The Battle of the Bogside - August 1969

• The Battle of the Bogside was a significant event in Northern Ireland's history, marking the beginning of the Troubles, a period of intense conflict that lasted for decades.

• The battle took place from 12 to 14 August 1969 in the Bogside area of Derry/Londonderry, a predominantly Catholic and nationalist neighbourhood.

  

• The immediate cause of the conflict was the annual march by the Apprentice Boys of Derry, a Protestant fraternal organisation, through the city.

• The tension in the Bogside had been building for years due to the systemic discrimination against Catholics in housing, employment, and political representation.

• The nationalist community in Derry/Londonderry had become increasingly frustrated with these injustices and had begun to demand civil rights, inspired by similar movements globally.

• The Catholic residents of the Bogside had formed a self-defence organisation, the Derry Citizens' Defence Association (DCDA), in anticipation of violence during the Apprentice Boys' march.

• When the march proceeded as planned on 12 August 1969, violence quickly erupted. The RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary), the predominantly Protestant police force, attempted to enter the Bogside to break up the disturbances but were met with fierce resistance from local residents.

• Over the next two days, the Bogside was engulfed in what became known as the Battle of the Bogside, with residents erecting barricades to keep the police out and using stones, petrol bombs, and other improvised weapons to defend their area.

• The RUC, supported by loyalists from outside the area, responded with tear gas and batons but were unable to regain control of the neighbourhood.

The Role of the Apprentice Boys of Derry in Starting the Battle

• The Apprentice Boys of Derry played a pivotal role in triggering the Battle of the Bogside. This Protestant fraternal organisation commemorated the siege of Derry in 1689 when 13 apprentice boys famously shut the city gates against the forces of the Catholic King James II, an act that became symbolic of Protestant resistance.

• Every year, the Apprentice Boys held a march in Derry/Londonderry to celebrate this event, a parade that many Catholics saw as provocative and triumphalist.

• In 1969, the march was particularly controversial due to the rising tensions between the Catholic and Protestant communities.

  

• Nationalists in the Bogside viewed the parade as an assertion of Protestant dominance, especially given the systemic discrimination they faced.

• The presence of the marchers, coupled with the heavy policing, was seen as an invasion of their community, which had already declared itself as "Free Derry," a self-declared autonomous area.

• Violence broke out as the Apprentice Boys marched along the city walls overlooking the Bogside. Bogsiders, already on edge and prepared for trouble, began hurling stones and other projectiles at the marchers and the police.

• The Apprentice Boys, in turn, saw themselves as defending their right to march and their cultural heritage. This confrontation quickly escalated into a full-scale riot, with the police attempting to push into the Bogside and the residents fiercely resisting.

• The decision to allow the Apprentice Boys' march to proceed through such a tense and divided city was a critical factor in the outbreak of violence.

• The march symbolised the entrenched sectarian divisions in Northern Ireland and highlighted the deep-seated grievances of the Catholic community, who felt oppressed by the Protestant-dominated government and institutions.

What Free Derry Represented

• Free Derry was a term used to describe the Bogside area of Derry/Londonderry during a period when it was effectively a no-go zone for the RUC and other British authorities.
• The area declared itself "Free Derry" in January 1969, following the first major clashes between the police and residents of the Bogside. The most iconic symbol of this was the slogan painted on a gable wall, reading "You Are Now Entering Free Derry."
• Free Derry represented the nationalist and Catholic community's resistance to the authority of the Northern Irish government, which they viewed as oppressive and biased in favour of Protestants.
• The residents of the Bogside and surrounding areas sought to create a space where they could live without fear of harassment or discrimination from the police, who were seen as enforcers of the Protestant-dominated state.
• In practical terms, Free Derry was a self-policed area where the local community organised its own defence and governance.
• The Derry Citizens' Defence Association (DCDA) played a crucial role in maintaining order and coordinating the defence against the RUC during the Battle of the Bogside.
• Free Derry was also a symbol of the broader civil rights struggle in Northern Ireland, representing the desire for equality, justice, and an end to sectarian discrimination.
• The establishment of Free Derry demonstrated the determination of the Catholic community to resist what they saw as an illegitimate and discriminatory government.
• It was a direct challenge to the authority of the state and a powerful symbol of the growing nationalist movement in Northern Ireland.
• The concept of Free Derry became a rallying point for nationalists and was significant in the broader context of the Troubles, serving as a symbol of resistance and defiance against the Northern Irish government and British rule.

Context on the Fighting in the 'Battle'

• The fighting during the Battle of the Bogside was intense and marked a significant escalation in the conflict between the nationalist community and the Northern Irish state.

  • The battle began on 12 August 1969 and lasted for three days, with the Bogside area of Derry/Londonderry becoming a battleground between the residents and the RUC, supported by loyalist volunteers.
  • The residents of the Bogside, who were mostly Catholic nationalists, had been preparing for the possibility of violence in the days leading up to the Apprentice Boys' march.

• They built barricades to prevent the police and loyalists from entering their neighbourhood and stockpiled stones, petrol bombs, and other makeshift weapons.

• The Derry Citizens' Defence Association (DCDA), led by local activists, organised the defence of the area and coordinated efforts to keep the police out.

• When the RUC attempted to enter the Bogside to disperse the crowds, they were met with fierce resistance. The residents used the barricades to block the police's advance and hurled stones, bottles, and petrol bombs at the officers.

• The RUC responded with tear gas, batons, and water cannons, but were unable to break through the defences.

• The violence quickly spread beyond the Bogside, with clashes reported in other parts of Derry/Londonderry and even in Belfast.

• The situation became so dire that the Northern Irish government requested assistance from the British Army, which was eventually deployed to restore order.

• However, the army's arrival only further inflamed tensions, as many Catholics viewed them as another force of occupation.

• The Battle of the Bogside was a turning point in the Troubles, marking the beginning of a more violent and sustained conflict in Northern Ireland.

• It exposed the deep-seated grievances of the Catholic community and demonstrated their willingness to resist the state's authority by force.

• The battle also highlighted the failure of the Northern Irish government to address the underlying issues of discrimination and inequality that had led to the unrest.

Results of the Battle of the Bogside

• The Battle of the Bogside had profound and far-reaching consequences for Northern Ireland. The immediate result of the battle was the withdrawal of the RUC from the Bogside area, effectively conceding the territory to the nationalist residents who had declared it "Free Derry."

• This marked the first time in the Troubles that a community had successfully defied the authority of the Northern Irish state and maintained control of its own neighbourhood.

• The violence in Derry/Londonderry also sparked riots and clashes in other parts of Northern Ireland, particularly in Belfast, where sectarian tensions were already running high.

• The scale and intensity of the violence shocked both the Northern Irish government and the British authorities, who realised that the situation was spiralling out of control.

  • In response, the British government made the controversial decision to deploy the British Army to Northern Ireland on 14 August 1969, marking the beginning of the British military's involvement in the Troubles.
  • The deployment of the army temporarily restored order, but it also marked the start of a prolonged military presence that would last for decades.
  • The use of the army was seen by many in the Catholic community as further proof of the British state's unwillingness to address their grievances through political means, deepening the sense of alienation and resentment.

• Politically, the Battle of the Bogside and the subsequent deployment of the British Army led to significant changes in Northern Ireland.

• The events highlighted the failure of Terence O'Neill's reform efforts and contributed to his resignation as Prime Minister in April 1969.

• His successor, James Chichester-Clark, faced the enormous challenge of dealing with the escalating violence and the growing demands of the civil rights movement.

• In the long term, the Battle of the Bogside is seen as a key moment in the history of the Troubles. It marked the point at which the conflict escalated from civil rights protests to a full-scale sectarian conflict.

• The battle also solidified the sense of community identity in the Bogside and other nationalist areas, where the resistance to state authority became a defining feature of life during the Troubles.

• The events of August 1969 set the stage for the decades of violence and political struggle that would follow, leaving a lasting impact on Northern Ireland's history.