Irish nationalist
Irish nationalism is a nationalist political movement which, in its broadest sense, asserts that the people of Ireland should govern Ireland as a sovereign state. Since the mid-19th century, Irish nationalism has largely taken the form of c ...
political study group in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
.
Nationalism in Northern Ireland in the late 1950s was dominated by the Nationalist Party. This effectively operated as a network of elected politicians. Its attempt to build a rank-and-file movement, the
Irish Anti-Partition League
The Irish Anti-Partition League (APL) was a political organisation based in Northern Ireland which campaigned for a united Ireland from 1945 to 1958.
Foundation
Prior to the establishment of the League, there had been no rank-and-file organis ...
, had ceased to function in 1956 and was wound up in 1959. Although a few former members had formed local branches of the Nationalist Party, most were unorganised, while the only checks on and support for the politicians were conventions held before each election in order to select candidates.Brendan Lynn, ''Holding the Ground: The Nationalist Party in Northern Ireland, 1945 - 72'' (1997),
In response to this, Michael McKeown and Queen's University of Belfast lecturer James Scott founded National Unity in 1959 and organised events calling for radical changes in Irish nationalism. The organisation encouraged the Nationalist Party to increase its level of activity, for it to appeal to Unionists, and also to try to draw young Irish republicans away from violence.
In order to appeal to Unionists, National Unity called for nationalists to draw up a blueprint of a united and independent
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, and for all nationalists to unite and build a national organisation. This had little impact on the Nationalist Party, so in 1962, National Unity renewed its call, declaring that it might contest elections where no candidate clearly stood for an alternative to the current constitutional situation.
The organisation did not ultimately stand any candidates, but finding that the Nationalist Party was unresponsive, it worked with
Gerry Quigley
Gerry Quigley (3 November 1928 – 23 December 2003) was a trade unionist and political activist in Northern Ireland.
Quigley grew up in the Donegall Pass area of Belfast. He studied at St Joseph's Training College before working as a primary s ...
, Secretary of the
Irish National Teachers' Organisation
The Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) ( ga, Cumann Múinteoirí Éireann), founded in 1868, is the oldest and largest teachers' trade union in Ireland. It represents teachers at primary level in the Republic of Ireland, and at prima ...
, to call a conference of all nationalists.
The conference was held on 19 April 1964 in
. It was well attended, although Nationalist Party leader
Eddie McAteer
Eddie McAteer (25 June 1914 – 25 March 1986) was an Irish nationalist politician in Northern Ireland.
Born in Coatbridge, Scotland, McAteer's family moved to Derry in Northern Ireland while he was young. In 1930 he joined the Inland Revenu ...
rejected his invitation, and other Nationalist MPs were reluctant to accept criticisms raised of them. The conference founded the National Political Front, into which National Unity dissolved itself.