September 1970 saw the death of one of the greatest musicians of all time; Jimmy Hendrix. In his song ‘All Along the Watchtower’, the song opens up with the lyrics;
“There must be some kind of way outta here
Said the joker to the thief
There's too much confusion
I can't get no relief”
In Northern Ireland it didn’t seem like any relief was on the horizon as the trouble continued to intensify.
September began with another death in the conflict in Northern Ireland. An Irish Republican Army (IRA) member, Michael Kane (35), was killed in the premature explosion of the bomb he was planting at an electricity transformer on New Forge Lane, Malone, Belfast. Mr Kane and Tony O’Kane fell victim to an accidental explosion near Newforge Lane in South Belfast. Mr Kane was killed outright, while O’Kane was seriously injured and discovered by the RUC when they followed a trail of blood to a nearby house. Mr Kane was 35 years old when he died, leaving behind a wife, three sons and three daughters.
On the 10th of October 1969, the Government announced the adoption of the principle of a civilianised and normally unarmed RUC. In doing so Ministers took into account the fact that the force had already been working towards a situation in which policemen on ordinary duties would not normally carry arms, the expressed view of the Representative Body that the force itself would welcome such a decision and the recommendation of the Hunt Committee that a civilianised and normally unarmed status would facilitate a valuable relationship between police and public and thereby greatly assist the police in their work.
However, a Referendum was conducted in September 1970 under the auspices of the Representative Body, and the figures showed that while there was a considerable division of opinion within the force, the majority of those who voted supported that policy (a normally unarmed status, coupled, with ready access to weapons where necessary.
On the 16th of September, a loyalist bomb exploded in a classroom of Trentaghmucklagh National School just outside St Johnston, a village in the Laggan district in the east of County Donegal. The school was empty at the time. It is believed the UVF were responsible.
September also saw the resignation of the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), Arthur Young. In a statement, Young explained his decision;
In October last year, I agreed to come to Northern Ireland in order to implement the Hunt recommendations. No time limit was put upon my secondment from the City of London other than an agreement that I should return to my post as Commissioner when my task here had been completed…
I am confident that the Royal Ulster Constabulary will remain a non-aggressive police service progressively winning the respect and esteem of the people of Northern Ireland.
Not everyone in Northern Ireland agreed with everything in Mr Young’s statement, but given the division in Northern Ireland at the time, it’s not surprising.
The end of September saw continued rioting in Belfast. There was serious trouble when groups of Protestant youths attacked the Catholic Unity Flats. Rioting continued in the Protestant Shankill Road area for four nights.
Unity Flats was the rather ironic name given to a brutal 60’s style complex of catholic apartments. A riot was likely almost every Saturday, particularly during the football season. Most of such riots were short-lived affairs with plenty of bricks stones and foul oaths, but they all had the potential to develop into the ugliest mass violence. In September 1970 it erupted as Linfield fans made their way back from Windsor Park to the Shankill.
As it started, September ended with another death. A Protestant man was shot and killed by Loyalists in Belfast. David Murray (49), was shot at his home in the Shankill. ‘Lost Lives' claimed that the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) was responsible.
Recommended reading based on research for this instalment of our journey through The Troubles.