loyalists and republicans).
Barbed wire laid by BA to separate the sectarian
communities evolved into brick and steel “peace walls,”
segregating loyalist and republican enclaves.
1972 Bloody Sunday. British paratroopers fired on Catholic civil rights
demonstrators in Londonderry, killing 13 and injuring 14
others (one of whom later died).
This year was the deadliest year (480 killed)
1972 Widgery report. Examined reasons for Bloody Sunday and concluded that
BA acted in self-defence.
Mid ‘Long War’ by PIRA Shift from direct engagements with British troops to
1970s smaller-scale secretive operations, including the bombing
of cities in Britain.
1973 Sunningdale Agreement. Creation of a new Northern Ireland Assembly, with
proportional representation for all parties. Establishment
of a Council of Ireland, which was to provide a role for
Ireland in the affairs of Northern Ireland.
1974 Collapse of the Sunningdale Extremists denounced the agreement as the terms did not
agreement. satisfy them.
Strike by the Ulster Workers’ Council (cut power and
telecommunications)
1974 Direct rule returned.
Background:
Catholics were 1/3 of the NI population. They were discriminated against in politics (voting system favoured
Protestant) and domestic affairs (more likely to be the subjects of police harassment by the almost
exclusively Protestant RUC and Ulster Special Constabulary).
There were cultural differences: Catholics identified as Irish, while Protestants as British.
Date Event Details
1960s Formation of Northern Ireland By John Hume and Bernadette Devlin. Conducted marches,
Civil Rights Association (NICRA). that were often disrupted.
1968 March in Derry against Banned when unionists said that they would organise a
discrimination and counterdemonstration, but still went on. RUC violently
gerrymandering. suppressed the marchers with batons and a water cannon.
1969 Apprentice Boys march in Derry Clash between nationalists and the RUC, which was acting
– battle of the Bogside. as a buffer between loyalist marchers and Catholic
residents of the area.
Late Provisional Irish Republican Adopted the tactics of guerrilla warfare, financed partly by
1960s Army emerged as the champion members of the Irish diaspora in the United States and
of Northern Ireland’s later supplied with arms and munitions by the government
nationalists. of Libyan strongman Muammar al-Qaddafi.
Later in Protests in Belfast and
1969 elsewhere.
1970 British Army entered NI. To control the protests. First viewed well by nationalists,
later despised.
1971 Introduction of internment. People could be arrested and jailed without trial. 95% of
arrested were Catholics.
1970s Rioting and peace walls Action in Belfast and Derry, bombings of public places (by
both loyalists and republicans).
Barbed wire laid by BA to separate the sectarian
communities evolved into brick and steel “peace walls,”
segregating loyalist and republican enclaves.
1972 Bloody Sunday. British paratroopers fired on Catholic civil rights
demonstrators in Londonderry, killing 13 and injuring 14
others (one of whom later died).
This year was the deadliest year (480 killed)
1972 Widgery report. Examined reasons for Bloody Sunday and concluded that
BA acted in self-defence.
Mid ‘Long War’ by PIRA Shift from direct engagements with British troops to
1970s smaller-scale secretive operations, including the bombing
of cities in Britain.
1973 Sunningdale Agreement. Creation of a new Northern Ireland Assembly, with
proportional representation for all parties. Establishment
of a Council of Ireland, which was to provide a role for
Ireland in the affairs of Northern Ireland.
1974 Collapse of the Sunningdale Extremists denounced the agreement as the terms did not
agreement. satisfy them.
Strike by the Ulster Workers’ Council (cut power and
telecommunications)
1974 Direct rule returned.
