James Reynolds
Northern Ireland Coursework Unit
Why were British troops sent to Northern Ireland in August 1969?
On 15th August 1969, British troops were sent into Northern Ireland by the British Government because the fighting between the Catholics and the Protestant police became out of control. The feud between Irish Protestants and Catholics is a complex one with a long history extending as far back as the twelfth century where Henry II attempted to split the two communities using laws of Kilkenny. I am going to explore the immediate and long term causes for the British troops being sent into Ireland in 1969.
Catholics suffered huge discrimination and inequality throughout the 20th century which eventually led to civil rights campaigns. These acts of Catholics sparked sectarian violence across Northern Ireland. On 14th August 1969, during the battle of the Bogside, 500 Catholic houses were torched by Protestants (mainly UVF and Orangemen) who were angry at the Civil Rights movement. As a result of this, British troops were sent into Northern Ireland in an attempt to pacify the conflict. As the Civil Rights movements across the world were growing, so was Irelands’ and the reactions of unionists to the movement were violent. Protestants had been in domination for hundreds of years and they were frightened at the possibility of this being taken away. Protestants reacted to Civil Rights by reinstating paramilitary groups such as Orange order and the Ulster Volunteer Force in 1966. Catholic N.I.C.R.A (Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association) marches in 1968 and 1969 were met with violence from the Protestant paramilitary groups e.g. January 1969 Burntollet Bridge. The RUC did not protect the Catholics as they said they would, but they left both Protestants and Catholics to fight it out.
