Belfast Film Festival presents Ulster Says No – The Year of Disorder.

about

In November 1985, the British and Irish governments signed an agreement for closer cooperation on the issue of Northern Ireland and the setting up of formal inter- governmental bodies. The Agreement was rejected both by Sinn Fein and the main Unionist parties. However, it was the opposition from Unionism which pitched Northern Ireland into a year of turmoil.

In a huge rally at the Belfast City Hall, Ian Paisley made his famous “Never! Never! Never!” speech and the die was cast for a period of unrest and disorder which threatened to pitch the country into open civil war. Created entirely from archive footage, Ulster Says No follows the tumultuous events as seen through the contemporary lens of the Ulster Television news teams.

From the iconic poster campaign, to the ill-fated “invasion” of Clontibret in the Republic of Ireland, the situation quickly deteriorated. Finally, red berets were donned and a new organisation called Ulster Resistance openly threatened armed opposition to the government. This is the story of how Northern Ireland almost tipped into the abyss.

Northern Ireland Screen for the UTV Archive Partnership.