On This Day / October 9, 1970
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19701009
Reference Date
19701009
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 9th October 1970, Oliver Napier warned that unity meant poverty for workers, as cabinet contingency plans and the Ulster ’71 festival were unveiled. Edited by historian Dr Éamon Phoenix.
Unity Means Poverty | On This Day – 9th October 1970
Mr Oliver Napier of the Alliance Party has challenged politicians advocating a United Ireland to tell the truth about what it would mean – especially to people such as ‘the Catholic workers and the Catholic unemployed’.
For them, he said, it would be ‘a descent into abject poverty and, in due course, the immigrant ship’.
Speaking at a meeting of Duncairn Alliance, Mr Napier said: ‘It is time that those who advocate a United Ireland explain to their supporters the economic realities of their political goal.
“If they are honest, Nationalists will explain that a United Ireland will require a great financial sacrifice.
“The affluent Catholic middle class living on the Malone Road can afford to make these sacrifices.
“But the sacrifice which would be demanded of the Catholic workers and the Catholic unemployed will be a descent into abject poverty.’
Irish Army ‘Invasion’
Contingency plans which included the possibility of limited incursion by the Irish Army into the North, possibly as far as Derry, were discussed by the Dublin Cabinet after the rioting in the North in August and September last year.
So said the former Minister for Justice, Mr Michael O Morain on the third day of the new arms conspiracy trial.
He revealed that the Cabinet decided to prepare contingency plans and these were left to the then Minister for Defence, James Gibbons and the former finance Minister, Charles Haughey who were to work on them together.
Mr O Morain said there were several officers of the Special Branch operating in NI in the autumn of last year.
Ulster ’71
Detailed plans for Ulster ’71 – the ‘Northern Ireland Festival’ – were announced yesterday at Chamber of Commerce House, Belfast.
Sir Cecil Bateman announced that Ulster ’71 would include a huge 37-acre Expo style exhibition and exhibition park in Belfast – the biggest ever seen here.
There will be a series of Festival Fortnights in towns and villages throughout NI.
Allied to this will be an unprecedented tourist drive throughout the world. ‘In other words, something for everyone to share in.’
The primary aim of Ulster ’71 is to interest industrialists and tourists in the North.
But, in addition to its serious side, Ulster ’71 ‘will give everyone an opportunity to relax, enjoy himself or herself and have a little fun’.
[Editor’s note: ‘Ulster ’71’ was the Unionist government’s logo for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Northern Ireland State.
In the event the campaign’s catchy jingle, ‘Ulster ’71, Come and Join in the Fun’ coincided with internment and bloodshed on the streets of Belfast and Derry.]
On This Day – 9th October 1970
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19701009
Reference Date
19701009
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 9th October 1970, Oliver Napier warned that unity meant poverty for workers, as cabinet contingency plans and the Ulster ’71 festival were unveiled. Edited by historian Dr Éamon Phoenix.
Unity Means Poverty | On This Day – 9th October 1970
Mr Oliver Napier of the Alliance Party has challenged politicians advocating a United Ireland to tell the truth about what it would mean – especially to people such as ‘the Catholic workers and the Catholic unemployed’.
For them, he said, it would be ‘a descent into abject poverty and, in due course, the immigrant ship’.
Speaking at a meeting of Duncairn Alliance, Mr Napier said: ‘It is time that those who advocate a United Ireland explain to their supporters the economic realities of their political goal.
“If they are honest, Nationalists will explain that a United Ireland will require a great financial sacrifice.
“The affluent Catholic middle class living on the Malone Road can afford to make these sacrifices.
“But the sacrifice which would be demanded of the Catholic workers and the Catholic unemployed will be a descent into abject poverty.’
Irish Army ‘Invasion’
Contingency plans which included the possibility of limited incursion by the Irish Army into the North, possibly as far as Derry, were discussed by the Dublin Cabinet after the rioting in the North in August and September last year.
So said the former Minister for Justice, Mr Michael O Morain on the third day of the new arms conspiracy trial.
He revealed that the Cabinet decided to prepare contingency plans and these were left to the then Minister for Defence, James Gibbons and the former finance Minister, Charles Haughey who were to work on them together.
Mr O Morain said there were several officers of the Special Branch operating in NI in the autumn of last year.
Ulster ’71
Detailed plans for Ulster ’71 – the ‘Northern Ireland Festival’ – were announced yesterday at Chamber of Commerce House, Belfast.
Sir Cecil Bateman announced that Ulster ’71 would include a huge 37-acre Expo style exhibition and exhibition park in Belfast – the biggest ever seen here.
There will be a series of Festival Fortnights in towns and villages throughout NI.
Allied to this will be an unprecedented tourist drive throughout the world. ‘In other words, something for everyone to share in.’
The primary aim of Ulster ’71 is to interest industrialists and tourists in the North.
But, in addition to its serious side, Ulster ’71 ‘will give everyone an opportunity to relax, enjoy himself or herself and have a little fun’.
[Editor’s note: ‘Ulster ’71’ was the Unionist government’s logo for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Northern Ireland State.
In the event the campaign’s catchy jingle, ‘Ulster ’71, Come and Join in the Fun’ coincided with internment and bloodshed on the streets of Belfast and Derry.]
On This Day – 9th October 1970
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19701009
Reference Date
October 9, 2020
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 9th October 1970, Oliver Napier warned that unity meant poverty for workers, as cabinet contingency plans and the Ulster ’71 festival were unveiled. Edited by historian Dr Éamon Phoenix.
Unity Means Poverty | On This Day – 9th October 1970
Mr Oliver Napier of the Alliance Party has challenged politicians advocating a United Ireland to tell the truth about what it would mean – especially to people such as ‘the Catholic workers and the Catholic unemployed’.
For them, he said, it would be ‘a descent into abject poverty and, in due course, the immigrant ship’.
Speaking at a meeting of Duncairn Alliance, Mr Napier said: ‘It is time that those who advocate a United Ireland explain to their supporters the economic realities of their political goal.
“If they are honest, Nationalists will explain that a United Ireland will require a great financial sacrifice.
“The affluent Catholic middle class living on the Malone Road can afford to make these sacrifices.
“But the sacrifice which would be demanded of the Catholic workers and the Catholic unemployed will be a descent into abject poverty.’
Irish Army ‘Invasion’
Contingency plans which included the possibility of limited incursion by the Irish Army into the North, possibly as far as Derry, were discussed by the Dublin Cabinet after the rioting in the North in August and September last year.
So said the former Minister for Justice, Mr Michael O Morain on the third day of the new arms conspiracy trial.
He revealed that the Cabinet decided to prepare contingency plans and these were left to the then Minister for Defence, James Gibbons and the former finance Minister, Charles Haughey who were to work on them together.
Mr O Morain said there were several officers of the Special Branch operating in NI in the autumn of last year.
Ulster ’71
Detailed plans for Ulster ’71 – the ‘Northern Ireland Festival’ – were announced yesterday at Chamber of Commerce House, Belfast.
Sir Cecil Bateman announced that Ulster ’71 would include a huge 37-acre Expo style exhibition and exhibition park in Belfast – the biggest ever seen here.
There will be a series of Festival Fortnights in towns and villages throughout NI.
Allied to this will be an unprecedented tourist drive throughout the world. ‘In other words, something for everyone to share in.’
The primary aim of Ulster ’71 is to interest industrialists and tourists in the North.
But, in addition to its serious side, Ulster ’71 ‘will give everyone an opportunity to relax, enjoy himself or herself and have a little fun’.
[Editor’s note: ‘Ulster ’71’ was the Unionist government’s logo for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Northern Ireland State.
In the event the campaign’s catchy jingle, ‘Ulster ’71, Come and Join in the Fun’ coincided with internment and bloodshed on the streets of Belfast and Derry.]
On This Day – 9th October 1970
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
On This Day is a daily column in the Irish News looking back either 50 or 100 years. The column was compiled by Dr Éamon Phoenix from the mid 1980s until autumn, 2022. The Foundation is very grateful to the Irish News for giving permission to reproduce Eamon’s columns. Funding gratefully received from Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and the Magill Trust.
* The Foundation has worked hard to recreate Eamon’s distinctive voice through AI. Since this is an emerging technology, occasional imperfections may be audible.