Prelude

The mid to late 1960s saw increasing activity to expose discrimination in Northern Ireland. Important work, such as that of the Campaign for Social Justice (CSJ) and the creation of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) made little headway and forced some activists to take a more direct approach. Austin Currie's squat at Caledon (Country Tyrone) in June 1968 highlighted the importance of the housing question for what was to follow.

Currie's direct action at Caledon must be placed in its context. Domestically, as Prime Minister Terance O'Neill's overtures to the south revealed, the outlook was thought to be positive. Internationally, social and cultural change was in the air whilst the U.S Civil Rights movement became a source of inspiration.