'A huge wartime feeling and a sense that we’re all in this together'
EXCERPTS FROM DANNY MORRISON’S AUGUST 1971 DIARY DANNY MORRISON was 18 and a student when internment was introduced. He lived in the Broadway/Iveagh/Beechmount area of the Falls in Belfast. The following account is based on a diary he kept during that time 1971 AUGUST MONDAY
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Listened to the radio. The first news of the day said that a soldier’s been shot dead and there’s rioting in all nationalist parts of Belfast, in Derry, Newry and Omagh. Outside our house there was shouting and screaming. There’s been raids and arrests and talk that ‘they’ve introduced internment’. We began putting up barricades, which we’d last done in August 1969. Two on Broadway and one across Beechmount Avenue. Side streets on the Falls being kept clear for access for fighting. Milk bottles collected for petrol bombs. We rioted at the top of Iveagh Parade, the neighbours in other streets out in huge numbers. When armoured cars or military jeeps flew past we let them have everything we’d got — bricks, rocks, stones, hammers, wrenches, petrol bombs — then swarmed onto the main road to retrieve weapons and show the retreating soldiers the numbers against them, that we despise them. Mostly young but older ones also threw and those who couldn’t riot made us sandwiches and sent drinks up to the street corner. Incredible sense of morale. Heard another two people have been 46
killed. Heard shooting throughout the day, coming from the Murph or Whiterock. Radio Free Belfast’s back on air. Broadcasting messages of resistance, playing republican songs and telling people to be wary of rumours. Rioted as long as the soldiers came, never feeling exhausted. Swede said we should get on top of the Co-Op roof and drop paint and bottles of petrol onto the armoured cars speeding past, then further along people could set them alight with petrol bombs to immobilise them. Saw that bastard Brian Faulkner on TV announcing they’d introduced internment. Hateful. Only ones arrested have been Catholics. Coming across Beechmount after midnight shots were fired close to us but we could see no Brits out on foot. Later learnt that the Brits shot and wounded Marty Devine at the corner of Beechmount Drive. There was more heavy shooting around Broadway and the Donegal Road. Heard that ten people were now dead. Go to bed for a few hours. 1971 AUGUST TUESDAY
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News says now fourteen dead, many wounded, rioting in many towns.
The Brits tried to take down our barricades and we resisted. Two soldiers in Andersonstown and another two in the Lower Falls wounded by snipers. Rioting broke out from Broadway to Beechmount. We were out in even greater numbers, then the Brits opened fire and several struck the wall in Islandbawn Street. Later, they got out of a Saracen at the Avenue and took up positions in Daly’s Garage. We replied with stones and bottles. Was standing at the top of Iveagh Drive when a soldier fired at me. Bullet went through the window of the Squirrel sweetie shop. He fired again and this time the bullet struck the ground a few feet in front of me and ricocheted, striking the gable wall in the entry behind me. Eventually we were pinned down with the Brits at Beechmount Avenue firing shots every now and then to keep the road clear. Heard that Eddie Doherty from Iveagh Street was shot dead by Brits on the Whiterock. He’s married with kids. Met a nurse from the country. She was doing first aid on people who were injured, including my cousin Thomas McKee. Her name’s Carmel. She’s about two or three years older than me. I’ve no chance. She’s in digs on the front of the road. Around about 11pm there was a rumour of trouble at the Broadway barricade. Lads were sent down. Me and Tony Taylor remained at the top of the Parade, next to the big ‘Guin-
ISSUE NUMBER 3 – 2021 - UIMHIR EISIÚNA 3 anphoblacht
