The rising tide of unionist hostility to plans to mark the 50 thanniversary of the 1916 Rising are chronicled in confidential Cabinet files of the old Stormont government released this week in Belfast.
Five months before the celebrations on December 1, 1965, a senior RUC officer at police headquarters briefed the Minister of Home Affairs, Brian McConnell on the likelihood of large scale marches and concerts throughout Northern Ireland. He told the Minister:
'This will be a period of extreme tension in the province and any action by the IRA in the interim would make the situation explosive. It is to be hoped that good sense will prevail with extremists on both sides of the community and that they will neither by word nor deed set alight passions which could so easily start political and sectarian troubles in Northern Ireland.'
Two months later on February 15, 1966 a leading County Armagh unionist and B Special Commandant, Captain Michael Armstrong passed on to the government the views of one of his 'most responsible' Sub-District Commandants in the part-time force who doubted the wisdom of permitting the Easter celebrations to take place. The unnamed Special warned the Stormont authorities: 'It must be remembered that the persons taking part in these celebrations are not respectable Roman Catholics and nationalists, but persons who are members or are associated with illegal organisations who have no jurisdiction in Northern Ireland and at one time or other were and still are prepared to shoot and kill members of Her Majesty's forces …'
By March 1966, resolutions hostile to republican parades to mark the Rising were pouring in to RUC Headquarters and the Ministry of Home Affairs. On March 5, 1966 the secretary of the Belfast Committee of the Apprentice Boys of Derry sent a strongly-worded resolution to the Minister protesting 'that a certain section of people whom we class as "rebels" should be permitted to come from the Republic of Ireland and be permitted to associate with those of their kind in the six counties to celebrate the 1916 Easter Rising and to carry their Tricolour in parades and demonstrations which might excite Her Majesty's loyal subjects.'
In the same month, Belfast Corporation decided to ban a Republican Party booking of the Ulster Hall for a concert to mark the 50th anniversary of the insurrection.
The close relationship between the Orange Order and the Unionist government, most of whose members were Orangemen, is reflected in an exchange of letters between the Grand Secretary of the County Derry Grand Orange Lodge, Alfred Lee and the Minister of Home Affairs, Brian McConnell in April 1966. Lee had written to the Minister, whom he addressed as 'Brother McConnell', to protest at a local celebration of the Rising in Kilrea, Co Derry, commencing with a Mass at Drumagarner Chapel and a parade of bands through the town on Easter Monday. He added: 'I have been assured that this parade will be resented very much by the majority of the people of Kilrea, especially as there was trouble (previously) during a Hibernian demonstration.' He urged the Minister to ban the event. However in his reply to 'Brother Lee', McConnell stated that he had been informed that the parade would consist of two Hibernian bands parading to a chapel a mile outside the town. 'As the parade is not going through the town of Kilrea', he added, 'the police have no reason to believe that it is likely to lead to a breach of the peace.' The parade was permitted.
Ex-servicemen's conference in Armagh causes security headache in 1966
Eamon Phoenix
An application to hold a conference of former members of the Irish defence forces in Armagh in 1965 caused a major security headache for the Stormont government, according to confidential files just released in Belfast.
In October 1965, the leading Nationalist Senator, J G Lennon from Armagh asked the Northern Minister of Home Affairs, Brian McConnell whether there would be any objection to a meeting of the Irish Ex-Servicemen's Association being held in Armagh in 1966. In a note, Mr J Owens of the Ministry of Home Affairs, noted: 'The Irish ex-Servicemen's Association is comprised of ex-members of the Eire army and ex-members of the IRA.'
The matter was referred to RUC Headquarters for consideration and on November 10, 1965 County Inspector S S Hopkins reported on the matter to the Minister of Home Affairs. He explained that the Irish ex-service organisation had its headquarters in Parnell Square West, Dublin where its patron was President Eamon de Valera. Its Northern Ireland organiser was based in Dungannon while there were branches in Armagh, Newry and Tyrone. According to police intelligence, the organisation based its activities on the lines of the British Legion and saw itself as the Legion's counterpart in the South. 'Membership is confined to veterans of the old IRA and Cumann na mBan and ex-members of the Eire army and Defence forces. It professes to be non-political and non-sectarian and its purpose is to look after the interests of its members, especially as far as pensions are concerned. Socially, the aim is to foster and keep alive "the national spirit".'
Hopkins stated that at the 1963 annual convention in Waterford, the local Church of Ireland rector, Rev E G Shearer was a guest. The police viewed the membership of the organisation as 'wholly republican' but added, 'there is no evidence to connect it directly with the present day IRA.' It was possible, he went on, that the Armagh convention was planned as part of the programme to celebrate the Jubilee of the 1916 Rising. While it was not possible to give a firm recommendation at this stage, but, assuming that it were held indoors and that there was no friction in the interim, it was not considered to pose a threat of trouble or serious controversy.
In the wake of the RUC assessment on January 3, 1966, the Minister, Brian McConnell telephoned Senator Lennon and informed him that the Irish Ex-Servicemen's Association would be welcome to hold their conference in Northern Ireland but that, in view of the fact that 1966 was the fiftieth anniversary of the Easter Rising, it would be better if the convention were not held in Armagh during that year. Senator Lennon said he appreciated the position and would do his best to persuade the Association to hold their convention elsewhere during 1966.