Kennally Northern Ireland Archive

Archive reference: NOR

In August 1971, British sociologists D. J. Kennally, a Lecturer in Politics at the University of Bradford, and Eric Preston, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Contemporary Studies at Leeds Polytechnic, were invited to Belfast at request of the Social Democratic Labour Party of Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (N.I.C.R.A.).

The academics were asked "to examine the evidence relating to the treatment of detainees, the harassment, intimidation and brutality of the British Armed forces towards the Catholic Community, and the living conditions of the Catholic people with particular reference to the circumstances surrounding evictions".

Kennally and Preston were given access to complaints on file with these organisations. They took copies of complaints, interviewed some of the complainants, and visited other organisations. The eventual report, "Belfast August 1971: a case to be answered", was published by the Independent Labour Party in November 1971.

The Archive contains sources used in the writing of the report and was presented to the University of Bradford by Mr Kennally in 1978. It includes: press cuttings and letters in subject files; pamphlets, newsletters and periodicals covering civil rights, evictions, internment and abuse of military and police powers. Most of the material dates from 1969 to 1972; the "Irish Weekly" covers 1970 to 1976.

Further information is available as a collection-level entry on the Library catalogue.