Internment: IRA’s ‘Greatest Propaganda Weapon’ – Remembered 1975

In a powerful rebuke of internment policies, members of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) denounced the practice as “barbaric” and “anti-human” during their annual conference in Belfast on November 29, 1975. The debate highlighted the growing consensus that internment without trial had become counterproductive in Northern Ireland’s complex political landscape.

Brendan McAllister from Newry led the attack, characterizing internment as “the Provisional IRA’s greatest propaganda weapon.” McAllister emphasized that while condemning the practice, the party must ensure it is remembered so that such measures are never implemented again in Northern Ireland.

Supporting the motion, Cathal O’Boyle from Newcastle argued there could be no justification for depriving individuals of liberty without a fair trial. He delivered a scathing assessment, suggesting that internment’s psychological impact—its design “to break down human feeling”—was even more insidious than the detention itself.

Convention member Paddy Duffy reported a significant diplomatic achievement, noting the SDLP had successfully convinced the Irish Government that internment was actually bolstering IRA recruitment rather than diminishing it. In a revealing statement, Duffy claimed that had it not been for the previous week’s violence and killings, “internment would have been ended before their conference began,” suggesting the British government had been on the verge of abandoning the controversial policy.

The human cost of internment dominated much of the discussion. Frank Irvine from East Belfast urged the party to acknowledge the rehabilitation challenges faced by former internees, calling for comprehensive support systems. Meanwhile, John Turnly criticized the British Government’s reluctance to provide even basic state benefits to which internees would have been entitled had they not been detained. Turnly went further, demanding compensation of £100 per week for each internee—a substantial sum in 1975.

Sean MacGabhann from Newtownabbey delivered perhaps the most pointed internal criticism, accusing the party of being “too half-hearted all along the line regarding internment.” His comments highlighted tensions within the SDLP over the appropriate response to the policy.

Paddy O’Donoghue countered this assessment, asserting that the SDLP stood alone in advocating for internee compensation, despite receiving “no positive response” from the Northern Ireland Office. According to O’Donoghue, officials had dismissed calls for Grade 1 National Insurance benefits by claiming such payments would require legislative changes.

The conference also looked beyond internment to broader electoral reforms. Alban Maginnis from North Belfast addressed potential changes during direct rule, suggesting the SDLP needed to increase its Westminster representation. Maginnis advocated for proportional representation (PR), calling it “thoroughly logical and politically right” if the government were to expand Northern Ireland’s parliamentary presence.

The timing of the conference proved significant, as internment would be ended by the British government just days later. The policy, introduced in August 1971, had seen hundreds of predominantly Catholic men detained without trial in an attempt to combat paramilitary violence. However, the measure had increasingly been viewed as counterproductive, fueling community alienation and providing a recruitment tool for republican paramilitaries.

The SDLP’s sustained opposition to internment represented a key aspect of the party’s positioning as a moderate nationalist voice seeking political solutions within the constitutional framework, even while forcefully advocating for civil liberties and opposing emergency measures they viewed as discriminatory and counterproductive.