A History of “Northern Ireland” (Part One)
The Government of Ireland Act 1920 established “Northern Ireland” as a political entity.
The nature of that entity was clear from the outset. James Craig became Prime Minister of “Northern Ireland” in 1921 and stayed in post until his death in 1940. Speaking at Stormont he declared, “I am an Orangeman first and a politician and member of the Parliament afterwards.” Just in case anyone had any illusions he added, “All I boast is that we are a Protestant Parliament and a Protestant state.”
The Unionists wanted political domination from the start. Provisions that might have protected the minority -Proportional Representation for instance- were “quickly eradicated.” Plus the Boundary Commission, set up to decide the final boundaries of “Northern Ireland” and which might have whittled the six counties down to four, withered on the vine (Cochrane 2013).
Things didn’t improve after Craig. His replacement was a “curmudgeonly Unionist” (Lord Brookeborough). He led “Northern Ireland” for most of the 40’s and all of the 50’s.
Brooke had told the Derry Unionist Association that “I recommend those people who are loyalists not to employ Roman Catholics, 99% of whom are disloyal.”
Brooke was not alone in uttering such sentiments. Brian Faulkner -a future Prime Minister- queried whether it was “safe to employ in government service people who openly advocate treason” (i.e. Nationalists!) whilst a Senator, J. Barnhill, suggested “charity begins at home.” If “we are going to employ people we should give preference to unionists.”
Not surprisingly therefore discrimination in employment was rife. But there was discrimination in housing too.
The voting franchise in council elections was dependent on the payment of rates. So giving Catholics a house was to “give them and their qualifying dependents a vote at the local level.”
In Fermanagh, where Catholics made up a majority of the population, 82% of houses built between 1945 and 1967 went to Protestants. In Dungannon in 1965 every single one of 194 new homes was allocated to a Protestant.
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