1996
This episode focuses on 1996, with archive and musical hits of the time to provide an enthralling and entertaining potted history of Northern Ireland.
Pop Goes Northern Ireland blends news footage, archive and the musical hits of the time to provide an enthralling and entertaining potted history of Northern Ireland dealing with our difficult recent past in a way that is entertaining, informative, fresh and accessible to all.
This episode focuses on 1996. The peace process is stalled over the issue of decommissioning. In January, Senator George Mitchell鈥檚 report recommends the beginning of talks, with the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons to start soon after. The report is ignored by the government, which decides to hold elections to a NI Forum that will determine the delegates to talks scheduled to start in June.
In February the IRA ends its ceasefire when a bomb explodes in London鈥檚 Canary Wharf killing two people. Talks start in June, but Sinn Fein are excluded from them until the IRA resumes its ceasefire. However, the IRA continues its violent campaign in England with a major bomb attack on Manchester city centre.
In July there is serious disorder in NI when the Orange Order is refused permission to march down the Garvaghy Road from Drumcree Church. Eventually the police relent and allow the march to go ahead, which leads to serious rioting in nationalist areas. Despite a number of initiatives, the IRA does not resume its ceasefire and the peace process remains stalled.
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