A New Premier


March 1963 Lord
Brookeborough
resigns
Replaced by
Captain TERENCE
O’NEILL
Was O’Neill Mr. Popular?



Evidence suggests that the Unionist Party MPs
wanted Home Affairs minister Brian Faulkner to
succeed.
However the leader was decided by a group of
senior party members, not by election. This is
how O’Neill became the new Prime Minister.
What affect do you think this might have
on O’Neill as leader of Northern Ireland?
O’Neill introduced policies
unheard of under
Brookeborough

His policies were new: he hoped to
attract investment to the ailing
shipbuilding and linen industries, to
forge new links with the trade unions,
to bring Protestants and Catholics into
working relationships, and to end
sectarianism and the long injustice of
Protestant rule.







PoliciesAn investment of £900m in the economy
Modernisation of the railway system
Co-operation with Dublin-based Trades
Union Congress- important for economic
development
Creation of Ministry of Development to drive
economic development
The establishment of a new City- Craigavon
Development of a new university in the
market town of Coleraine
University of Coleraine
O’Neill’s economic
policies


O’Neill believed the
‘face of Ulster’ had to
be transformed if it
was to prosper.
A number of key
economic measures
were introduced or
proposed during his
time as Prime Minister.
It is a new motorway driving
deeper into the province. It is
a new hospital in
Londonderry- the most
modern in the British Isles. It
is new laboratories and
research facilities at Queen’s
to carry us to the frontiers of
existing knowledge and
beyond.
What do you think the
benefits of these policies
would be?



Think about better transport- what are
it’s benefits?
What does a University provide?
In the next lesson we will study the
outcomes of these policies, if they
were a success or not.
Where O’Neill’s policies a
success?


Many policies had a
positive impact
A number of
multinational firms
such as DuPont,
Goodyear, ICI and
Grundig opened
factories in
Northern Ireland.

The construction of a motorway system had
begun.

An oil refinery was opened in Belfast.

A new airport was opened in Belfast.


Links with the Republic of Ireland resulted in
the signing of an agreement on the supply
of electricity from the South.
In total over 35,000 new jobs were created
during the 1960s.
Not everyone was
pleased with the policies!


Over 20,000 jobs were
lost in the ailing
traditional industries
such as linen
manufacture.
Between 1963 and
1969 financial
assistance had to be
given to shipbuilders
Harland and Wolff to
keep it afloat.
More problems!


Unemployment averaged between 7%
and 8% (Unemployment now is less
than 5%)
Several companies refused
government grants to open factories
west of the Bann, seeing the area as
too remote from their export markets.
Northern Ireland
This had severe
implications!


Unemployment in the West remained
high at 12.5%
Many Catholics were upset that
few new jobs were created west
of the Bann. Most investment
went into the Protestant east
Belfast.
Turn to page 107


Do question 6- Construct a table to show
the economic successes and failures of
O’Neill’s policies
Write a newspaper article giving
your view point on O’Neill’s
economic policies. Argue whether
you believe that O’Neill’s policies
were a success or a failure.