The Derry Housing Action Committee (DHAC), was an organisation formed in 1968 in

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...

to protest about housing conditions and provision. The DHAC was formed in February 1968 by two

socialists Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the econ ...

and four tenants in response to the plight of the homeless and those tenants in the city who suffered under " Rachmanite" landlords. Named after the

Dublin Housing Action Committee The Dublin Housing Action Committee (DHAC) was a 1960s protest group formed in response to housing shortages in Dublin, Ireland's capital city. It quickly moved to direct action and successfully squatted buildings to oppose redevelopment plans. ...

, the DHAC's initial actions (March 1968) involved disrupting meetings of the Unionist-dominated Londonderry Corporation to protest at the lack of housing provision in the city. The Derry Housing Action Committee and its sister organisation Derry Unemployed Action Committee had many members and supporters from the James Connolly Republican Club, trade unionists and labour party members, amongst its activists were Eamonn Melaugh,

Eamonn McCann Eamonn McCann (born 10 March 1943) is an Irish politician, journalist, political activist, and former councillor from Derry, Northern Ireland. McCann was a People Before Profit (PBP) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Foyle from 201 ...

, Fionnbarra Ó Dochartaigh (Finbar O'Doherty), J.J. O’Hara (brother of hunger striker

Patsy O'Hara Patsy O'Hara (Irish: Peatsaí Ó hEadhra; 11 July 1957 – 21 May 1981) was an Irish republican hunger striker and member of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA). Biography O'Hara was born in Bishop Street, Derry, Northern Ireland. He ...

), Labour activist Gerry Mallet amongst others.DHAC 1968 & 1969
www.nicivilrights.org In May 1968 DHAC held another protest at the

Guildhall, Derry The Guildhall in Derry, Northern Ireland, is a guildhall in which the elected members of Derry City and Strabane District Council meet. It is a Grade A listed building. History The current building was preceded by an earlier town hall called ...

and on 22 June staged a protest by blocking the Lecky Road in the

Bogside The Bogside is a neighbourhood outside the city walls of Derry, Northern Ireland. The large gable-wall murals by the Bogside Artists, Free Derry Corner and the Gasyard Féile (an annual music and arts festival held in a former gasyard) are pop ...

area. After June 1968, when a

caravan Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop *Camel train, a convoy using camels as pack animals *Convoy, a group of veh ...

housing a family of four was dragged along a major road until the family was rehoused, the DHAC's actions became more militant and houses were squatted. On 3 July 1968, as part of a series of protests against housing conditions in Derry, DHAC held a sit-down protest on the newly opened second deck of the

Craigavon Bridge The Craigavon Bridge is one of three bridges in Derry, Northern Ireland. It crosses the River Foyle further south than the Foyle Bridge and Peace Bridge. It is one of only a few double-decker road bridges in Europe. It was named after Lord Craiga ...

in the city. Neil O’Donnell and Roddy O’Carlin were jailed for a month for refusal to keep the peace. On 27 August 1968, DHAC organised another protest in the Guildhall's council chamber. Immediately afterwards Eamonn Melaugh telephoned the

Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association ) was an organisation that campaigned for civil rights in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Formed in Belfast on 9 April 1967,

(NICRA) and invited them to organise a march in Derry. Together with NICRA, they organised the 5 October 1968 civil rights demonstration in

, whose banning and violent suppression by the

Royal Ulster Constabulary The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. It was founded on 1 June 1922 as a successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC)Richard Doherty, ''The Thin Green Line – The History of the Roya ...

(RUC) was one of the catalysts of the so-called '

Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an " ...

References

Further reading