Williamson, Barry (Oral history)

British civilian in Northern Ireland, 1943-1965; hotel manager with Cliffe and Europa Hotels in Belfast, Northern Ireland, 1974-1980

REEL 1 Recollections of period as civilian in Belfast and Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 1943-1965: family; protestant origins of family; religious division of schools; sight of Irish Republican Army (IRA) blowing up of British Broadcasting Corporation radio transmitter mast in Londonderry, 12/12/1956; reaction to stone throwing activities on holiday in Belfast; attitude of fellow schoolchildren; importance of history to communities; selective language; parades in Londonderry; how the parades were seen as exercises in power; allocation of housing in Londonderry; role of Orange Lodge; provocative nature of Protestant parades; character of community divisions in Londonderry; question of inter-marriage between communities; lack of evidence of political and religious displays during 1950s-1970s; his father's mixing with Catholic community and advice he gave; Protestant community's view of Irish Republican Army (IRA); attitude of population to leaving Northern Ireland. REEL 2 Continues: economic situation in Northern Ireland, 1950s-1960s; trips into southern Ireland; employment in Londonderry on leaving college; employment in Dublin, Republic of Ireland; winning second prize in art contest celebrating 50th Anniversary of 1916 Uprising; personal belief in a united Ireland; degree of discrimination faced in Dublin, Republic of Ireland; opinion of Irish President Eamon de Valera; attitude to civil rights movement in late 1960s; sectarian nature of Irish Republican Army (IRA); character of civil rights leadership; need for charismatic leaders in Irish politics; opinion of Ian Paisley; importance of phrase 'No Surrender' in Protestant community; degree of tension at start of civil rights movement; confinement of community tension to working class areas; return to Belfast from Dublin, Republic of Ireland, 1968; growing tension in Belfast, 1968; character of community divisions in Belfast; contrast in walking across Belfast city between 1960s and 1980s; motivation of Catholic and Protestant paramilitaries. REEL 3 Continues: return to Belfast after employment in Scotland, 1974. Recollections of period as hotel manager with Cliffe and Europa Hotels in Belfast, Northern Ireland, 1974-1980: taking position as manager with Cliffe Hotel; location of Cliffe Hotel; character of hotel's customers; visits to hotel by British Army, Royal Ulster Constabulary and Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) patrols; fate of hotel after he left, 1977; relations with all groups visiting hotel; time taken to evacuate building; technique for crossing street during gun battle; question of supplying protection money; threat from Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) member and his subsequent shooting; fate of Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) member; need for awareness of situation; relations with different communities; occasion when he drove through Protestant roadblock during strike; damage to hotel during Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) attacks on nearby police barracks; repair to windows by Ulster Defence Association (UDA) members; amusing story of Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) allowing children to stone cars; degree of criminality amongst working class Catholic men; dealing with barman stealing from hotel. REEL 4 Continues: aftermath of incident and how Official Irish Republican Army (IRA) dealt with barman; contrast in Official and Provisional Irish Republican Army's attitude to theft; dealing with suspect packages; dealing with bomb threat as deputy manager in Belfast Europa Hotel; reasons for bombing of Belfast Europa Hotel; personal outlook on bombings; incident of being caught in bomb explosion in bus station; attempt to provide safe area in Belfast Europa Hotel; instances of intimidation and how he dealt with them; reasons for leaving Northern Ireland; destruction of new hotel by bomb; question of future in Northern Ireland.