The Kennally Northern Ireland Archive

Scope and Content

Press cuttings and letters in subject files, pamphlets, newsletters and periodicals covering civil rights (particularly the N.I.C.R.A. and the Association for Legal Justice), evictions, internment and abuse of military and police powers. Most of the material dates from 1969 to 1972; the Irish Weekly covers 1970 to 1976.

Administrative / Biographical History

In August 1971 at the request of the Social Democratic Labour Party of Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, two British sociologists, D. J. Kennally (a Lecturer in Politics at the University of Bradford) and Eric Preston (a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Contemporary Studies at Leeds Polytechnic) were invited to Belfast to produce a report. Their brief was "to examine the evidence relating to the treatment of detainees, the harassment, intimidation and brutality of the British Armed forces towards the Catholic Community, and the living conditions of the Catholic people with particular reference to the circumstances surrounding evictions". Kennally and Preston were given access to complaints on file with the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association and the Northern Ireland Social Democratic and Labour Party; they took copies of complaints, interviewed some of the complainants, and visited other organisations. Their report, Belfast, August 1971 - a case to be answered, was published by the Independent Labour Party in November 1971.

Access Information

Available to researchers, by appointment

Acquisition Information

Donated by Mr Kennally in June 1978

Note

In English

Other Finding Aids

Unpublished handlist

Conditions Governing Use

Copies may be supplied or produced at the discretion of Special Collections staff, subject to copyright law and the condition of the originals. Applications for permission to make published use of any material should be directed to the Special Collections Librarian in the first instance. The Library will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Bibliography

Kennally, D.J., and Preston, E.: Belfast, August 1971 - a case to be answered (London : I.L.P., 1971)

Additional Information

Some material photocopied in 1971 from files held by the Social Democratic Labour Party of Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association.