Northern Ireland in 1976: The Collapse of the Convention and the Move to Direct Rule

Northern Ireland in 1976: The Collapse of the Convention and the Move to Direct Rule

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, Tim McGarry and Dr. Cormac Moore reflect on the "obituary" of the 1975–1976 Constitutional Convention, a failed British attempt to find a political solution that instead left Northern Ireland in a "complete political vacuum". We examine how the refusal of unionists to share power led to a period of "violence and stagnation," with 1976 becoming one of the bloodiest years of the Troubles.


We also dive into the financial "insolvency" of Northern Ireland, tracing it back to 1926 when the statelet first required a "free gift" from the British Treasury to avoid bankruptcy and pay unemployment benefits. We discuss the myth of the North as a self-sustaining industrial powerhouse and reveal how it has evolved into the highest per-head drain on UK resources, now costing an estimated £14 billion a year.


Additionally, we explore the social and legislative landscape of the mid-70s, from the introduction of sex discrimination laws to the "watered down" Fair Employment Act of 1975. We also discuss the historical "security lapse" of 1981, where the IRA came remarkably close to assassinating the Queen during a visit to the Shetland Islands.


To conclude, we tackle the modern-day debate over a United Ireland, questioning whether the British truly want to leave and if the Republic of Ireland is prepared to inherit a "partition statelet" that has never truly paid its own way.

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The Forgotten Pandemic: Ireland’s Deadly 1920s “Sleepy Sickness” Mystery

The Forgotten Pandemic: Ireland’s Deadly 1920s “Sleepy Sickness” Mystery

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we delve into the "forgotten pandemic" of the early 20th century: Encephalitis Lethargica, or "sleeping sickness". We discuss how this mystery disease left v...

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How a Nobel Prize Destroyed Northern Ireland’s Most Powerful Protest Movement

How a Nobel Prize Destroyed Northern Ireland’s Most Powerful Protest Movement

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we examine the paradoxical year of 1976 in Northern Ireland—a year marked by the second-highest death toll of the Troubles, yet one that offered a fleeting "...

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Faulkner’s Failed Sequel: The 1976 Internment Debate

Faulkner’s Failed Sequel: The 1976 Internment Debate

Join Tim McGarry and Dr Cormac Moore on the Irish History Boys as they explore Northern Ireland’s interwar economic collapse and the controversial 1976 internment debate. They analyse how the North’s ...

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From the "Black North" to Black Taxis: A Century of Divided Tourism in Ireland

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In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we reflect on the curious "hairpin bend" of travel in Ireland during 1926, where strangers from abroad were welcomed with open arms while neighbors across th...

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The Assassination that Shocked Ireland: The 1976 Sandyford Bombing

The Assassination that Shocked Ireland: The 1976 Sandyford Bombing

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we reflect on the July 1976 assassination of the British Ambassador to Ireland, Christopher Ewart-Biggs, and his secretary Judith Cook. This "mid-morning out...

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The Dubliner Who Divided Ireland: The Twisted Irony of Edward Carson

The Dubliner Who Divided Ireland: The Twisted Irony of Edward Carson

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Why the Pope Supported William of Orange: The Surprising International History of 1690

Why the Pope Supported William of Orange: The Surprising International History of 1690

In this special July episode of the Irish History Boys, hosts Tim McGarry and Cormac Moore set aside their usual news archives to explore "orange" history with Dr. Jonathan Mattison from the Museum of...

2 Juli 42min

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