Protestant exodus was feared in 1979

PAPERS released under the thirty year ruling reveal the British government had grave concerns over the 'exodus' of Londonderry Protestant population from the west bank of the city.

Files state Londonderry's Protestant people feared what was referred to as "the spectre of the west bank being abandoned to the Republic" and a local development officer feared the city was becoming "alien to many citizens".

The issues were prominent at a meeting between the city's then Unionist MP, William Ross, and then Bishop Robin Eames and Secretary of State Roy Mason at Stormont Castle on November 7, 1978.

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Mr Ross said the drift of Protestants to the east bank of the Foyle had worsened since the late 1960s. Figures showed that in 1967/68 12,000 Protestant electors lived on the west bank, but by 1978 this had decreased to 4,000. The unionist representative contended the main causes for Protestants departing the cityside were the points system for housing which he claimed "worked against Protestants" and IRA violence.

William Ross suggested something needed to be done about the housing situation, although he recognised the political difficulty on that issue. He also suggested that an RUC station should be re-sited closer to the predominantly Protestant Fountain Estate.

Dr Robin Eames pointed out there would be a large Catholic majority west of the River Bann within the next 10 to 15 years and said it was urgent that Protestants west of the Foyle should feel wanted and reassured, otherwise there was a risk they could turn to extremism.

In response, the Secretary of State, Roy Mason said he could not promise anything but would look into the problem. He asked a Northern Ireland Office official, AE Huckle, to undertake a study "to see if the Protestant drift from the west bank could be halted".

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Mr Huckle visited Londonderry on November 28, 1978 and met Sam McIlwaine, a local development official. Yet, Mr McIlwaine felt little could be done to stave off further Protestant migration and said: "It was not a case of trying to prevent a drift; the drift had already occurred and might actually be stabilising."

Indications were that Protestant families were moving away from Londonderry to Antrim and Coleraine while young Protestants preferred Queen's University in Belfast or British mainland universities to the new University of Ulster which was "largely Catholic".

Mr McIlwaine saw little chance of reversing a now pre-existing trend, stating: "The supposed threat was largely psychological and territorial and probably could only be removed, if at all, by psychological measures."

The report was presented to the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Sir Robert Kidd who asked Ken Bloomfield of the Department of Commerce to undertake a detailed study.

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The result was a blunt report to Bloomfield by a DC White a Londonderry development officer on January 11, 1979.

Mr White said that in the previous ten years there had been a constant movement from the "Donegal side of the Foyle" to the east bank and other parts of Northern Ireland. The result he said was reflected in dwindling unionist representation and a "drastic fall" in the membership of the Protestant churches.

Considering the causes of the shift, Mr White listed political fears, the pattern of violence and "the almost total abandonment of the west bank of the Foyle by RUC personnel".

The official said he doubted anything could be done to reverse the trend and felt shopping and infrastructural projects should be utilised to promote the ideas of interdependence.

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Underlining the importance of the new Foyle Bridge he said: "The river should be a link and not a barrier."

A second visit to Londonderry was made by officials on January 22, 1979.

In a report, they highlighted "the disastrous political and social effects of a 'two-city' situation developing" and favoured the concept of the Protestant Waterside "remaining what it had traditionally been, a suburb of Derry."