On This Day / June 9, 1971

Summary: On This Day – 9th June 1971, Stormont faced fierce opposition over plans for a full-time UDR while tensions grew over a banned Orange parade in Dungiven. Edited by Éamon Phoenix

UDR Opposed | On This Day – 9th June 1971

THE Prime Minister, Mr Brian Faulkner told Stormont yesterday that it was perfectly clear to the public that both the British and NI governments were quite determined to take any initiative they believed, as a result of security advice, to be right to bring the terrorist campaign to an end.

He was replying to a concentrated and heated protest by Opposition members against any proposal to set up a full-time armed battalion of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR).

Mr Gerry Fitt said that a kite was being flown by the Ministry of Defence.

He claimed that a new force would do nothing to bring about a more peaceful state.

Mr John Hume (SDLP) said there would be total opposition to the idea by members of his side of the House and he asked when would the PM ever learn that the solutions to the problems in NI were not and would never be military solutions.

Mr Robert Mitchell (Unionist) said the establishment of a full-time UDR was very welcome.

Two Soldiers Shot in Falls

TWO soldiers were wounded when four men opened fire with submachineguns at an Army post at Upper Falls, Belfast last night.

The post in Divis Drive is only a few yards from Andersonstown police station.

Dungiven Orangemen to Defy Ban

DUNGIVEN Orangemen will defy a parade ban next Sunday, according to their Worshipful Master, Mr William McFarlane.

Last night Mr McFarland said: ‘The march is still on as far as we are concerned’.

The march was banned yesterday after representatives of the Dungiven Lodge and Limavady District LOL met the PM, Mr Faulkner at Stormont and turned down his request to call it off.

Then Mr Faulkner, in his capacity as Minister of Home Affairs, said that the security forces had advised him that a procession of the nature contemplated through the town could lead to serious public order.

Stormont Team for Common Market

AS BRITAIN’S negotiations for entry into the Common Market reach the final stages, the Stormont government is making arrangements to send Ministers to Brussels to discuss issues of particular concern to the North.

Mr Faulkner said it was not for Stormont to decide whether NI goes in or not.

That was a national decision which will be taken for the whole of the UK by the Westminster Parliament.

(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: No-one knew it then but, within a month, the Nationalist opposition would have walked out of Stormont leaving it an exclusively Unionist assembly.

Faulkner’s decision – under pressure from Westminster – to ban a provocative Orange parade through Dungiven incurred the wrath of his right-wing and Ian Paisley.)

On This Day – 9th June 1971

Further Reading on Irish History:

List of other On This Day columns

Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive

About Eamon Phoenix

About the Eamon Phoenix Foundation