| Description | Interview with Stuart Heatley. He talks about the importance of Derry to the Apprentice Boys Association, partly because of the siege of Derry in 1688-1689. He gives an account of the siege and the views of the people of Derry at the time. He discusses the support of the Presbyterian settlers for William of Orange and the celebrations to mark the relief of Derry. He mentions that Catholics initially took part in these celebrations but that they were no longer involved by the nineteenth century. He gives an account of the establishment of the Apprentice Boys organisation, discusses their annual meetings, the different clubs around Northern Ireland, and their initiation ceremonies. He goes on to talk about the Ulster Volunteer Force and their involvement in the Battle of the Somme during the First World War. He discusses the economic decline of Derry and the ascendency of Belfast in both industry and population, partly because of its closer proximity to mainland Britain. He talks about the traditional main industries in Derry including ship building, the closure of the distillery and the siting of a tobacco factory in Belfast rather than Derry. He thinks that there are nevertheless good prospects for Derry. He considers whether high levels of unemployment are a cause of friction in the city and talks about times of tension in his childhood and the events surrounding Partition. He talks about the participation of children in Catholic and Protestant marches and annual celebrations, indicating that people are influenced at an early age. He remembers working in a Catholic area and some Catholics living in the Fountain Street area before the First World War but thinks that the situation has deteriorated since the 1920s and that sectarianism is more pronounced. He explains that the first civil rights marches were about housing, employment and voting reform and discusses the improvement of the housing situation in Derry on Catholic estates and the voting parttens in different areas of the city (tracks 1-12).
Total: 32.11 mins
Dubber's reference number: PLA KF565D0876980 |