Source F shows us a map showing the gerrymander in Derry in 1966. In 1966 the adult population of Derry was 30 376 (20 102 Catholics; 10 274 Protestants) More protestants than Catholics became boundary commissioners because Catholics refused. Therefore, the boundaries of the constituencies favoured Protestants. Source F is a very reliable source as it shows the statistics. It is a short-term cause of the troubles as it led to the Civil Rights marches in Ireland. It was one of the main factors of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association. The N.I.C.R.A was formed in Ireland to combat discrimination and to aim for equality for nationalists/Catholics. They were a peaceful movement based on black civil rights movement in the U.S.A, which was led by Martin Luther King. Many of the civil rights marches were banned by unionists even thought they were completely peaceful protests.
Source H shows us RUC officers attacking a civil rights marcher on 5 October1968. This source shows us in a peaceful protest the RUC officers were brutal when they attacked the marchers. The attacks on the numbers were occurring a lot and these meant tensions grew between Protestants and Catholics. This is a primary source and was a short-term cause of the troubles, which broke out in 1969. These civil rights marches were shown all over Ireland and it showed the brutality and forces the RUC men showed towards peaceful protestors. These Civil Rights marches led up to what was the Battle of the Bogside. The apprentice boys marched on the Walls of Derry above the Bogside. For weeks leading up to the march tension had been building between Catholics and Protestants. The nationalists in Derry had been expecting trouble and they barricaded the bogside, a riot ensued and when the RUC tried to dismantle the Rossulle Street barricade the riot turned into a battle (battle of the bogside). The civil rights movement escalated the violence but it is not the only reason for the outbreak of the troubles.
Source D is taken from the book the prince of my soul, which was written by B Devlin, who was a Roman Catholic who described her school days at St. Patrick’s Academy Dungannon. We see her that Catholics were taught very differently than Protestants in Ireland at this time. This is mainly because of the tension there was between Protestants and Catholics at this time so they had very different interpretations of what happened in Irish history. This shows the segregation, which happened in Ireland at this time. Segregation was a fact of life in the North, this separated schools, clubs and housing estates. In 1926 a senior minister Lord Londonderry tried to get Protestants and Catholics children educated together. He later resigned when the Catholic and Presbyterian Church blocked his plans due to the massive protests. Which showed the difference between Catholics and Protestants and how divided they were.
Source I shows us crowd violence as Loyalists ambush civil rights marchers at Burntollet in January 1969. This source shows the violence between Catholics and Protestants at this time. There was deep discrimination against Catholics by the RUC. Even at the high levels, discrimination against Catholics was a feature of the Northern state. The civil service was dominated by unionists/Protestants and the R.U.C and B specials that were almost exclusively Protestant makeup. The state leaders openly preached a gospel of discrimination, in both public and private sectors.
All these sources explain to an extent why there troubles broke out in Ireland in 1969. These sources show us the tension that there was between Catholics and Protestants at this point; there was also a lot of discrimination towards Catholics. Many things, which happened leading up to the troubles, are shown in the sources but they are not the exact cause of the troubles breaking out in Ireland.
By: Chris Mc Curry 12.A