In November 1966, a public meeting was called to highlight the issue of civil rights in Northern Ireland. This was held in the War Memorial Building in Belfast and the audience was drawn from all sectors of libertarianism in NI.

By January 1967, at Belfast’s International Hotel, the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) elected a 13-person steering committee and 5 broad objectives were issued to the press.

To help us better understand the demands of the civil rights movement I have enlisted the help and expertise of Dr Connal Parr and Dr Anne Devlin; a mother and son combination no less.

Anne is one of Northern Ireland’s most distinctive literary voices, known for her bold contributions to stage, screen and prose. Her work is shaped by early involvement in the Northern Ireland Civil Rights movement and remains a vital part of contemporary Irish literature. At the time of recording, Anne has just been awarded an Honourary Doctorate in Literature from Queen’s University Belfast.

This episode was produced as part of At the Crossroads: The Campaign for Civil Rights in Northern Ireland, a project developed by The Linen Hall. This project is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund and has also received financial support from the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council.

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Despite its structural difficulties, the new state of Northern Ireland continued in relative peace and stability from 1923 until the 1960s.

The 1960s, though, were a decade of change both culturally and politically.

The formation of NICRA marked the formal beginning of the civil rights campaign. It was the commencement of a new era for Northern Ireland, albeit a turbulent one.

To help us understand this decade of change in the 1960s I have enlisted the help and expertise of Dr David McCann. David is a columnist for the Irish News, a political commentator, and more recently the co-host of the new Stormont Sources podcast. I began by asking David if it was fair to describe Northern Ireland as a relatively peaceful and stable society from 1923 until the 1960s...

This episode was produced as part of At the Crossroads: The Campaign for Civil Rights in Northern Ireland, a project developed by The Linen Hall. This project is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund and has also received financial support from the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council.

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The concept of civil rights in Northern Ireland is as old as the state itself. Established in 1921, the new northern government inherited a deeply divided and disadvantaged society which its practices only served to deepen for half a century.

To help us understand the complexities of this period I have enlisted the help and expertise of Dr Cormac Moore. Cormac is a resident historian with Dublin City Council, he is a columnist with the Irish News as well as editing its daily ‘On This Day’ segment, and he is the author of several books – the most recent being The Root of All Evil: The Irish Boundary Commission published by Irish Academic Press. I began by asking Cormac his opinion on the extent to which the Unionist government had inherited a deeply imbalanced society which they were incapable of fixing…

This episode was produced as part of At the Crossroads: The Campaign for Civil Rights in Northern Ireland, a project developed by The Linen Hall. This project is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund and has also received financial support from the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council.

Send us a text

Support the show