Downfall of Stormont and Bloody Sunday

Downfall of Stormont and Sunningdale Agreement

• British government took direct control of Northern Ireland on March 23, 1972, ending 52 years of Unionist rule in Stormont.
• Direct rule was necessitated by escalating violence between Unionists and Nationalists, culminating in a two-day riot during the Battle of the Bogside (August 12, 1969).
• The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) proved incapable of controlling the mobs and arson attacks, prompting the deployment of the British Army on August 14, 1969.
• Barbed wire barricades, later replaced with concrete walls, were erected to separate Protestant and Catholic areas.
• The Irish Republican Army (IRA) gained strength, organizing attacks from behind the barricades and achieving a high level of power by 1970.
• British Army control was short-lived, worsening the situation and making direct rule unavoidable.

Bloody Sunday

• On January 30, 1972, a march against internment escalated into Bloody Sunday, a day of violence in Derry, Ireland.
• British troops shot and killed 13 civilians during a protest.
• This event further fueled opposition and contributed to the decision to impose direct rule.

Sunningdale Agreement and its Failure

• William Whitelaw was appointed the first secretary of state for Northern Ireland to attempt to negotiate a power-sharing agreement.
• A White Paper was published to facilitate negotiations between Nationalists and Unionists.
• Division within the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) over proposals hampered progress.
• Opposing factions of the UUP (pledged vs unpledged unionists), particularly Paisley, Craig, and Hess, opposed the agreement.
• The Sunningdale Agreement faced opposition and internal division early on.
• Deep-seated divisions and opposition from Unionists led to its failure.

Reasons for Agreement Failure

• The promise of a Council of Ireland created significant opposition from unionists, who viewed it as a threat to Northern Ireland remaining part of the United Kingdom.
• The Irish government's case against the agreement, emphasizing its position on the Irish Free State, further heightened unionist resistance.
• The withdrawal of skilled negotiator, William Whitelaw, and replacement with a less experienced successor, were critical setbacks hampering progress.
• Political maneuvering, divisions, and mistrust hindered progress toward a power-sharing solution.
• Unionist anger over the agreement led to the Ulster Workers' Council (UWC) strike, impacting essential services.
• General election results further complicated the political landscape in Northern Ireland and contributed to the collapse of the Sunningdale Agreement.