Bloody Sunday

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Bloody Sunday

Troops were sent into Ireland in 1969, to sort out the troubles.

Catholics in Derry’s bogside area built barricades to protect

themselves in early 1969. They felt that they could expect no

protection from the police. The situation continued to deteriorate in

the following months, with some explosions, which damaged electricity

and water supplies. The explosions were blamed on the IRA, but really

were the work of the Ulster Protestants Volunteers (UPV), who were

trying to discredit the Catholics. The Prime Minister of Northern

Ireland, Terence O’ Neill resigned in April of 1969 after the General

Election. The Unionists felt that he was giving into the Civil Rights

group.

The Protestant Orange marches sparked off further trouble in July

1969, but it was the Apprentice Boys march in Derry during August that

brought wholesale violence to the streets. The march passed the

Catholic Bogside and the police became involved in the riots. The

rioting and violence escalated and after two days Chichester-Clark,

Northern Ireland’s new Prime Minister, asked the Government in

Westminster to send troops to restore order. The rioting was shown on

television and the event was called the Battle of the Bogside.

The troubles in Derry sparked off riots in Belfast, where there was

extensive use of guns and huge destruction of property. The fear that

was created in towns resulted in massive population movements between

August 1969 and February 1973. It was estimated that 60,000 people

were forced to leave their homes. It was the largest enforced movement

in Europe since 1945. In order to calm the fears of the Northern

Ireland popul...

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...care about the

Catholic farmers problems and just wanted their rent and land.

Protestants had more rights than Catholics by law, Catholics were not

allowed to join the army, or have a profession, basically anything

that gave them a position in society. These laws were set by William

III, whereas Protestants had the freedom to do all these things

without worrying.

The unfair treatment of Catholics during this period may have had a

wore effect than events before it, mainly because of the cruelty and

selfish displays of greediness by the British. Catholics hate

Protestants because they had more rights, example, Catholics were not

allowed to vote, whatever they felt on matters had no effect or

meaning to Protestants. They felt inferior and at the chance to rebel

and fight back they would not and did not turn it down.

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