Outburst of Discrimination In The North
With a Unionist Government power in Northern Ireland the Catholics experienced direct religious discrimination for housing and employment but also with the electoral system, electoral rules were changed such as the winner of an election would be the one who “passed the post first” but also the setting up of gerrymandering seen across the North such as in Derry City. Unionists knew they had to stay within power of Northern Ireland or a Nationalist or Republican Party would become the majority vote which would bring about a United Ireland.
Many business’s in the new Unionist run Northern Ireland belonged to protestants who also had control of the major industries such as the ship building in Belfast but soon was to spire into trouble when the recession hit after the New York Stock Exchange fell. By the 1930’s the recession was badly felt across Northern Ireland and mainly in Belfast when exporting declined.
Discrimination against Catholics grew stronger along with fear when Lord Craigavon in 1934 stated “We are a Protestant parliament and a Protestant state. I am an Orangeman first and a member of this parliament afterwards.” This only strengthened Catholics beliefs they were being discriminated against, directly.
Over 2,000 Catholics were burned from their homes in Belfast in 1935 when a Protestant Orange Parade decided to march down a Catholic area, rerouting from their original path and sparking a riot. With Northern Ireland slipping into poverty, being run by a discriminating government and being in turmoil the State became increasingly unstable.
The Irish Republican Army didn't give up their fight and believed the only way Ulster would be re-united with the South of Ireland was by force but was something that was generally not supported by all Catholics in the North who longed for peace but also believed in United Ireland.
By 1956 the IRA stepped up their campaign along the Northern Irish border with the Government responding by introducing internment of suspects without the right of trial in both North & South of Ireland.
By the 1960’s most powers in Northern Ireland were controlled by the Unionists
which Prime Minister Terence O'Neill wanted to change but came under fire
from Ian Paisley who was a protestant leader in T O’ Neill’s party. Terence
O'Neill was the first Prime Minister to visit a Catholic School and shake
hands after which Ian Paisley addressed a crowd of 500 hundred loyalists
and burned a photo of Prime Minister O'Neil taken at the Catholic convent.