Troubles In Northern Ireland In The 1960's

The origins of the Troubles began with the struggle for civil rights in Northern Ireland. The term ‘civil rights’ encompasses a number of rights and freedoms. In liberal democratic societies, all individuals are considered equal before both the government and the law. Citizens are entitled to the right to vote and be represented in government; the right to freedoms of speech, assembly and a fair trial; and the right to equal treatment, regardless of race, religion or political beliefs. Not all societies uphold or protect these rights, however, which can lead to discrimination and social segregation. The 1960s was a fertile period for civil rights movements around the world, as marginalised people and racial minorities struggled against unfair

Most of the country’s state schools were Protestant, while Catholic children attended schools funded and operated by the Catholic church. In the 1960s more than 97 percent of Northern Ireland’s students attended segregated schools (even today this figure still exceeds 90 percent). Though there was variation from place to place, Protestant schools were generally better funded and equipped than Catholic schools. One consequence of segregation in schooling, housing and employment was that young Protestants and Catholics rarely mixed, socialised or married. Educational discrimination also extended into the tertiary sector. In 1965 the Northern Ireland government announced the construction of the country’s second university in largely Protestant Coleraine, rather than the larger but more Catholic city of Derry. These barriers to higher education meant that Catholics were underrepresented in white collar positions like the civil service, finance and law. Both the police and the judiciary were also overwhelmingly Protestant. Anti-Catholic discrimination extended into the political arena. Unionists strengthened their grip on national and local government by manipulating its composition. Gerrymandering – the drawing of electoral boundaries to deliberately divide and reduce Catholic voting power – was common. Unionist legislation also rigged the franchise and excluded Catholics. At municipal level, the franchise (right to vote) was tied to property ownership. Those who paid rates (homeowners) were entitled to vote in local council elections; individuals who owned several homes (landlords) could have up to six votes; while those who occupied public or rented housing (tenants) were not permitted to vote at all. These electoral restrictions favoured the higher paid Protestant community. In the 1960s, Catholics comprised just over 35 percent of the population but occupied just six