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Home
- Early Years Government Welfare State Employment Housing Franchise
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Fair employment practices was a key demand of the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s? Why was access to jobs a civil rights concern? Read more...
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The campaign for one man, one vote was a key battleground in attempts to shift the balance of power between Nationalism and Unionism. Read more...
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Housing was a catalyst for the civil rights movement, and the demands for greater political reform of local government during the late 1960s. Read more...
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Personalities
- William Craig Bernadette Devlin Gerry Fitt John Hume Terence O'Neill Ian Paisley
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Bernadette Devlin, a key figure in the People's Democracy movement and the youngest woman ever to be elected as M.P. to Westminster. Read more...
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Ian Paisley was an emerging political figure in the late 1960's, vehemently opposing attempts at political reform initiated by Prime Minister, Terence O'Neill. Read more...
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Terence O'Neill, Ulster Unionist leader and Prime Minister. His attempts at political reform satisifed no-one and eventually led to his resignation. Read more...
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Events
- Caledon 1968 Dungannon 1968 Derry 1968 Battle of Bogside Arrival of British Army Political Reforms
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The banned civil cights march in Derry on 5th October 1968 and subsequent reaction of the RUC was a catalyst for further protest and reaction. Read more...
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The Battle of the Bogside (13-15 August 1969) directly led to the deployment of the British army to Northern Ireland as the RUC struggled to cope. Read more...
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The British army was initially welcomed by the Nationalist population. Relations would soon sour and irretrievably render with Bloody Sunday. Read more...
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Issues
- Sectarianism Discrimination Gerrymandering Power Sharing 1968 Student Movement
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The civil rights movements in Northern Ireland and internationally were a direct challenge to racist and sectarian politics and a demand for legislative action. Read more...
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What role did student groups play in political reform in Northern Ireland, France, Mexico, Poland and Brazil. Why were students marching in 1968? Read more...
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Street protests in Northern Ireland during 1968 and afterwards culminated in a call for Nationalists and Unionists to share power for the first time. Read more...
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International
- Brazil Czechosolovakia France Mexico Poland United States
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The civil rights campaign in the United States was a template for political protest and change elsewhere, notably Northern Ireland. Read more...
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The Prague Spring (1968) was crushed when tanks from the Soviet Union entered Czechoslovakia, crushing hopes for political reform for a generation. Read more...
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Student protests in Mexico for greater democracy, were brutally repressed, leading to the Tlatelolco massacre on the 2nd October 1968. Read more...
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Research
- Government Documents Glossary Video Audio Slideshow Quiz
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What do recently released government documents tell us about the civil rights movement and its political opponents? Read more...
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What video clips explaining why Northern Ireland's society erupted into protest and violence by the end of the 1960s. Click here...
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Listen to audio clips of speeches and talks given by Ian Paisley, Bernadette Devlin, Nell McCafferty and James Callaghan amongst others. Click here...
Civil Rights
Reform or Rebellion?
What were the specific objectives of the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland? Was it a desire for reform or rebellion? Who were the key personalities behind the calls for reform? What political changes were enacted as a result of the campaign?
Unionism
Opposition
How did the Ulster Unionist Party react to the demands of the civil rights movement, and proposals for power-sharing with the Nationalist community? What political programme did Unionism put forward to restore stability?
Society
Division
The late 1960s exposed existing divisions between the communities in Northern Ireland. What were the causes of these divisions? How true were the accusations of sectarianism and discrimination against the Stormont government?
Political Failure
Protest and Violence
The failure to resolve the political crisis by the end of the 1960s meant the government had to rely on the RUC to enforce its writ. Political protest quickly descended into violence as political divisions were played out on the streets.
International
Czechoslovakia
Northern Ireland was one of many places demanding political change in 1968. The Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia came to an end on 20th June 1968, four days before the first civil rights march in Northern Ireland took place.
Key Personalities
Leaders
The 1960s witnessed the emergence of new leaders, notably Martin Luther King and Cesar Chavez in the United States and Bernadette Devlin in Northern Ireland. What policies did they espouse and were there any similarities?