Northern Ireland: Image or Substance?

Abstract

When Callaghan became Home Secretary, Northern Ireland was the least of his concerns; it was not even an important part of his portfolio. That all changed by the summer of 1969, when the peaceful civil rights protests of a year earlier gave way to rioting in the streets of Londonderry and Belfast. As the violence between elements of the Catholic and Protestant populations worsened that August, the Guardian “vigorously” opposed the idea of sending British troops to restore order. It warned that any such deployment to the British province would be “foolish” and amount to “embarking on a commitment to which there is no visible end”.¹ The newspaper viewed the Troubles from an historical perspective and understood the unusual nature of the partition of Ireland, which had never been satisfactorily resolved in the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 that ended the war between the Irish and the British and led to the eventual establishment of the Irish Republic. On the other hand, Callaghan’s outlook was less circumspect. He understandably was focused more on immediate concerns, both in dealing with the rioting and in keeping the issue firmly in his control. Even though he had had no interest “at all” in Northern Ireland prior to becoming Home Secretary,² he was the one key member of the Cabinet who was the least resistant to calling in the troops.