July 1978: Back To The Future
In July 1978, World News Tonight premiered on ABC with Max Robinson as the first black anchor on a network newscast in the US. I wonder if what was going on in Northern Ireland made any headlines…
Political Developments in July 1978
The political developments in July centred largely around the DeLorean factory in Belfast. On the 13th, J. Pilling from the Northern Ireland Office sent a letter to Chief Secretary at the British Treasury Joel Barnett. In his letter, he discussed the ongoing plans for the factory;
DeLorean Project.
Since I wrote to you on 11 July, consideration of the project has advanced quickly. Executives of the company have been in Belfast this week and have been looking in detail at the proposed West Belfast site. The outcome of this is that the site does not meet their requirements in its present form, and if this is to be overcome, and the project to proceed, further site works will be necessary at a cost to the Department of Commerce of about £5m. This of course adds some £2,500 to the cost per job calculation, taking it that much further above the maximum. (But as I am sure you appreciate there are circumstances in which the need to resolve deep-seated social problems must be set alongside the economic factors in deciding what is reasonable in particular cases).
Nearly you need to know about this. The other factors in the situation have not changed; NIDA, with my approval, are ready to go ahead, and I remain satisfied that the project represents a justifiable risk, particularly in view of its extreme importance to the Government’s whole position in Northern Ireland.
In view of the importance of the point about countervailing doctrine in the United States, I am copying this and my earlier letter to Edmund Dell, as well as copying this to the other recipients of that letter.
Joel Barnett replied on the 17th, stating that there was a public expenditure provision to cover the amount of financial help you propose to offer. He then went on to state that it was an extremely risky project, given it was an untested car which was to be manufactured. He also went on to state that although there was an expenditure provision, the scale of the public investment was very large, and the risk attached to the project was very high before going on to say that he was sure they would not be justified in going ahead on the basis recommended.
On the 30th of July, Tomás Ó Fiaich, Catholic Primate of Ireland, paid a visit to Republican prisoners in the Maze Prison. The prisoners were taking part in the 'blanket protest'. Over 300 Republican prisoners refused to wear prison clothes or follow normal prison regulations in an attempt to secure a return to special category status.
July finished with a press release on the DeLorean project. They covered 8 main points;
The government can offer jobs in West Belfast. Unemployment rates in Northern Ireland were at 13.4%, with Catholic West Belfast sitting at around 35-40%.
The Irish authorities have said in the press that they did not want to carry negotiations further because of the scale and risk of the required government support. Therefore, negotiations on a location in Puerto Rico are being advanced.
They stated that Mr DeLorean has vast experience from his time at General Motors and will, therefore, assemble a highly competent management team with extensive experience in the automobile industry.
They then went on to highlight the opportunities that lie in the mid-performance sector of the US sports car market.
£5m of private funds have already been spent on research and development, and £2.5m is expected from potential US dealers.
Oppenheimer & Co. have arranged for £9.8m of private funds to be invested in the project in Puerto Rico. They are unwilling to make these funds available for the project in Northern Ireland, while the Puerto Rico option remains open.
The Northern Ireland Department of Commerce has given £5m of government aid.
The Northern Ireland Development Agency (NIDA) has the discretion to decide the terms and value of its investments, subject to approval for investments above a specified limit of the secretary of state for Northern Ireland.
Shootings & Kneecappings in July 1978
04/07/78 - RUC officer Jacob Rankin (32) was shot dead by the IRA outside Castlederg RUC barracks in County Tyrone.
11/07/78 - John Boyle (16), a Catholic teenager, was shot dead by undercover members of the British Army near an IRA arms dump in Dunloy, County Antrim. Boyle had earlier found the dump, and his family had reported the matter to the RUC. The RUC, together with the British Army, decided to monitor the dump in the hope that members of the IRA would return to it. Boyle's curiosity must have taken him back unsuspectingly to the dump.
20/07/78 - The INLA kneecapped a 17-year-old youth in Shankill, Dublin, claiming he had been in contact with Garda Special Branch detectives. The group stated they would have executed him but for his age. The victim, Kevin Coyle, was shot dead by the Provisional IRA in Derry in 1985, who claimed he was an RUC informer.
26/07/78 - Civilian Noel McKay (29) was shot outside his home, Ardmore Avenue, Finaghy, Belfast.
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Bombings in July 1978
12/07/78 - British soldier John Fisher (19) was killed in an IRA radio-controlled booby-trap bomb attack while on foot patrol in Crossmaglen, County Armagh.
19/07/78 - British soldier Mark Carnie (18) was killed in an IRA remote-controlled bomb attack in Dungannon, County Tyrone.
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I’ve also recently released Tales of The Troubles: Volume 1. The Early Years - 1960s. Check it out. It would be a great addition to your library or a gift for someone for Christmas. Stay tuned for Volume 2, covering the 1970s.
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Some recommended reading based on research for this instalment.
