Selection of items from the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association archive.
The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) formed in Belfast in 1967 to achieve reform by publicising, documenting, marching, and lobbying for an end to discrimination. Inspired by the example of peaceful, non-violent protest in other parts of the world, civil rights protesters began to take to the streets of Northern Ireland.
When NICRA’s office closed in 1983, its documents were retained by Madge Davison, who had become chief organiser of NICRA in 1976. When she died in 1991, the records were donated to The Linen Hall.
The archive reflects the full history of the organisation and includes material relating to a range of social issues including elections, housing, employment and justice. It documents NICRA’s objectives of “one man, one vote”, bringing an end to perceived injustice in the system of public authority housing, in employment practices, in voting and representational rights, and powers available to suppress dissent.
The archive illustrates the lived experience of “ordinary” people, charting the organisation’s groundbreaking movement for social change, trailblazing grassroots activism, and engagement with mainstream politics.
The archive contains a wide range of material created and collected by NICRA, including:
In 2025, The Linen Hall received an Archives Revealed grant from The National Archives to sort, catalogue and make this archive accessible, alongside the records of former Chairperson Paddy Joe (P.J.) McClean and ephemera collected contemporaneously over decades. Below are examples of some key items from the archive.
Copy of letter from Belfast organiser to Vanessa Redgrave, 15 January 1973 (NIPC/CRA/3/5/8).
NICRA organised the first two Bloody Sunday commemorations in 1973 and 1974, with Sinn Féin then organising the annual event from 1975 to 1989. On Sunday 28 January 1973, at the first annual commemoration held in the Bogside in Derry/Londonderry, actress Vanessa Redgrave read aloud the poem Butcher’s Dozen by Robert Kinsella.
At this point, Redgrave was already a highly prominent film, television and theatre actress and had received three Academy Award nominations. In February 1972, she had previously attended a civil rights march in Newry to support the families of the 13 people shot dead on Bloody Sunday.
This letter, sent from the Belfast organiser of NICRA to Redgrave, states that a copy of Kinsella’s poem has been enclosed and details travel arrangements for Redgrave’s flight home from Belfast to London.
The letter is part of a series (NIPC/CRA/3) of correspondence that consists of letters, memoranda, and written communication received by NICRA. These documents include communication between NICRA and its members/affiliates, letters to and from politicians, legal professionals, government officials, the media, advocacy groups, community groups, as well as correspondence with supporters and critics.
Poster from the Los Angeles Chapter of NICRA, year unknown (NIPC/CRA/6/8).
This hand-drawn poster was created to advertise an event held at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. It is part of a series of ephemera (NIPC/CRA/6) comprising a diverse collection of transient printed materials produced by NICRA. These items reflect the day-to-day activities, public messaging, and visual culture of NICRA. Materials include leaflets, flyers, posters, membership cards, membership application forms, tickets, stickers, and other printed ephemera.
While the poster references the Los Angeles Chapter of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, the National Association for Irish Freedom (NAIF) was the representative of NICRA in the USA. The archive includes a file of correspondence between NICRA and NAIF (NIPC/CRA/3/6/1), which makes several references to the Los Angeles chapter of NAIF.
The archive shows NICRA’s global reach and includes a sub-series of correspondence with other international branches in countries such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand (NIP/CRA/1/9).
Report by P.J. McClean on his visit to the 11th World Festival of Youth and Students, Havana, Cuba, 29 July to 5 August 1978 (PJM/2/4).
This document, written by P.J. McClean, provides a two-page report to the NICRA Executive on his visit to the 11th World Festival of Youth and Students held in Havana, Cuba, where he acted as the NICRA representative of the Irish delegation. The event was attended by 18,500 young people from 145 different countries.
In the report, McClean states that the event gave him “a fresh insight into the remarkable esteem in which the work of NICRA is held… and brought home to me the necessity of increasing activity at home and extending the NICRA information abroad”.
McClean outlines his discussions of the ongoing civil rights campaign with members of the Irish delegation and his work in distributing civil rights literature to international delegates. He pays tribute to other members of the Irish delegation who helped the NICRA cause and concludes by stating “How the Cause of NICRA was served in Havana will be best judged by reports and letters to the NICRA office rather than by statements from me”.
This document is part of a file (NIPC/PJM/2/4) on trips and external conferences from c. 1975 to 1981, which shows NICRA’s attempts to reach out to an international audience. The file includes reports and agendas relating to NICRA trips to the USA, a report presented by Edwina Stewart to the 1980 World Parliament of People for Peace held in Sofia and a report on the Warsaw Conference of Peace Builders held in the late 1970s.
NICRA membership card, 1970 (PJM/2/1).
The ephemera file includes several memberships cards from various years, including this one for Mr Vincent Burke. The handwritten ‘544’ in the top right-hand corner likely marks his membership number.
WHAT IS N.I.C.R.A.? leaflet, 1970s (PJM/2/1)
This leaflet, published in the 1970s, includes details of NICRA’s formation, its demands and ongoing campaigns. It concludes by stating that “In difficult times the organisation has continued, and been ready to move into operation, when the issues become clear again. This will continue until full civil rights and social justice are won”.
NICRA Annual March Draw card, date unknown (PJM/2/1).
This Annual March Draw card shows NICRA’s attempts to raise funds for the organisation. The card reveals that seller Seamus Mullen of Lisnaskea sold six £1 tickets to various people in Fermanagh.
The rear of the card includes a quote from P.J. McClean, speaking at a meeting to launch the NICRA draw: “I appeal to all people interested in Civil Rights to support this Draw in the knowledge that whatever political settlement is reached here or however long it may take, NICRA, with your support, will not cease in its efforts to ensure that the rights and liberties of the average man and his family will be protected by just law.”
The archives and collections we have at The Linen Hall are thanks to the generosity and support of our members and supporters. If you have material relevant to civil rights in Northern Ireland which you would like to donate to enrich our archives and preserve for future generations please email info@linenhall.com.
