How effective was the contribution of Terence O’Neill to the affairs of Northern Ireland?
Use this mind map structure to discover unseen connections, generate new ideas and reach a better understanding of any given subject.
quotes:
Then we have people genuinely trying to be helpful who advocate a kind of reciprocal emasculation- No National Anthem or Loyal Toast to offend one sidde; no outward signs or symbols of Nationalism to offend the other. This approach, too, I believe to be misconceived; it is rather like trying to solve the colour problem by spraying everyone a pale shade of brown
“It is frightfully hard to explain to Protestants that if you give Roman Catholics a good job and a good house, they will live like Protestants...they will refuse to have 18 children.... If you treat Roman Catholics with due consideration and kindness, they will live like Protestants in spite of the authoritative nature of their Church.”
Please weigh well all that is at stake and make your voice heard in whatever way you think best, so that we may know the views not of the few, but of the many.
Background
Didnt interact much with regular unionists & didnt have strong interpersonal connections with other party members
Wasn't very charismatic
Promised reforms for catholics
Was determined to heal tensions between Catholics and Unionists
Elected as unionist MP 1946 Bannside constituency.
Became leader of the OUP
Was chosen to be PM but was not elected
The party was conservative but he identified as a liberal
Part of orange order.
Served with Irish Guards in WW2. then moved to N.I
Born into wealthy upper class protestant family- Good education in English school (Eton)
Economic reform
Main aims:1) To make N.Ireland into a modern industrialised
society able to compete in the world.
2) To create greater economic and social equality
Subtopic
Began co-operation with the Irish Trades Union Congress (ITUC).
Set up five economic zones to ensure the modernisation of existing industries and to help bring new foreign investment to the province.
Multi national companies like ICI
Michelin and DuPont did invest and
set up factories in N.Ireland
Launched economic council to assist with economic reform
35,000 new jobs were created in
this period but employment was still high especially in the West. 20,000 lost their jobs in older industries.
Built new oil refinery
built the new city of Craigavon
Modernised the transport links with a new motorway and
airport at Aldergrove.
Invested over £900 million in the economy
Evaluation/How effective his contributions were
Had the right idea but didn't do enough to make these ideas happen and did not go far enough in his attempts for reform
He helped to establish ties with the republic but did not do enough
The lack of support from his own party led to his downfall
Failed to help NICRA
O'Neill decided to introduce 'one man one vote' for the next election, but this caused so much chaos and anger from his own party that he was forced to resign in 1969
His lack of charisma impeded on his likeability which is crucial for politicians
He introduced many reforms but didnt back them enough
The Ulster at the crossroad speech had strong
O’Neill couldn’t convince Unionists that Northern Ireland needed to be modernised. His policies failed to ease tension between the two sides
it fed fuel to the fire and helped Ian Paisley to become so popular
Coleraine university
Lockwood report
Depicted O'Neill as being all for show with no action
West of the bann discrimination
Meeting with thr "nameless faceless men"
Political reform
Terence O’Neill became Northern Ireland’s Prime Minister in March 1963.
O'NEILL met Irish TAOISEACH SEAN LEMASS at Stormont in 1963. It was the first face to face meeting between leaders of North and South in over 40 years
O'NEILL visited CARDINAL CONWAY leader of Ireland's Catholics, O'NEILL offered condolences to the Vatican on the death of POPE PIUS
O'NEILL visited Catholic SCHOOLS and HOSPITALS (Mater)
O'NEILL promised financial help to Catholic schools and hospitals
O'NEILL made the UVF ILLEGAL after 2 Catholics were murdered by the organisation
key policies
Unsuccessful
Attracting investment to areas west of the River Bann proved to be more difficult as companies viewed the region as being too far from their export markets to open factories
This fed allegations of bias in government policy.
unemployment in the west was over 12.5 per cent
A lack of work in industries such as linen and shipbuilding meant that over 20,000 jobs were lost
The government had to give money to shipbuilders Harland and Wolff to keep the company open
Unemployment levels were never lower than 7 per cent
Succesfull
Met with sean Lemass which helped to further improve relations with the republic “We share the same rivers, the same mountains and some of the same problems.”
Development started on a new airport.
Belfast benefitted from the opening of a new oil refinery.
An agreement was signed with the Dublin government over the supply of electricity.
Work started on the construction of the M1 motorway which would link Belfast and Dungannon.
Several international companies - including Michelin, DuPont, Goodyear, ICI and Grundig - built factories in Northern Ireland.
