On This Day / June 14, 1971
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
June 14, 2021
Publication Date
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Summary: On This Day – 14th June 1971, Orangemen clashed with troops in Dungiven after defying a parade ban while community leaders examined the social problems facing Ballymurphy. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Orangemen Repulsed | On This Day – 14th June 1971
ORANGEMEN battled with riot troops and police, several soldiers were injured, rubber bullets and gas canisters were fired by the Army into the crowd and four arrests were made in Dungiven yesterday when an attempt was made to force a parade through the town in defiance of a Stormont ban.
One of those arrested was the Rev William McCrea, minister in Magherafelt Free Presbyterian Church.
At one time Mr McCrea was crouched on the pavement, menaced by the uplifted baton of a Scottish soldier.
Barbed wire barricades were ripped away by enraged Orangemen when they tackled troops of the Royal Scots Regiment.
There were as many soldiers and police in the town as there were Orangemen. In defiance of the Government ban, a thousand Orangemen gathered, determined to break through the ranks of the Army and police – but they did not succeed.
The leaders of the Orangemen approached the Army and sought to be allowed through but the request was turned down.
Some of the Orangemen then charged the first line of police and burst through.
They then ripped away barbed wire barricades to get at the Royal Scots.
The confrontation, which lasted for some time, took on a more serious aspect when some of the crowd ran down to the banks of the River Roe and hurled rocks at the troops.
Three soldiers were injured and the troops retaliated by firing four CS gas canisters.
Rubber bullets were fired into the crowd to disperse it. It was then that Rev McCrea was arrested.
Ballymurphy’s Problems Analysed
A MORE hopeful prospect for the future of the people of Ballymurphy ‘who are more sinned against than sinning’ was drawn by Dr Patrick Conway, PP when he spoke at the official opening of the magnificent church of Corpus Christi in the estate.
Dr Conway said there were three main sources of the troubles. The estate was built in a hurry with a lack of planning. There was widespread unemployment.
The new residents suffered from the social problems that are common to new estates.
‘There was an absence of community spirit,’ he said. ‘There was a difficulty in securing acceptance and integration into the existing community of west Belfast.’
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Orangemen found it ironic that a senior member and the leader of their 1950s march down the nationalist Longstone Road in south Down had suppressed the attempt to trail the coat in Dungiven.
Faulkner was already planning to balance his decision – by introducing internment without trial.
‘Ballymurphy’ had become a by-word for nightly clashes between Catholic youths and British troops.)
On This Day – 14th June 1971
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.