Northern Ireland in 1976: The Collapse of the Convention and the Move to Direct Rule

The Irish History Boys · Feb 26, 2026 · 49m

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, Tim McGarry and Dr. Cormac Moore reflect on the "obituary" of the 1975–1976 Constitutional Convention, a failed British attempt to find a political solution that instead left Northern Ireland in a "complete political vacuum". We examine how the refusal of unionists to share power led to a period of "violence and stagnation," with 1976 becoming one of the bloodiest years of the Troubles.

We also dive into the financial "insolvency" of Northern Ireland, tracing it back to 1926 when the statelet first required a "free gift" from the British Treasury to…