1974 AD
"Sean Mac Bride / Amnesty International / Nobel Peace Prize"
1974 AD January: In
the 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the
9 Counties in the Ulster Province,
and still under British Conservative Government control,
the
Power
- Sharing Executive Government introduced there under the
Sunningdale
Agreement, which was to include the
Irish Nationals
and those
78 previously "elected," was put into operation
to also incorporate the other 26 Counties of the
Irish Republic
and
Ivar Cooper
was appointed the
Minister for Community Affairs and
Sir
William Craig the
Minister
for Home Affairs.
January 22nd: In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9.Counties in the Ulster Province, Brian Faulkner the previous Ascendancy "Official"" Unionist Prime Minister was forced to "resign" from the Ascendancy "Official" Unionist Party and was succeeded by another hard - liner in Harry West, but he would go on to form a "new" Unionist Party of his own with support from the other Unionists who wanted to see further "progress" made in these 6 Counties in Ulster Province.
23rd: In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, the "Official " Unionists "walked out" of the Stormont Assembly in Belfast in Co. Antrim.
A helicopter was "hijacked" to attack an Ascendancy R.U.C police station at Strabane and they dropped 2 milk cans filled with "explosives" on it, but missed their target.
February: Edward Heath the British Conservative Prime Minister called a General Election, and Harold Wilson and the Labour Party once again become the British Labour Government and would be in power until 1976, and Merlin Rees was appointed to oversee these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, while 11 of the 12 seats for the Westminster Parliament were won by the Ulster Unionist / U.U.U. Council members who were "opposed" to any type of "power sharing" there with the only pro - Sunningdale Agreement member being elected was Gerry Fitt from the S.D.L. Party / Social Democratic Labour Party, as both Bernadette Devlin and Frank Mac Manus lost their seats. The new Labour Government in Britain tried to "scare" the Unionists into taking up their seats in the Stormont Assembly offering "concessions" to the "Anti - Treaty I.R.A." with pressure to "withdraw" British Government Military Forces from thse 6 Counties in the Ulster Province because of the "Official" Unionist "intransigence."
April: In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, Merlyn Rees the British Labour Government's overseerer intended to make the "political" Provisional Sinn Fein Party "legal" along with the U.V.F / Ulster Volunteer Force and review the "Diplock Courts."
May 10th: In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, Brendan Hughes who was now the "Anti - Treaty I.R.A." leader was "arrested" in Belfast with plans to carry out major attacks there in Belfast.
The U.Unionist.U. Council intended to put forward a motion in the Stormont Assembly to "tear up" the Sunningdale Agreement and the Ulster Workers' Council declared there would be a strike if their motion was not passed.
In the Irish Republic, Sean MacBride was a "founder" member and Chairman of Amnesty International, and the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Robert Childers Barton, who had fought for Irish Independence in 1922, died at Annamoe in Co. Wicklow in the south - east of Southern Leinster, aged 97.
Carroll O Daly / Cearbhall O Dalaigh, became the President of Ireland after the death of the younger Erskine Childers, and was to retain this position until 1976.
May 14th: In the 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, the motion to do away with the Sunningdale Agreement was "defeated" with the assistance of Brian Faulkner's "new" Unionist Party (that had been formed after he previously overall lost the leadership of the "Official" Unionist Party). the S.D.L. Party and the Alliance Party.
May 15th: In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, the Unionist Workers Council called a "strike" against the "improved" conditions for the, "Irish White Niggers"/ Irish Catholics (which was to bring about the "collapse" of the Power Sharing Executive, and for the British Labour Government to once again bring back Direct Rule, as the Power Sharing Executive Council in these 6 Counties in Ulster Province was "disbanded" due to the ongoing "intransigence" of the hard - line Ascendancy Unionists. Although the British Labour Government already had 16,500 troops in the 6 Counties in Ulster Province they sent over more now in "anticipation" of further trouble.
May 21st: In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, the Trade Unions organized "back to work" marches, but had very few supporters.
Brian Faulkner, Gerry Fitt and Oliver Napier an Alliance Party leader, flew to London to try and have the British Army utilized to break the strike, but the British Labour Government "refused" and Merlyn Rees also "refused" to negotiate with the U.W./ Unionist Workers Council.
May 28th: In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, Brian Faulkner "resigned" from the executive of his "new" Unionist Party and the remainder of his followers "quit" the same day and the Stormont Assembly was "shut down" and Direct Rule from the British Labour Government was continued on and in the "Elections" the U.U.U. C won 46 seats out of the 78 seats, with the S.D.L. Party / Social Democratic Labour Party winning 17 seats and the Alliance Party winning 8 seats and the U.U.U. C Party went back to what it used to be with "no" sharing.
June 31st: Michael Gaughan an "Anti - Treaty I.R.A." prisoner died in Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight while on a "hunger strike" and after being force fed. with others also there on a "hunger strike" and the Irish Republicans were up in arms, as this also included 2 sisters, Marion and Diolun Price for 206 days, and 4 days after Michael Gaughan's death the British Labour Government transferred them to the 6 Counties still under their control in the Ulster Province.
July: A British Labour Government "White Paper" was produced for the "election" of a Constitutional Convention who would draw up their "own ideas" for government in these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, to include "power sharing," but still, with a Westminster "veto" over any proposals, but only the "Anti - Treaty Provos" reacted by carrying out "bombings" in London and Birmingham in England.
September 16th: In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, 2 judges were shot by Rory Conaghan and Martin Mac Birney in Belfast.
October 15th: In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, there was a "riot" at the Maze Prison near Belfast where the Republican prisoners attacked the prison guards wounding 3 and set fire to the buildings.
October 16th: In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, the governor of the Womens' prison in Armagh in Co. Armagh was "kidnapped" and held for 24 hours in protest of the prison "conditions" there and the "Anti - Treaty I.R.A." launched fresh bombing raids in England at Guilford near Aldershot, and Woolwich near London and 7 people were "killed."
November 14th: James Mac Dade from the "Anti - Treaty I.R.A." blew himself up when planting a "bomb" in Coventry in England.
November 17th: Daithi O Connell from the "Anti - Treaty I.R.A." appeared on the T.V. and advised that the "bombings" that were being carried out in England were to be "intensified."
November 24th: In Birmingham in England 21 people were "killed" by 2 bombs and 120 were injured, and 6 innocent Irishmen were "jailed" after being arrested while boarding a ferry to go back home to the 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, and then physically assaulted, who it eventually turned out were "proven to be innocent" and were not involved at all.
The British Labour Government passed the Prevention of Terrorism Act where the police in England could refuse "entry" to anyone they liked and hold them for 48 hours "without" charges, which was to be extended to 7 days by the British Home Secretary.
December: In the 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, and still under the control of the British Labour Government, the "Anti - Treaty Provos" continued on with their campaign, and the "Official Anti - Treaty I.R.A." also held a conference in Dublin in the Irish Republic and Bernadette Devlin / Mac Aliskey and Seamus Costello walked out with their group as they were "against "the previous actions of holding to the particular Goulding line and formed the "political" Irish Republican Socialist Party / I.R.S. Party.
December 10th: In the Irish Republic, Seamus Twomey, Kevin Mallon, J.B. O Hagan, Ruairi O Bradaigh, Seamus Loughran, Bill Mac Kee, Daithi O Connell and Maire Drumm who were the "Anti - Treaty I.R.A. Provisional" leaders, who were now feeling the "pressure" met "secretly" with William Arlow, a non - Catholic clergyman at Feakle in Co. Clare in the north - west of the Munster Province, where they declared a "ceasefire" until January 2nd 1975 in the 6 Counties in Ulster Province.
Austin Clarke who was born in 1896 the Irish poet, died this year.
December 19th: In the 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, and still under the control of the British Labour Government who entered into negotiations by "removing" compensation to families of the victims of "Bloody Sunday" previously carried out in Derry.
December 20th: In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, and still under the control of the British Labour Government, the "Anti - Treaty Provos" declared a "ceasefire" for 11 days beginning on the 23rd and along with William Arlow from Feakle they urged further "detention releases" from the Maze Prison and 20 men were to be set "free" on December 31st and because of the releases the "Anti - Treaty Provos" extended the ceasefire for another 2 weeks and the British Military Forces were to keep a low profile.
In the these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, Merlyn Rees the British Labour Government's representative there, said he would "respond" if the cease fire held up.
Another 216 people were "killed" in these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province this year..