1. Lecture 18
Northern Ireland : The Establishment and Consolidation of the State

2. 1. The Creation of Northern Ireland
2. Northern Ireland : Consolidation of the State
3. Security policy
4. Electoral Arrangements
5. Education
6. Economic development
7. Wartime Northern Ireland,

3. The 6 county state of Northern Ireland came into being as a devolved political entity under the terms of the Government of Ireland Act, 1920
It was later superseded as the basis for relations between Dublin and London with the
signing of the Anglo-Irish treaty. Its provisions for Northern Ireland remained.

4. The Government of Ireland Act (1920) Offered two Home Rule parliaments: one parliament for the 6 counties and another for the 26 counties It made provision for ultimate Irish unity Only local powers were granted Ultimate power remained in London

5. Northern Nationalists
Partition left northern nationalists a minority in the six county area
They became a minority subject to their unionist opponents
From the northern nationalist point of view temporary partition with direct rule from London would have been bad
Partition with local institutions dominated by unionists was the worst of all settlements

6. Lord Craigavon at Stormont with John Andrews

7. Sir James Craig at the opening of the Northern Ireland Parliament, 1922

8. The Parliament of Northern Ireland
The Northern Parliament: Senate and a House of Commons
A Governor for Northern Ireland appointed in 1922
The governor could summon, prorogue and dissolve parliament
Governor: power to give or withhold the royal assent to bills
Senate: modest powers to amend legislation
Senate: 2 ex-officio members, mayors of Belfast and Londonderry
& 24 elected members
House of Commons: 52 members elected for 5 years by PR, including 4 representatives from Queen’s University Belfast

9. ‘It was at least in part because of the Boundary Commission, delayed in its operation by the civil war in the south, by political instability in Britain and by non-cooperation in Belfast that the first four crucial years of NI were so divided, with Protestant determination moulding its every institution and Catholic aloofness refusing every opportunity to contribute.’ Harkness, Northern Ireland Since 1920 p36

10. Transfer of policing powers
Met with renewed nationalist activity and unionist militancy
Resulted in 27 deaths and 92 injuries in Northern Ireland between 19 and 15 November 1921
Clashes in December brought the death toll to 100 that year
Surge in recruitment to the UVF

11. Special Constabulary for Northern Ireland
Three categories
‘A’ – full-time and paid
‘B’ – part-time with an allowance
‘C’ – an unpaid reserve

12. The Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act 1922
Introduced on 15 March 1922
Introduced draconian emergency powers to search, arrest and detain without warrant, impose stiff penalties and indeed to suspend civil liberties when deemed necessary.
Initially passed for one year only, it was renewed annually until 1928, was renewed in that year for five years and in 1933 became permanent, until its abolition in 1972.

13. Local Government (Emergency Powers) Act
Introduced to the Northern parliament on 2 December 1921
Enabled the government to dissolve any local council which withheld recognition and co-operation and to replace it with a government appointed commissioner

14. Electoral Arrangements
Proportional Representation was abolished by legislation on 11 Sept 1922
It imposed a declaration of allegiance upon members and officials of local authorities
Enabled the reversion to old electoral areas and in some cases the redrawing of new, local electoral areas
Meant that unionists would be able to dominate local government
The number of nationalist controlled councils achieved in 1920 were reduced by half

15. Education Act (Northern Ireland) 1923
Wholly maintained schools completely paid for by local education authorities
4 and 2 schools to be managed by 4 representatives of the original owners and two of the new authorities. To receive teacher salaries, half running costs and discretionary capital grants
Voluntary schools independent of local education authorities’ control which were to recive teacher salaries sometimes half running costs from the rates but no capital grants

16. Social Welfare National Health Insurance Act (1922)
Eight Unemployment Insurance Acts ( )
Trade Boards Act (1923)
Industrial Assurance Act (1924)
Two Old Age Pension Acts (1925)

18. The aftermath of the Blitz, 15-16 April 1941

19. The devastated aircraft factory at Harland and Wolff
The devastated aircraft factory at Harland and Wolff. This area sustained huge damage in the raid of 7-8 April, 1941.