Another timeless front page from the archives
THE TROUBLES IN CONTEXT
During the late 1960s, a breakdown in order across Northern Ireland saw British troops deployed into the province. The Troubles had begun. Relations between Protestants and Catholics had turned into protests and violence. Hostility towards British forces, initially seen as mediators, soon became apparent. Following a Sinn Féin conference in 1969, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) divided into ‘Official’ and ‘Provisional’ wings. In 1970, the ‘Provos’ began an armed campaign to remove Northern Ireland from British control, and ultimately to create a united Ireland. Over the next decade, atrocities were committed on both sides.