Northern Ireland

Battle of the Bogside: Unonists believed IRA used Bogside to undermine NI state

As an Apprentice Boy, former Assembly speaker, Lord William Hay witnessed the Battle of the Bogside first hand. PICTURE: Paul Faith/PA Wire.
As an Apprentice Boy, former Assembly speaker, Lord William Hay witnessed the Battle of the Bogside first hand. PICTURE: Paul Faith/PA Wire. As an Apprentice Boy, former Assembly speaker, Lord William Hay witnessed the Battle of the Bogside first hand. PICTURE: Paul Faith/PA Wire.

Former Assembly speaker, Lord William Hay believes the Battle of the Bogside was used by the IRA to undermine the Northern Ireland state.

As a teenager and active unionist, Lord Hay took part in the Apprentice Boys’ Relief of Derry march on August 12, 1969 which sparked the battle.

The DUP peer said that both now and at the time unionists believed the Battle of the Bogside was deliberately orchestrated by the IRA.

“I was on the parade and I remember that it came under attack from stones as it passed the bottom of William Street; I recall being attacked. As people on the march that day were stoned, I remember being shocked by the viciousness of the attack.

“Unionists were convinced that the Battle of the Bogside and the whole no-go areas were being manipulated the IRA,” Lord Hay said.

In the days leading up to that year’s August 12 march, tensions were running high. Unionists feared the parade would be attacked.

“I had been active in politics from about the age 15 or 16, due to my mother’s political work but that day was a pivotal moment – with some others – for me. For me it was a case of having to get involved in politics because what I saw that day was the IRA campaign. It left me in no doubt,” the DUP politician said.

Lord Hay said that in the years since the Battle of the Bogside, nationalists and republicans had been guilty of revisionism in their portrayal of what happened. While unionists and Apprentice Boys’ supporters did get involved in incursions into the Bogside, he believed this was in response to the initial attack on the August 12 parade.

He believed a lot of work was carried out behind the scenes in the run-up to the Apprentice Boys’ march in an effort to prevent violence.

“Some republicans try to re-write history but the reality was that the parade did not attack the Bogside but was attacked by stones, missiles and petrol bombs.”

Lord Hay recalled that the arrival of troops in Derry on August 14 was welcomed by both sides. Unionists believed they were there to help the exhausted RUC. Unionists felt that the arrival of the army brought hope that the violence would be curbed and solutions found.

“But, sad to say, that did not happen.”