Betsy Og
I can see you believe that version of events and it does sound plausible, but let me question a few of the mantras.
Unemployment in RoI has always been higher than in NI, including its catholics, except for the illusion of the Celtic Tiger.
Back in 1969 no way had the RoI a superior SW system. It has now for sure but that is a whole different folly.
My sense, having lived in both jurisdictions, but I stand to be corrected, is that there is far more upward mobility in NI even for catholics (these days especially for catholics). MC and WC went to the same grammar schools. WC kids could genuinely rise up through the social strata.
Ever go to a disadvantaged area of Dublin (I recommend Fettercairn). It is not pretty, these are practically no go areas.
But now my main point. No way could a successful and sophisticated terrorist campaign be launched and sustained from the housing estates of Belfast and BTW neither will it ever happen in Fettercairn either.
A successful terrorist campaign needs the support of very senior figures in the establishment of a hostile country if not quite in the government itself. CH et al founded and succoured the Provisional IRA, fact.
This State really let itself down over Sunningdale. It should have introduced internment in support of that initiative (Dev did to save the RoI from the IRA in the 30s). Instead the IRA were free to accelerate its bombing campaign to the point where the whole thing became intolerable for the protestant majority and they cried Halt.
Ironic thing is that 30 years and many deaths later Martin and the IRA are hailing a dispensation which is almost indistinguishable from Sunningdale as a victory.
If only our government had shown real guts back in 1973 we would now have fair governance of NI without ceding control to the IRA and we would have saved thousands of lives to boot.