From Civil Rights to Armalites Derry and the Birth of the Irish Troubles

From Civil Rights to Armalites traces and analyzes the escalation of conflict in Northern Ireland from the first civil rights marches to the verge of full-scale civil war in 1972, focusing on the city of Derry. It explains how a peaceful civil rights campaign gave way to increasing violence, how the IRA became a major political force, and how the British army became a major party to the conflict. It provides the essential context for understanding the events of Bloody Sunday and a new chapter brings significant new material to the public debate around the Bloody Sunday Inquiry.

Niall + Dochartaigh is a Lecturer in Political Science and Sociology at the National University of Ireland, Galway.