Paul McElhinney: 1974 - ‘Relentless and depressing’ cycle of violence wreaks havoc in Ulster

Reactions to events from the Southern Government was keenly awaited and while these were at times strongly expressed, in practice, a cautious and concerned, ‘wait and see’ policy was adopted. The introduction of direct rule made little impact on the steady flow of violent activity during those six months. Violence emanating from paramilitaries in both communities continued in the same relentless and depressing pattern as seen before.

Violence from republican prisoners breaks out in the Maze prison and Armagh Women’s Prison in the latter half of 1974. In October, a huge IRA bomb explodes at Ballykinler Army Barracks, killing two soldiers and injuring 33.

The IRA’s attacks on Great Britain are extended by the bomb attack on a pub near an army barracks in Woolwich, south London. Two people were killed and 35 injured. Later that month, two bombs exploded in Birmingham (the notorious Birmingham bombings) in which 21 were killed and 182 injured. These bombings had many long-term and notorious ramifications. Those responsible for the bombings have still evaded justice and notoriously, six innocent men were wrongly convicted, spending many years in jail before being released and pardoned. Relatives for the victims of the bombings have also led a campaign for justice for the victims and the bereaved.

In October, Harold Wilson calls a General Election in order to increase the Labour Party’s numbers in the House of Commons, to enhance its mandate. It took place only 10 months after the first election of 1974 held in February. In the October election, both the Conservative and Liberal parties saw their share of the vote decline (the latter from an impressive high in February).

Labour won the election with a majority of three seats, a thin majority that was to cause much difficulty for Labour in the ensuing Parliament. The Unionist Party refused to take the Conservative whip which put paid to Conservative chances of governing. The following year, Edward Heath faced an election for party leader and was replaced by Margaret Thatcher who was to hold the position for the next 16 years.

In Ulster, the Ulster Unionist Part led by Harry West entered the election with seven seats but lost one seat October, thus holding six Westminster seats. William Craig’s Vanguard entered the election with three seats and held all three. Brian Faulkner’s Unionist Party of NI ran two candidates but won no seats. The DUP, the SDLP and Independent Republicans respectively won one seat each.

The governing arrangement proved highly precarious for Wilson’s government with on one occasion, an MP having to be transported from hospital on a stretcher to vote in a tight division. Such were Labour’s parliamentary problems that from 1977, Labour had to rely on various deals with the Liberals, the Ulster Unionists, the Scottish Nationalists and the Welsh Nationalists just to stay in power.

SEE MORE:

This article is the third and final instalment of Paul McElhinney's look back at 1974. To read his other two articles, click on the following links:

Paul McElhinney: 1974 was a momentous year with power-sharing and the UWC strike

Paul McElhinney: 1974 - ‘Bad fashion and bad haircuts’ as violence intensifies north and south

November 1974 also saw the introduction of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) which still remains on the statute books. To add to the febrile atmosphere of this period, the Irish Republican Socialist party was formed with its paramilitary wing, the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA). Seen as an even more extreme entity than the Provisional IRA, it was to go on an cause much havoc, in NI, the South and in GB. In December, the second IRA ceasefire starts and lasts until August 1975.

On the world stage much was happening. In July, the Greek military junta sponsors a coup in Cyprus and soon after, Turkey invades Cyprus and occupies the northern part of the island. Showing that terrorism was not confined to Northern Ireland, in August neo-fascists plant a bomb on a train travelling between Italy and Germany killing 22 people and injuring 49.

Also in August, US President, Richard Nixon resigns following the long-running Watergate scandal and Vice-President, Gerald Ford assumes the Presidency. In September, Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia is deposed and a civil war ensues. Eritrea eventually breaks away from Ethiopia, the ramifications of which are still being felt to this day.

1974 was also the year in which actress, Kate Moss, was born. That year was also the year of birth of: singer, Robbie Williams ; politician, Dominic Raab; socialite, Victoria Beckham; NI rugby player, Jonathan Bell; actress, Penelope Cruz; singer, Andrea Corr; adventurer, Bear Grylls, ; tennis player, Tim Henman; actor, Leonard Di Caprio; footballer, Paul Scholes.

The year 1974 was an eventful year locally, nationally and internationally. NI saw the formation and collapse of a power-sharing Executive and continued violence. The UK as a whole saw two indecisive elections.

The world saw an unprecedented resignation of a US President and the invasion by one NATO power (Turkey) of the territory of another NATO power (Greece). Along with Nixon, the leaders of the UK, Germany and France also changed. Quite an eventful year.

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l Paul McElhinney is a full-time writer living in Wexford. He is author of ‘The Lion of the RAF’, a biography of Air Marshal, Sir George Beamish and of many articles in Irish and international journals. He was an official in the Department of the Taoiseach in Dublin in the 1980s and an oil and gas executive in London and Washington with British Gas Plc. Since then, he has worked as a consultant, college lecturer and writer.