Looking back on December 1974, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Irishman Seán MacBride for his human rights work. He was known as a man who "mobilised the conscience of the world in the fight against injustice". Peace must have been swirling in the air in Ireland at that time too, with the IRA calling a Christmas ceasefire that would run into the new year.
Political Developments in December 1974
December 1974 kicked off with members of the Maguire family, who later became known as the 'Maguire Seven', being arrested at their home in London. They were held on suspicion of making the bombs used in the explosions in Guildford on the 5th of October 1974.
In November’s instalment, we discussed the introduction of the Prevention of Terrorism Act in Britain. On the 5th of December, it was extended to Northern Ireland.
Three days later, on the 8th of December, The Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP) was formed following a split within the Official Sinn Féin. Among its leading members were Séamus Costello, leader of the IRSP, and Bernadette McAliskey, a former Member of Parliament.
The 9th of December saw a note that discussed the attitudes of the Northern Ireland political parties to the Constitutional Convention following the publication of the white paper in July.
The UUUC’s views;
It appears that a number of Unionists are prepared to adopt a reasonable line. Mr Laird, for example, has recently said privately, that the UUUC were conscious of the need for some flexibility during initial discussions at the Convention. In a recent conversation, Mr Enoch Powell said that there was a strong, reaction against the whole Stormont-type of Constitution. Nobody wanted it and he did not think that the Constitutional Convention would recommend its return.
The SDLP’s Views;
The SDLP's attitude has been less clear than that of the Loyalists. The Party gave a muted reception to the July Phite Paper, welcoming the realities dealing with power-sharing and the Irish Dimension but describing the Convention as merely “a British plot to provide a cloak of respectability to a Loyalist takeover".
The UPNI’s Views;
In the early months following the collapse of the Executive Mr Faulkner's Unionist Party of Northern Ireland had little time for the Convention. It regarded the July White Paper as being "vague and of little value." The UPNI was opposed to early elections mainly because it needed time to create a new strong Party.
The Alliance Party’s Views;
The Party welcomed the commitment to power-sharing and the Irish Dimension. Although, it regards the constitutional claim by the Republic as a formidable barrier to a political solution in Northern Ireland. Alliance has not changed its attitude towards the Convention since July.
Sinn Fein’s Views;
Both Official and Provisional Sinn Fein have little regard for the Convention. It is likely that Official Sinn Fein will put forward some Republican Clubs candidates but it is almost certain now that the Provisional Sinn Fein will not do so. The Provisionals are anxious to demonstrate that any Convention for which HMG has responsibility is irrelevant to the needs of the Irish people.
December 10th saw what became known as the ‘Feakle Talks’. Senior representatives of the IRA held secret talks with a group of eight Protestant clergymen from Northern Ireland at Smyth's Village Hotel in Feakle, County Clare, in the Republic of Ireland. The IRA was represented by Ruairi O'Bradaigh, Daithi O'Conaill, Maire Drumm and three others. Among the group of clergymen were: Dr Arthur Butler, Dr Jack Weir, Revd Ralph Baxter and Revd William Arlow. The clergymen presented the IRA with a policy document that had been cleared with the British government. The meeting ended abruptly when the IRA representatives got a tip-off that the officers in the Irish Special Branch were on their way to arrest them. The talks at Feakle set in motion a process that was to lead to a meeting between the clergymen and the Secretary of State on the 18th of December 1974 and to an IRA ceasefire that began on the 22nd of December 1974.
A debate was held in the House of Commons on the 11th of December on the reintroduction of capital punishment for acts of terrorism. The specific motion came in the form of an amendment proposed by a Conservative MP. Following a five-hour debate, the amendment was defeated by a free vote of 369 to 217.
December also saw developments in the Littlejohn Affair. Kenneth Littlejohn was re-captured by British police in Birmingham before later being extradited to Ireland to serve the remainder of his sentence.
On the 20th of December, the IRA announced that a ceasefire would occur between midnight on the 22nd of December 1974 and midnight on the 2nd of January 1975.
The IRA ceasefire officially came into action. The ceasefire was called to allow the British government to respond to proposals put by the IRA to the Protestant clergymen. The IRA would go on to initially extend its ceasefire, only to call it off again on the 17th of January 1975, before renewing it again on the 10th of February 1975. Government officials also held talks with Sinn Féin until the 17th of January 1975. Many commentators felt that an announcement of British withdrawal from Northern Ireland was a possibility at this time.
Conservative Party leader Edward Heath paid a visit to Northern Ireland on the 23rd of December. He said that he believed there was sufficient consensus within the region on power-sharing.
On the 29th of December, IRA prisoners at Portlaoise Prison in the Republic of Ireland held several prison officers hostage and caused considerable damage in protests for better conditions. Troops were used to regain control and the prison officers were freed unharmed.
A meeting between the Permanent Under-Secretary, on behalf of the British government, and Mr Stanley Worrall and Dr Jack Weir took place on the 30th of December at a house known as Laneside, in Hollywood, County Down. Worral and Weir had been part of a group of Protestant clergymen who had met with senior members of the IRA at Feakle earlier in the month. An extract from a note on the meeting read;
"The PUS [Permanent Under-Secretary] said that British ministers and officials had been busy throughout the Christmas holidays. The position was that while there was no negotiation with Provisional IRA we did not rule out an exchange of views. We did not want a propaganda campaign. ... If the truce held HMG could take some definite steps ...."
The following day, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Merlyn Rees said that the Government would respond positively if a "genuine and sustained cessation of violence" occurred.
Shootings in December 1974
04/12/74 - The UDA shot Protestant civilian James Davidson (64) during an attempted robbery of his shop on Upper Glenfarne Street, Belfast. He died on the 6th of December.
14/12/74 - The IRA carried out a gun attack on a joint British Army and RUC foot patrol near Forkhill, County Armagh. RUC officer David Mcneice (19) died at the scene and soldier Michael Gibson (20) died on the 30th of December from injuries received.
21/12/74 - Catholic civilian Joseph McDermott (37) was found shot and strangled to death on Upper Mealough Road, Carryduff. A court heard that two UDA workmates killed him after drinking with them in Belfast.
23/12/74 - While being chased by the police, IRA Volunteer Ronnie McCartney fired shots at three policemen in Portswood, Southampton causing injury to one, Malcolm Craig. McCartney was eventually captured & spent 21 years in jail. Some 30+ years later the two men came face to face for a reconciliation meeting in a BBC documentary called "Facing The Truth" which former South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu mediated. You can watch the meeting HERE.
24/12/74 - Catholic civilian Anthony Morgan (34) died two months after being shot by the UDA at City Hospital, Belfast.
30/12/74 - Civilian Maurice Knowles died after being shot during an attempt to steal his shotgun, while wildfowling on the shore of Belfast Lough, by Whitehouse Park, Newtownabbey.
Bombings in December 1974
02/12/74 - British soldier John Maddocks (32), was killed while on foot patrol by an IRA booby trap bomb hidden in a milk churn in a field, Gortmullan, near Derrylin, County Fermanagh.
02/12/74 - IRA volunteer Ethel Lynch (22), was wounded when her bomb prematurely exploded in a house on Crawford Square, Derry. She died on the 7th of December.
07/12/74 - IRA volunteer, John McDaid (16), died when his bomb prematurely exploded in a house on Bridge Street, Derry.
08/12/74 - Loyalist paramilitaries bombed St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Swanlinbar in County Cavan. There were no injuries but the church was badly damaged. It's believed one of the main Loyalist paramilitary groups, either the UVF, UDA or Red Hand Commando was responsible.
11/12/74 - The IRA carried out a bomb attack on the Long Bar of the Naval and Military Club in Piccadilly, London. At 6:30 pm IRA members threw a small bomb through the window of the bar, however, no one was injured. As two IRA members were leaving the scene they were followed by a taxi cab and they fired two shots at the driver. The driver was not injured. Almost at the same time, a second group of IRA members carried out a gun attack on the Cavalry Club; again there were no injuries.
17/12/74 - The IRA placed 3 time bombs at telephone exchanges in London. In one of the explosions George Arthur (34), a post office telephonist, was killed.
18/12/74 - A bomb was placed in a holdall outside Dixon’s Photographic shop on Park Street in Bristol which exploded just before 8:00 pm. Nine minutes later another more powerful bomb detonated in a dustbin 30 yards away. The blasts injured 20 people and were part of the IRA's bombing campaign in England. The IRA gave a telephone warning for the first bomb but not the second one.
19/12/74 - The IRA carried out a bomb attack on Selfridge's department store in Oxford Street, London. A time bomb had been placed in a car which was then parked outside the store. Three telephone warnings were given and the area was evacuated. The explosion was estimated to have caused around 1.5 million pounds worth of damage.
20/12/74 - A bomb left by the IRA on a platform of the railway station in Aldershot, England, was defused by explosives officers.
21/12/74 - The IRA left a bomb inside Harrods department store in London. The bomb caused damage and started a fire but there were no injuries. An unexploded bomb was discovered and defused at the King's Arms public house in Warminster, Wiltshire.
22/12/74 - The IRA carried out a bomb attack on the home of former British Prime Minister Edward Heath in Wilton Street, Belgravia, London. A small bomb with a short fuse was thrown onto the first-floor balcony of Heath's flat. The bomb caused extensive damage but Heath was not present and there were no injuries.
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Some recommended reading based on research for this instalment.
Provisional Irish Republicans: An Oral and Interpretive History by Robert W. White.
The impact of the Troubles on the Republic of Ireland, 1968-79: Boiling Volcano? by Brian Hanley.