1973 AD

                                                                                                                                           "Fine Gael Coalition Government."  

1973 AD In the 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Conservative Government, the "Diplock Courts" were brought in by Edward Heath the British Conservative Prime Minister and his Government, which were still under their British Military Forces control, with Emergency Provisions giving their British Military Forces "extra powers" held previously by the Ascendancy "Official" Unionist R.U.C., police that included "no juries," which allowed the British Military Forces to "arrest" anyone at all on "suspicion" only, with "no bail" allowed, and with the "proof "of innocence on the defendant in gun carrying cases, with only "terrorist" confessions to be used as evidence.

     In the Irish Republic (26 Counties) the younger Erskine Childers became the President of Ireland. but was to die in office the next year in 1974, while Patrick Hillery also became Ireland's first "European Commissioner" and Kevin Boland "resigned" from the Fianna Fail Party, which was still under the leadership of Jack Lynch the Taoiseach / Prime Minister, as he considered that he had not done anything "concrete" about actually re - uniting the 32 Counties of Ireland and with Sean Sherwin he formed the "political" Aontacht Eireann Party, but despite their ambitions they were to have no luck in the coming elections. His father, Gerald Boland, who was now 88 year old died this year, after giving long service to the Fianna Fail Party as an original co - founder, who although born in Manchester in England had served in the 1916 Irish Easter Uprising and had been an Irish Minister in every Irish Government from 1933 - 1948, including being Minister for Justice in 1939 when the party first took on the original "Anti - Treaty Irregular / I.R.A" supporters and Desmond Foley was to be another who "resigned" from the Fianna Fail Party this year. 

February 28th: In the Irish Republic Jack Lynch the Fianna Fail Government's Primer Minister called an "election" and the Fianna Fail Party after 16 years in Government was to be "defeated" narrowly under his leadership, losing 6 seats, and were now down to 68 seats from their 1969 high of 74 while the Fine Gael Party won 54 seats, increasing their total by 4 since 1969, and the Irish Labour Party also went up by 1 to 19 seats in the  same period, but despite his "defeat, " Jack Lynch still stayed on as the "Opposition" Fianna Fail Party leader.

     In the Irish Republic, Liam Cosgrave, who was anti - IRA, the son of William T. Cosgrave who had been the first Taoiseach / Prime Minister of the Irish Free State in 1922,, was now the "leader" of the new Fine Gael Coalition Government and the Irish Labour Party, and just like his father he now became the Prime Minister of the Irish Republic and they were to drop the Irish language "subject" from the Leaving Certificate and also "publicly renewed" their "claim" for the return of the 6 Counties "artificially partitioned"" from the 9, Counties in 1922 by the British Imperial Coalition Government, in the Ulster Province and Patrick Cooney whobecame the new Minister for Justice in the Fine Gael Coalition Government introduced a "tough" civil law and order policy to combat the "Anti - Treaty I.R.A." Connor Cruise O Brien was also anti - I.R.A.     

     In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, still under the control of  the British Conservative Government, John Hume and Gerry Fitt from the S.D.L. Party met with the British Conservative Government still under Edward Heath for the power there to be "shared," and for "one man, one vote," which was "totally rejected" by the Ascendancy Unionists, so the British Conservative Government to send them a message "dissolved" the Derry Corporation and also "disarmed" the Ascendancy "Official" Unionist R.U.C police, and their "B Special" police were also "disbanded."

March 8th: In the 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, still under the control of  the British Conservative Government, a poll was carried out on this date by the British Conservative Government, but only 57% voted, with 1% against the 6 Counties remaining in with the United Kingdom, and as a result the "Anti - Treaty P.I.R.A. / Provisional IRA" set off 2 bombs in London where 200 people were injured.

March 20th:  In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, still under the control of  the British Imperial Government, the British Conservative Government issued a White Paper proposing a 78 Member Assembly for representatives to be "elected" on a "proportional representation" Executive, with a mandatory proportion for the main "Opposition Party" with ties to the Dublin Irish Republic Government through a Council of Ireland.

May:  In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, still under the control of  the British Conservative Government, there was a Unionist two day "strike" by 200,000 Unionist workers, against the proposal for a Council of Ireland to be formed with the 6 Counties in Ulster Province and the 26 Counties in the Irish Republic, were it was intended to "share" the power of government under the Sunningdale Agreement. 

June 28th: In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, 78 members were "elected" for the Assembly, that would once again be dominated by the Ascendancy "Official" Unionist Party with 23 seats, with the Rev. Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party winning 11 seats, and his Ascendancy coalition partner Sir William Craig winning 4, seats with other sundry Unionists winning 12, seats the "moderate" Unionist Alliance Party won 8, seats the S.D.L. Party / Social Democratic Labour Party won 19, seats the N.I. Labour Party won only 1, and the Republican Clubs none. This all meant that Brian Faulkner who was still the leader of the Ascendancy "Official" Unionist Party would have to combine with the Catholic S.D.L. Party, and there was no chance of that, so Direct Rule was continued on.

Late Summer: British Military Forces captured some "Anti - Treaty I.R.A." leaders and the "Anti - Treaty Provos" stepped up their "attacks" on the Ascendancy "Official" Unionist R.U.C. stations.

       In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, still under the control of  the British Conservative Government, a "Border" referendum was also held with the Unionist population in these 6 Counties in Ulster Province at least at 66% of the overall population there, and out of these, 58% voted to remain in the Union with only 1% for a United Ireland.with the Catholic vote only 33% of the population, and all up 41% overall didn't even bother to vote at all, as they were well aware that they were well and truly "outnumbered" anyway.

August 3rd: In the Irish Republic, Eamonn Mac Thomas the editor of "An Phoblacht" was given 15 months "imprisonment" for being a member of the "Anti - Treaty I.R.A". while the "Anti - Treaty I.R.A." in England was conducting a "campaign" there under the banner of the Clann na Eireann for the "re - unification" of Ireland. 

August 11th: In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, still under the control of  the British Conservative Government, 20 "Anti - Treaty I,R.A." members attacked Crossmaglen "Official" Unionist R.U.C. stations. William Whitelaw the British Conservative Government representative then began "releasing" internees when the violence "stopped" and reduced it if increased. 2 of the Peoples Democratic leaders, Michael Farrell and Tony Canavan were "imprisoned" for carrying out a "demonstration" over "Internment Without Trial," and went on a "hunger strike" at Crumlin Road Prison and "rallies" were held to support their stand and some of these were "violent." William Whitelaw then "released" them and 100 others and the Peoples' Democracy set up a Political Hostages Release Committee and were joined by the Provisional Sinn Fein Party and the N.I.C.R.A., the Republican Clubs and other interested organizations, but the "Provisional Sinn Fein" wanted support for their "violence" campaign, but the others were "not" interested. 

October 31st: In the Irish Republic the "Anti - Treaty Provos" hijacked a helicopter and its pilot and had it land in Mountjoy Jail and Seamus Twomey, Kevin Mallon and J.B. O Hagan "escaped" who were 3 of the "Anti - Treaty I.R.A." leaders.

      In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, still under the control of  the British Conservative Government, William Whitelaw was still trying to get an Assembly up and running and he had finally persuaded Brian Faulkner and the S.D.L. Party / Social Democratic Labour Party to work together.

November 4th: In the Irish Republic, Neil Blaney and Paudge Brennan were "expelled" from the "Opposition" Fianna Fail Party still under the leadership of Jack Lynch for not supporting James Gibbons in a vote of "no confidence" by the "Opposition," while Charles Haughey had been among those who had voted in the "positive."

November 15th: In the 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, still under the control of  the British Conservative Government, the Assembly organized by William Whitelaw came together, which "upset" many of the Irish Catholics as it appeared to them that the S.D.L Party / Social Democratic Labour Party had given up their stand on "Internment without Trial" and would only become a "minority" in the Ascendancy "Official" Unionist administration, while the followers of the Rev. Ian Paisley and Sir William Craig physically attacked Brian Faulkner's followers in the Assembly and the Ascendancy "Official" Unionist R.U.C. police had to be called. The "Anti - Treaty I.R.A." was now under the "eadership" of Michael Mac Verry, who was only 23 year old, who was also in control of the 1st South Armagh Battalion and they attacked the "Official"" Unionist R.U.C Barracks at Keady in Co. Armagh.

December 6th - 9th: An Agreement was reached at Sunningdale by the Irish Republic Government with the British Conservative Government to set up a Power Sharing Executive, on the basis that Ireland was "one island," and this step was to also establish a link between Belfast and Dublin towards Irish Unity and Peace and in attendance was Brian Faulkner's Unionists, the Alliance Party. the S.D.L. Party, and the Irish Republic Government led by Brian Cosgrave and the Fine Gael Party, which had "defeated" Jack Lynch  a few months earlier and were more "sympathetic" to the British Imperial Government's views. Over the 3 days Brian Cosgrave declared this was the "first stage" of "one" government for Ireland and a cross border Anglo / Irish Commission was set up to examine cross border "security" co - operation, including "extradition" from the south to the north and it was signed by William Whitelaw the British appointed Secretary of State in these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province in Ireland, who was "recalled" the next day back to England. 

December 9th:  In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, still under the control of  the British Conservative Government, the Unionist "factions" there formed themselves into the United Ulster Unionist Council / U.U.U.C to try and restore the previous "overall control" of the Ascendancy in these 6 Counties in Ulster Province and the Constitution was also "changed" to a more democratic, "A majority of the people should consent," as against the 1949 Act that stated the, "Parliament should consent," to a United Ireland. The Unionist Freedom Fighters / U.F.F. and the Unionist Red Hand Commandos connected to the U.V.F were also now "outlawed" for terrorism for "killing" Irish Catholics, while the Unionist Defence Association there remained "legal." General Sir Harry Tuzo who had been the British Imperial Military Army G.O.C. since 1971 during the "worst violence" came to firmly believe that there would be "no military solution," but only a "political" one.

December 25th: In the Irish Republic Constitution "no one" could be sent "nort" if it was "politically" motivated and the "Anti - Treaty Provos" were also naturally against it, while the Unionist Party "rejected" the Sunningdale Agreement altogether.

     In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, still under the control of  Edward Heath and the British Conservative Government, an Election was to be held, and the "ban" was removed on the Republican Clubs as the "Official Anti - Treaty  I.R.A." was no longer involved in "violence," and the political "Provisional Sinn Fein Party" put up their own proposition for a United Ireland with "one" parliament of 150 members, with "half" elected by "proportional representation," and the others from 4 Regional Parliaments based in the 4 Provinces. They wanted a 4 Province Federation to protect the Irish citizens from exploitation. The "Provisional Anti - Treaty IRA / Provos" were to continue on with their attacks, which included many "innocent" victims, and they also tried to "persuade" the Irish Catholics to "boycott" the elections, which really only had an effect in the areas of the Bogside, Creggan and the Falls. In the second half of this year the "Official Sinn Fein Party's" intentions were more clear cut as they wanted to "broaden" their political base.  

      In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, still under the control of the British Conservative Government, I,250 more people had met with a "violent death."

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