COLERAINE UNIVERSITY CONTROVERSY The issue of a second University in N-I came to the fore in the early 60s. This was for a number of reasons. 1) The expansion of second level education under the welfare state would mean more students finishing secondary schooling wishing to go on to third level education.

ISSUE COMES TO THE FORE 2) In 1960 in Stormont both a Nationalist (Eddie McAteer) and a Unionist (Edward Jones) MP for Derry City called for a second University to be set up in Derry They said Derry was the best place for a new University since it was the second largest city in N-I and there was already a third level college (Magee college) in Derry, although it could not award degrees.

LOCKWOOD SET UP In 1961 the ROBBINS REPORT ON HIGHER EDUCATION recommended that a second University should be set up. (The existing University was in Belfast – Queen’s University) The government then set up a committeE, chaired by Sir John Lockwood (Master of Birbeck College in London) to advise on whether a new University should be established. No Catholic was appointed to the committee.

DERRY HOPES It seemed that the campaign to have the University set up in Derry was supported by both sides of the community. The Unionist dominated corporation offered to make a contribution to the cost of setting up and running the University were it located in Derry. A cross community UNIVERSITY FOR DERRY ACTION COMMITTEE was formed and John Hume became its leader. (Beginning of his involvement in politics)

LOCKWOOD REPORT ( Feb 1965) Recommended establishing a second University. Recommended a site for the University even though it had been asked to do so in the original terms of reference. It rejected Armagh, Craigavon and Derry. Coleraine was out forward as the best site for the new university.

REPORT Coleraine was a small town 50km northeast of Derry was almost completely Unionist and Protestant. The report also went on to recommend that the Magee College should be closed down. It further stated that if Northern Ireland had to set up a third University it should be set up in Armagh City.

REACTION The report shocked the majority of people in Derry and caused huge anger. It confirmed for many that Derry and Catholic areas West of the Bann were be the victim of a sectarian bias by the Unionist controlled government. (Derry was over two thirds Catholic) Most people in Derry were outraged and determined to protest and push for the government to ignore the Lockwood recommendations.

MOTORCADE TO STORMONT The outraged people of Derry decided that there should be a demonstration organised at Stormont to protest before the government made a final decision on the location of the University. On the 18 th of February 2,000 vehicles and 25,000 people travelled to Stormont led by Eddie McAteer. Employers gave workers the day off and some paid expenses.

THE FACELESS MEN The next day O’Neill had a secret meeting with some Derry City Unionists who were against the idea of setting up the second University in their city. They did not want to see Magee college closed but were completely against the second university for Derry campaign. This was because they feared it would bring in lots of Catholic teachers and students and that this would threaten their control of the city council.

STORMONT DEBATE A debate was held in March that lasted 3 days. Even some members of the Unionist party expressed their disappointment with the governments support for the Lockwood recommendation. The party whip system was used and the decision to locate the university in Coleraine was passed by 27 votes to 19.

CRITICISM The Unionist party member Dr. Robert Nixon in May publicly stated the “faceless men” from Derry had lobbied against the siteing of the university in their city. He stated that he was horrified that the government had decided against Derry and that such a blatantly biased decision would make more and more Catholics strongly opposed to the Northern state and its government.

GOVERNMENT DETERMINED He was expelled from the Unionist party for expressing such critical views of the decision and the thinking behind it. The government refused to authorise an enquiry into the decision making process despite receiving a petition signed ny 15,000 people.

GOVERNMENT INFLUENCE Lockwood denied having been influenced by the government in any way but when government files were published 30 years later they showed that he had asked the government for its opinion on the matter prior to making his recommendations. What the government proposed was not contained in the files.