The tour was organised by the unlikely team of physical-force Irish-American republicans and Brian Heron, leader of the newly formed National Association for Irish Justice. An experienced left-wing political organiser, Heron was tolerated by the politically conservative republicans because he happened to be the grandson of James Connolly. Heron tolerated the republicans because their goal … Read more
Residential and territorial segregation have been accepted realities for many Catholic and Protestant working-class communities in Belfast since the seventeenth century. It wasn’t until the summer of 1935, however, that the first physical barrier was built to provide social distancing and separation. The British Army, in response to increased sectarian rioting, constructed a temporary barrier … Read more
The magnitude of the events in Belfast during that fateful month can be gauged by the testimony of 2nd Lt Adams to the Scarman Tribunal, describing the scene he witnessed on entering Bombay Street for the first time on the night of 15/16 August: ‘I was horrified. I had never seen houses burning like that … Read more
The 1970s was an undeniably dramatic decade, with economic, industrial and political unrest at home and abroad; social change, with a new level of consumer affluence; and sharpened debates about religion, equality and the status of women in Irish life. And there was the continuation of the conflict in Northern Ireland, with serious implications for … Read more
Before 1951 only a few people in Ireland owned a TV set. There was no Irish television service and little prospect of one. Some owners were householders with the money to spend and a taste for the latest novelty. There were also some radio and electronics experimenters who built receivers from kits with military surplus … Read more