A mural by the Bogside Artists in Derry of a young boy in a gas mask holding a petrol bomb during the Battle of the Bogside, August 1969.

The Battle of the Bogside (Irish: Cath Thaobh an Phortaigh) was a very large communal riot between the mostly unarmed residents of the Bogside area of Derry city in Northern Ireland allied under the Derry Citizens Defence Association and the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Image:Mural - Battle of the bogside 2004 SMC.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Image:Mural - Battle of the bogside 2004 SMC.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Salle des illustres, ceiling painting, by Jean André Rixens. ... The Bogside Artists are a trio of mural painters, living and working in Northern Ireland. ... For other places with similar names, see Derry (disambiguation) and Londonderry (disambiguation). ... Teamsters, armed with pipes, riot in a clash with riot police in the Minneapolis Teamsters Strike of 1934. ... The Bogside is a nationalist neighbourhood outside the city walls of Derry, Northern Ireland. ... Northern Ireland (Irish: , Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a constituent country of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... The Derry Citizens Defence Association (DCDA), was an organisation set up in July 1969 in response to a perceived threat to the nationalist community of Derry in connection with the annual parade of the Apprentice Boys of Derry on 12 August. ... The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. ...

The rioting took place in Derry, Northern Ireland, 12 August-14 August 1969, after the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) attempted to disperse nationalists who were protesting a loyalist Apprentice Boys of Derry parade along the city walls, past the nationalist Bogside area of the city. Rioting continued for three days in the Bogside. The RUC were unable to enter the area, however and the British Army was deployed to restore order. The riot, which sparked widespread violence elsewhere in Northern Ireland, is commonly seen as one of the first major confrontations in the conflict known as The Troubles. For other places with similar names, see Derry (disambiguation) and Londonderry (disambiguation). ... Northern Ireland (Irish: , Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a constituent country of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 226th day of the year (227th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Unionists (Ireland). ... Apprentice Boys of Derry Crest The Apprentice Boys Of Derry are a Protestant fraternal society with a worldwide membership, founded in 1814. ... Irish nationalism refers to political movements that desire greater autonomy or the independence of Ireland from Great Britain. ... The Bogside is a nationalist neighbourhood outside the city walls of Derry, Northern Ireland. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... For other uses, see Troubles (disambiguation) and Trouble. ...

Background

Tensions had been building in Derry for over a year before the battle of the Bogside. In part, this was due to long standing grievances held by much of the city's population. Derry had a majority Catholic and Irish nationalist population but, after the partition of Ireland in 1921, had been ruled by the unionist government of Northern Ireland. Unionists maintained political control of Derry by two means. Firstly, they allocated public housing in such a way as to keep the Catholic population in a limited number of electoral wards, with the result that, despite casting more votes, nationalists returned only one candidate from Derry to the Northern Ireland Parliament, while unionists returned two. This housing policy had the additional effect of creating a housing shortage for Catholics. Secondly, only rate payers were entitled to vote in local elections. As Protestants tended to be richer than Catholics, this meant that unionists also controlled Derry's local government. Catholics also alleged discrimination in employment. An Irish nationalist is generally one who seeks (greater) independence of Ireland from Great Britain, including since 1921 the goal of a United Ireland. ... The Partition of Ireland took place in May 1921. ... In the Irish context, Unionists form a group of largely (though not exclusively) Protestant people in Ireland, of all social classes, who wish to see the continuation of the Act of Union, as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, under which the Northern Ireland provincial state created in... Northern Ireland (Irish: , Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a constituent country of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which existed from June 7, 1921 to March 30, 1972, when it was suspended. ...

In March 1968, a small number of radicals in the city founded the Derry Housing Action Committee, with the intention of forcing the government of Northern Ireland to change their housing policies. This group was founded principally by local members of the Northern Ireland Labour Party, such as Eamonn McCann and members of the James Connolly Republican Club (the Northern manifestation of Sinn Féin, which was banned in Northern Ireland). The Housing Action Committee took direct action such as blocking roads and invading local council meetings in order to force them to house Catholic families who were on council's housing waiting list for a long time. By the summer of 1968, this group had linked up with the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association and were agitating for a broader programme of reform within Northern Ireland. On October 5, 1968, these activists organised a march through the centre of Derry. However, the demonstration was banned and when the marchers, including members of Parliament Eddie McAteer and Ivan Cooper, defied this ban they were batoned by the RUC. The RUC's actions were televised and caused widespread anger in nationalist circles. The following day, 4000 people demonstrated in solidarity with the marchers in Guildhall Square in the centre of Derry. This march passed off peacefully, as did another demonstration attended by up to 15,000 people on November 16. However, these incidents proved to be the start of an escalating pattern of civil unrest, that culminated in the events of August 1969. The Derry Housing Action Committee (DHAC), together with the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) organised the October 5 1968 civil rights demonstration in Derry, whose banning and violent suppression by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) sparked the so-called Troubles. The DHAC was formed in February 1968 by two... The Northern Ireland Labour Party was a political party which operated from 1924 until 1987. ... Eamonn McCann (born in Derry in 1943) is an Irish journalist, author, and political activist. ... For the Olympic athlete, see James Connolly (athletics). ... For pre-Arthur Griffith use of the political name, see Sinn Féin (19th century). ... Direct action is a form of political activism which seeks immediate remedy for perceived ills, as opposed to indirect actions such as electing representatives who promise to provide remedy at some later date. ... The Civil Rights Mural - The Beginning.[1] The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was an organisation which campaigned for civil rights in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s and early 1970s. ... Eddie McAteer (1914 - 28 March 1986) was an Irish nationalist politician. ... Ivan Cooper, a Protestant M.P. best known for leading the proscribed anti-internment march, which ended being known as Bloody Sunday on January 30, 1972, in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, where 14 unarmed men and boys -- only one of whom, Gerry Donaghy (of the Junior IRA), could be adjudged a...

"Free Derry Corner" at the end of Columbs street in the Bogside. The slogan was first painted in January 1969 by John Casey

In January 1969, a march by the radical group People's Democracy from Belfast to Derry was attacked by loyalists at Burntollet, five miles outside Derry. When the marchers (many of whom were injured) arrived in Derry on January 5, rioting broke out between their supporters and the RUC, who were seen to have failed to protect the march. That night, RUC members broke into homes in the Catholic Bogside area and assaulted several residents. An inquiry led by Lord Cameron concluded that, "a number of policemen were guilty of misconduct, which involved assault and battery, malicious damage to property...and the use of provocative sectarian and political slogans".^[1] After this point, barricades were set up in the Bogside and vigilante patrols organised to keep the RUC out. It was at this point that famous slogan "You are now entering Free Derry" was painted on the corner of Columbs street by a local activist named John Casey. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1230x890, 176 KB) Description: mural in Derry. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1230x890, 176 KB) Description: mural in Derry. ... Peoples Democracy was a political organisation that, while supporting the campaign for civil rights for Northern Irelands Catholic minority stated that such rights could only be achieved through the establishment of a socialist republic in all of Ireland. ... This article is about the city in Northern Ireland. ... For the township in Canada, see Loyalist, Ontario In general, a loyalist is an individual who is loyal to the powers that be. ... Sectarianism is an adherence to a particular sect or party or denomination, it also usually involves a rejection of those not a member of ones sect. ... Closeup of a collection of blinker equipped barricades A barricade is any object or structure that creates a barrier or obstacle to control, block passage or force the flow of traffic in the desired direction. ... For other uses, see Vigilante (disambiguation). ... Free Derry was the name given to the self-declared autonomous republican region of Derry, Northern Ireland, following the Battle of the Bogside of August 12-August 14, 1969. ...

After further rioting on July 12, arising out of the Orange Order parades on that day, Irish Republicans in Derry set up the Derry Citizen's Defence Association, with the intention of preparing for future disturbances. The members of the DCDA were initially Republican Club (and possibly IRA) activists, but they were joined by many other left wing activists and local people. This group stated their aim as firstly to keep the peace, but if this failed, to organise the defence of the Bogside. To this end, they stockpiled materials for barricades and missiles, ahead of the Apprentice Boys of Derry march on August 12. The Twelfth is an annual Protestant celebration on 12 July, originating in Ireland. ... The Orange Order is a Protestant fraternal organisation largely based in the province of Northern Ireland and in western Scotland but which has a worldwide membership. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (Pronounced fee-na fall.) (English: Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... Following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on 6 December 1921, the Irish Republican Army in the 26 counties that were to become the Irish Free State split between supporters and opponents of the Treaty. ... Apprentice Boys of Derry Crest The Apprentice Boys Of Derry are a Protestant fraternal society with a worldwide membership, founded in 1814. ...

On July 17, 1969, the first death arising out of the violence between nationalists and the RUC in Derry occurred. A local man, Samuel Devenny, died from injuries received when he was beaten with batons by RUC members who broke into his home after a riot in the Bogside on April 19, 1969. His teenage daughters were also beaten in the attack. Devenny is sometimes referred to as the first victim of the troubles.^[2] is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... is the 109th day of the year (110th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

August 12, the Apprentice Boys March

The Apprentice Boys parade on August 12 commemorated the Protestant victory in the Siege of Derry in 1689 and was considered highly provocative by many Catholics. Although the march did not pass through the Bogside, it passed close to it at the junction of Waterloo Place and Williams street. It was here that trouble was expected to and did break out. For context see the Williamite war in Ireland and Jacobitism. ...

On the 12th of August, clashes occurred as the Apprentice Boys parade approached the Bogside at Williams street. Initially taunts were exchanged between the loyalists and Bogsiders. Stones were then thrown from both sides for a period, before the police forced the nationalists into Rossville street and the Bogside itself, they were followed by local loyalists, at which point the rioting escalated. Large crowds turned out and pelted the police and the mob with stones and petrol bombs, and set up barricades to block their progress. Molotov cocktail is the generic name for a variety of crude incendiary weapons. ...

The Battle, August 12-15

A mural by the Bogside Artists in Derry's Bogside, depicting Bernadette Devlin during the riot

The Bogside in 2005, looking down from the entrance to the city walls. The area has been substantially redeveloped since 1969, with the demolition of much of the old slum housing and the Rossville street flats.

The defence of the Bogside was coordinated to some extent. The Derry Citizens Defence Association set up a headquarters in the house of Paddy Doherty in Westland street and tried to supervise the making of petrol bombs and the positioning of barricades. They also set up "Radio Free Derry". However, many local people joined in the rioting on their own initiative and impromptu leaders also emerged, such as Bernadette Devlin, Eamonn McCann and others. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 322 KB) Description: mural in Derry Author: Jérôme Sautret © 2003 File links The following pages link to this file: Mural Bernadette Devlin McAliskey Bogside Artists ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 322 KB) Description: mural in Derry Author: Jérôme Sautret © 2003 File links The following pages link to this file: Mural Bernadette Devlin McAliskey Bogside Artists ... The Bogside Artists are a trio of mural painters, living and working in Northern Ireland. ... For other places with similar names, see Derry (disambiguation) and Londonderry (disambiguation). ... The Bogside is a nationalist neighbourhood outside the city walls of Derry, Northern Ireland. ... Josephine Bernadette Devlin McAliskey (born April 23, 1947), also known as Bernadette Devlin and Bernadette McAliskey, is a Northern Ireland republican politician. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1440x1080, 511 KB) [edit] Summary The Bogside area of Derry, taken by me SeanMack, Oct 2005. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1440x1080, 511 KB) [edit] Summary The Bogside area of Derry, taken by me SeanMack, Oct 2005. ... The Derry Citizens Defence Association (DCDA), was an organisation set up in July 1969 in response to a perceived threat to the nationalist community of Derry in connection with the annual parade of the Apprentice Boys of Derry on 12 August. ... Josephine Bernadette Devlin McAliskey (born April 23, 1947), also known as Bernadette Devlin and Bernadette McAliskey, is a Northern Ireland republican politician. ...

Locals youths climbed onto the roof of the High Flats on Rossville street, from where they bombarded the RUC below with missiles. When the advantage that this position possessed was realised, the youths were kept supplied with stones and petrol bombs. The RUC were in many respects badly prepared for the "battle". Their riot shields were too small and did not protect their whole bodies. In addition, their uniforms were not flame resistant and a number were badly burned by petrol bombs. They possessed armoured cars and guns, but were not permitted to use them. Moreover, there was no system in place to relieve officers, with the result that the same policemen had to serve in the rioting for three days without rest. The police responded to this situation by flooding the area with CS gas, which caused a range of respiratory injuries among the local people. A total of 1,091 canisters containing 12.5g of CS; and 14 canisters containing 50g of CS, were released in the densely populated residential area.^[3] After two days of almost continuous rioting, during which police were drafted in from all over Northern Ireland, the RUC were exhausted, and were snatching sleep in doorways whenever the opportunity allowed. Police with riot shields in Seoul, Korea. ... Military armored cars A French VBL reconnaissance vehicle. ... Related Compounds Related compounds SDBS Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ...

On August 13, Jack Lynch, Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland made a televised speech about the events in Derry, in which he said that he, "could not stand by and watch innocent people injured and perhaps worse." He promised to send the Irish Army to the border and to set up field hospitals for those injured in the fighting. Lynch's words were widely interpreted in the Bogside as promising that Irish troops were about to be sent to their aid. Unionists were appalled at this prospect, which they saw as a threatened invasion of Northern Ireland. In fact, although the Irish army was indeed sent to the border, they restricted their activities to providing medical care for the injured. John (Jack) Mary Lynch (15 August 1917—20 October 1999), was the fourth Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, serving two terms in office; 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979. ... The Taoiseach (IPA: or ) — plural: Taoisigh ( or ), also referred to as An Taoiseach[1], is the head of government of Ireland or prime minister. ... The Irish Army (Irish: Arm na hÉireann) is the main branch of the Irish Defence Forces[1] (Óglaigh na hÉireann). ...

By August 14, the rioting in the Bogside had reached a critical point. Almost the entire community there had been mobilised by this point, many galvanised by false rumours that St Eugene's Cathedral had been attacked by the police. The RUC were also beginning to use deadly force. Two rioters were shot and injured in Great James' Street. The B-Specials, an auxiliary, mostly Protestant police force, much feared by Catholics for their role in sectarian killings in the 1920s, were called up and sent to Derry, provoking fears of a massacre on the part of the Bogsiders. The Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) was a reserve force of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. ...

On the afternoon of the 14th, the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, James Chichester-Clarke, took the unprecedented step of requesting the British Prime Minister Harold Wilson for troops to be sent to Derry. Soon afterwards a company of the Prince of Wales Own Regiment relieved the police, with orders to separate the RUC and the Bogsiders, but not to attempt to breach the barricades and enter the Bogside itself. This marked the first direct intervention of the London government in Ireland since partition. The British troops were at first welcomed by the Bogside residents as a neutral force compared to the RUC and especially the B-Specials. Only a handful of radicals in Bogside, notably Bernadette Devlin, opposed the deployment of British troops. This good relationship did not last long however, as the Troubles escalated. Over 1000 people had been injured in the rioting in Derry, but no one was killed. A total of 691 RUC men were deployed in Derry during the riot, of whom only 255 were still in action at 12.30 on the 15th. Manpower then fluctuated for the rest of the afternoon: the numbers recorded are 318, 304, 374, 333, 285 and finally 327 at 5.30 p.m. While some of the fluctuation in numbers can be put down to exhaustion rather than injury, these figures indicate that the RUC suffered at least 350 serious injuries. How many Bogsiders were injured is unclear, as many injuries were never reported.^[4] The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland was the head of the Government of Northern Ireland, appointed by the Governor of Northern Ireland under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. ... The Right Honourable James Dawson Chichester-Clark, Baron Moyola, PC, DL (12 February 1923–17 May 2002) was the fifth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ... James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was one of the most prominent British politicians of the 20th century. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Prince of Waless Own Regiment of Yorkshire is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Kings Division. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Partition of Ireland took place in May 1921. ... The Troubles is a term used to describe two periods of violence in Ireland during the twentieth century. ...

Rioting elsewhere

Main article: Northern Ireland riots of August 1969

A call by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association for people to stretch police resources to aid the Bogsiders led to rioting in Belfast and elsewhere, which left five Catholics and a Protestant dead. That same night (the 14th) a loyalist mob burned all of the Catholic homes on Bombay Street. Over 1,500 Catholics were expelled from their homes in Belfast. Taken together with events in Derry, this period of rioting is widely seen as the point in which The Troubles escalated from a situation of civil unrest to one of a three-way armed conflict between nationalists, state forces and unionists. From August 13-17 1969, Northern Ireland was rocked by intensive sectarian rioting. ... The Civil Rights Mural - The Beginning.[1] The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was an organisation which campaigned for civil rights in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s and early 1970s. ... This article is about the city in Northern Ireland. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... For other uses, see Loyalist (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Troubles (disambiguation) and Trouble. ...

Documentary

The documentary "Battle of the Bogside", produced and directed by Vinny Cunningham and written by John Peto, won "Best Documentary" at the Irish Film and Television Awards in October 2004. The IFTA Award (Irish Film & Television Award) first appeared in 1999. ...

See also

• Extracts from "War and an Irish Town" by Eamonn McCann

• Irish battles

This page aims to give a list of and links to pages of battles in Irish history. ...

References

1. ^ Eamonn McCann, War and an Irish Town, page 108
2. ^ CAIN Chronology of the Conflict - 1969
3. ^ Dr Raymond McClean (1997). The Road To Bloody Sunday (revised edition). Guildhall: Printing Press. ISBN 0-946451-37-0.  (extracts available online)
4. ^ http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/battlebogside/stetler/stetler70.htm

External links

• Images from the booklet "Battle of Bogside" published in (1969).
• A synopsis of released Harold Wilson State papers from the time period available here.
• CAIN project chronology of events available here.
• The Battle of the Bogside at the Internet Movie Database