How did internment without trial affect support for the IRA?

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Everyday life during the Troubles — the Troubles Local people walking past a British soldier on guard in Northern Ireland, August 1969.

The introduction of internment without trial in August 1971, which primarily targeted the nationalist community, failed to weaken the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Instead, the policy proved counterproductive, encouraging the intensification of the IRA’s campaign and fueling further unrest.1

Rather than suppressing the conflict, the policy exacerbated tensions, leading to increased recruitment for the IRA and contributing to the cycle of violence that defined the Troubles. The policy was so contentious that it served as a primary catalyst for the protest in Derry on January 30, 1972, which resulted in the tragedy known as Bloody Sunday. Ultimately, the use of internment failed to restore order and was ended in 1975.21