1965 - 1967 AD

1965 In the Irish Republic, Roger Casement's remains were finally returned to Ireland from England, and were placed in the Glasnevin Cemetery near Dublin the capital of Ireland, were he was re - interred in the presence of a great crowd, which included Eamonn de Valera.  

January 14th: In the Irish Republic, the Fianna Fail Government was to capitalise on the Marxist - Communist factions within the Irish Labour Party in the years ahead up until 1969 to their advantage in the elections. Frank Aiken became the Tanaiste / Treasurer of the Irish Republic until 1969. Sean Lemass, the Irish Prime Minister / Taoiseach, who was the leader of the Fianna Fail Party, visited Terence O Neill the leader of the "Official" Unionist Stormont Government in Belfast in secret, to discuss economic matters of mutual interest in Ireland, which was to be the first meeting, between the Government of Ireland and the British installed "Official" Unionist Ascendancy Government in the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province by the British Imperial Coalition Government, since 1921. The Irish Nationalist elected M.P.'s for the 6 Counties partitioned in Ulster now decided to take up their places there in the Stormont Parliament for the first time, and try and make a difference, although the bases were well and truly loaded against them for doing so.

February: Terence O Neill the leader of the "Official" Unionist Stormont Parliament in the 6 Counties in the Ulster Province artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province by the British Imperial Government now met with Sean Lemass the Prime Minister of the Irish Republic in Dublin.

April:  In the Irish Republic, a General Election was held where the Fianna Fail Party under the leadership of Sean Lemass gained an overall majority and Jack Lynch now became his Minister for Finance, while the Opposition Fine Gael Party was able to gain a further 3 seats under their leader James Dillon who then resigned, and he was replaced by Liam Cosgrave, the son of William T. Cosgrave who had been the actual first Prime Minister / Taoiseach of Irish Free State after the British withdrawal from 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland. 

August: In the Irish Republic, with a British Labour Government now in Britain, under Harold Wilson, and with bruised Conservative Ascendancy egos now long gone, and as a sign of further normal relations with Britain, a British Government warship was now berthed at Waterford in Co. Waterford in the south - east of the Munster Province  during a visit.

December 14th: Another positive sign occurred when the Anglo - Irish Free Trade Agreement was signed in London under the auspices of Charles Haughey from the Fianna Fail Irish Government. Francis Mac Manus (1909 - 1965) the novelist, died this year.

1966 The Irish Republic population was now at 2,884,002 and the population in the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province was now at 1,484,775, which was the first increase in the population, which was up by 62,000.  Flann O Brien / Brian O Nolan (1911 - 1966) who grew up at Tullamore in Co. Offaly in the north - west of Southern Leinster, was to die this year.  

February: in the Irish Republic, anti - Treaty I.R.A members became active again when a telephone exchange was bombed in Co. Kilkenny in the south - west of Southern Leinster.

February: Terence O Neill the leader of the "Official" Unionist Stormont Government in the 6 artificially partitioned Counties from the 9 in the Ulster Province, met with Sean Lemass the Irish Prime Minister again in Dublin.

    In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Government and the "Official" Unionist Ascendancy Government, the Rev. Ian Paisley the hard - line religious extremist leader of the Free Presbyterian Church founded the non - Catholic "Telegraph" newspaper and denounced the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury for meeting with the Pope. He was also convicted again of an offence and imprisoned after he had pelted Terence O Neill the leader of the "Official" Unionist Government car with snow balls for talking to Jack Lynch the Minister of Finance in the Irish Republic. The reformed Unionist Volunteer Force / U.V.F., set up originally against Irish Home Rule in 1920, made a further return to the scene, declaring war on the I.R.A although it was now inactive, and because of their continuing "siege mentality" they introduced sabotage and assassination and would go on to be the second largest sectarian divisive organization in these 6 Counties in Ulster. At this stage it was their intention to try and disrupt any further talks between Terence O Neill the "Official" Unionist leader of these 6 Counties in Ulster and Jack Lynch from the Irish Republic, and after they also carried out 3 sectarian murders, Terence O Neill then "outlawed" them and placed some of their leaders in prison.        

March: In the Irish Republic, the anti Treaty I.R.A were now active again, detonating Nelson's Pillar in Dublin, which had been erected in 1808 AD after the Battle of Trafalgar to represent British Imperial Empire power in Ireland.

April: In the Irish Republic, this was the celebration year for the 50th Anniversary of the Irish 1916 Easter Rising against the British Imperial Empire in Dublin, that had led on to Irish Independence in 26 of the 32 Counties in Ireland from the 750 years of repression and oppression by successive English and their British Imperial Governments.

     In the Irish Republic, the Fine Gael Party put up Thomas O Higgins, the nephew of Kevin O Higgins who had been assassinated in 1927, to be their choice as the new President of Ireland against the now 84 year old Eamonn de Valera who never the less won the position with 1,000,000 votes with a 20,000 vote majority. Paddy the Cope Gallagher, died this year, aged 92, in Co. Donegal in the north - west of the Ulster Province in the Irish Republic, were he had previously made a contribution by establishing a Co - operative. The Republican Clubs had grown stronger and Tomas Mac Giolla who was now the President of the political Sinn Fein Party pledged to try and win a political majority in the Dail Eireann / Irish Parliament within 5 years.

April: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Government and the "Official" Unionist Ascendancy Government, Eddie Mac Ateer the leader of the political Irish Nationalists who were now sitting in the Stormont Parliament, after they had been encouraged to join in by the talks that were now occurring between the 2 leaders of the British Imperial Government's artificially divided Ireland. The Central Housing Authority and reorganization of Local Government, was also begun as another positive step. Frank Mac Manus became the political Republican Unity Party M.P. for Co. Fermanagh and South Tyrone. As it was now the 50th Anniversary of the Irish 1916 Easter Uprising against the British Imperial Empire in Dublin and the "Official" Unionist Stormont Government were expecting trouble and they closed the railway to Dublin for 3 days at the artificial border and put their "B" Special police on alert, but nothing happened. Meanwhile there was another positive step when Terence O Neill the Prime Minister allowed the celebration in the 6 Counties in Ulster to commemorate it, also take place.

May: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Government and the "Official" Unionist Ascendancy Government, in opposition to all of the positive goodwill that was now occurring, the Unionist Volunteer Force U.V.F,  that had been originally set up against Irish Home Rule and ceased to exist in 1920, but had by now been assumed by a new group who had recently took up that name also, and declared war on the I.R.A who were at this time still inactive. They said they would execute any I.R.A member that they found, and to show their continuing "siege mentality" commitment they began to carry out sectarian murders on the Irish Catholic population, all of whom were not in any way involved with the I.R.A anyway. A petrol bomb was also thrown into an Irish Catholic bar on the Shankhill Road in Belfast, which actually caused burns to a non - Catholic woman who lived next door.      

June: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Government and the "Official" Unionist Ascendancy Government, the Rev. Ian Paisley, the hard - line religious extremist, led his fanatical followers to the Presbyterian General Assembly being conducted in the Ulster Province and created riots there. Gerry Fitt who was the Irish Westminster Labour M.P. for West Belfast in the Ulster Province was made a Life Peer by the British Labour Government and lost his seat to the young rising star, Gerry Adams who was to become the leader of the political Provisional Sinn Fein Party, which was to make a great difference in the lives of the people in these 6 Counties and civil affairs in general in the north.  

August: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Government and the "Official" Unionist Ascendancy Government, Kevin Agnew, a solicitor and an Irish Republican from Derry in Co. Derry in the north - west of the Ulster Province, called a meeting of civil rights activists there, and the Civil Rights Movement was on its way in the north.

September: In the Irish Republic, Sean Lemass, who was now 66 years of age resigned as the Taoiseach / Prime Minister, and he was replaced by Jack Lynch who also followed on from his previous approach to having across the artificial border talks with the "Official" Unionist Stormont Government in the north, and George Colley who he had defeated for the same position by 59 votes to 19  became his Minister for Industry & Commerce.

November: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Government and the "Official" Unionist Ascendancy Government, a Public Meeting was held in Maghera / Machaire Ratha / The Plain of the Ring Forts were Cathal Goulding who was now the "Official" I.R.A leader attended as an observer, and he pledged the I,R.A's support for the Civil Rights Movement in the north, and despite his personal attitude of socialist reform and trying to work within the system, not all of the I.R.A members were in agreement with him.

December: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Government and the "Official" Unionist Ascendancy Government, the National Democratic Party for Civil Rights was now officially begun to try and bring in reform for all of the population in these 6 Counties in Ulster.

1967 In the Irish Republic, Tourism was a growing industry, as the receipts for the Irish Republic grew to $160,000,000.  Butler, who was now the 6th Marquis of Ormonde presented the Kilkenny Castle in Co. Kilkenny / Ossory in the south - west of Southern Leinster and part of the grounds, to the people of the Irish Republic. A funeral was held in Dublin for the remains of Dunne and O Sullivan, which had by now also been returned from England, where they had been executed there also by the British Imperial Coalition Government for the killing of the British Military commander, Sir Henry Wilson on June 22nd; 1922. 

       Cathal Goulding, the leader of the Official I.R.A, had previously spent 8 years in prison in England for carrying out a raid there, and while there he had become associated with Roy Johnston who introduced him to Socialism, and during the I.R.A service this year at the grave of Theobold Wolfe Tone, the founder of Irish Republicanism, in Bodenstown, he stated that they should now seek social and economic goals and give up physical violence. At this time Socialism was becoming predominant in the I.R.A ranks, and the Clann na Gael in America was also against any further use of violence in Ireland.

      Liam Cosgrave, was the leader of the political Opposition Fine Gael Party in the Irish Republic, and he would remain so until 1969. Garret Fitz Gerald from Dublin, who was another to become a future Irish Prime Minister, was now a Senator and the T.D. for East Dublin. The newly elected British Labour Government in England under Harold Wilson decided to finally revise the Anglo - Irish Free Trade Agreement. Ireland was vetoed for membership of the E.E.C / European Economic Community again, along with Britain, after a similar experience previously in 1963.

     In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province that were still under the control of the British Imperial Government and the "Official" Unionist Stormont Government, the Civil Rights Association / N.I.C.R.A. had been founded at Maghera in Co. Derry by a combined body of all the groups seeking Civil Rights there made up of Irish Catholics and non - Catholics. Their aims were for; a single non transferable vote, redrawing of electoral boundaries, fairer allocation of public housing, anti - discrimination laws, a Government Ombudsman for citizen's complaints, repeal of the Special Powers Act , and abandonment of the "B" Special police. They also took up the song of the Civil Rights in America of, "We shall overcome."

      Due to the blatant gerrymandering, still occurring in these 6 Counties in the Ulster Province, only 694,483 persons had the right to vote in the elections there in the north, and in the Co. Fermanagh elections, for the 3 seats of Enniskillen, Lis na Skea and South Co. Fermanagh, for the Stormont Parliament. While there where 29,400 Irish Catholics and 23,500 Unionist voters the "Official" Unionists due to the loaded bases once again gained 2 of the seats and the Irish Nationalists only 1.  (It was recorded that only 4% of the Irish Catholics in the north, at this time, intended to vote Unionist.) In the Local Government elections, also due to the blatant gerrymandering, the "Official" Unionists gained 26 seats and the Irish Nationalists only 6, while in Derry where there were 36,049 Catholic Irish and only 17,695 Unionists voters the "Official" Unionist candidates were still able to win the election. In the Local elections there where only 9,235 Unionist voters, but due to the same gerrymandering, they were still able to take 12 of the seats as against the greater number of 14,325 Catholic Irish voters who could win only 8.

January: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Government and the "Official" Unionist Ascendancy Government, the University students from the People's Democracy Association held a Civil Rights march, but were attacked by a Unionist mob with sticks and clubs, who were under the control of the Rev. Ian Paisley the hard - line religious extremist, who was the leader of the Free Presbyterian Church group there.

December 11th: Jack Lynch the Prime Minister / Taoiseach of the Irish Republic had another meeting with Terence O Neill the "Official" Unionist Stormont leader, this time at the Stormont Parliament in Belfast in Co. Antrim in the north - east of the Ulster Province.

   In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Government and the "Official" Unionist Ascendancy Government, because of the positive vibes being received now the Irish Nationalist Party members had decided to enter the Stormont Parliament, but the political Sinn Fein Party still continued their boycott there, and also that of the Dail Eireann in the Irish Republic, along with the British Westminster Parliament. Sean Mac Caughey decided to resign as the vice - President of the political Sinn Fein Party and started an Irish Union movement to try and bring about the re - unification of the 32 Counties of Ireland.

     The Clann na Eireann / Family of Ireland was now to set up in England to try to combine all of the Irish Associations also over there working for the same end.

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