This BBC One Northern Ireland documentary looks at why this migration took place during a 35 year period which saw as many as one in five of the city’s population leave their homes.
Exodus, an Open Reel Production for BBC Northern Ireland, hears the stories of those families who left their homes during these years which were some of the worst of the Troubles. The programme also hears from those people who chose to stay. For the first time the human story behind one of the most contentious chapters in the City’s recent history is told on television.
In addition to the ordinary stories of the City’s Protestant population, Exodus features contributions from figures including Gregory Campbell MP, journalist and civil rights activist Eamonn McCann and former Mayors of the City including Jack Allen, the Ulster Unionist Mayor from 1974-1975, John Tierney, the SDLP Mayor from 1984-1985, and Bishop James Mehaffey.
Exodus begins by looking at Londonderry’s historical significance to Protestantism in Ireland, rooted in the Siege of Derry, and moves on to look at the real impact of the outbreak of the Troubles in 1969 on its Protestant population.
Using archive footage, the programme recalls some of the lowest points for Derry during the Troubles which saw the killings of innocent civilians and members of the security forces and looks at how communities were split along sectarian lines. But with the ending of violence and Derry’s continuing prosperity what does the future hold for the city’s population?
Producer and Director Vinny Cunningham said:
“This was a period that transformed Derry City and had a dramatic effect on its population and its people. And it happened in our era and we continue to live with it today. Exodus tries to go beyond just the political aspects of the time and seeks the views and personal experiences of ordinary people who were caught up in these events.”
Exodus is shown on BBC One Northern Ireland as part of a series of three programmes focusing on the city over three consecutive nights. It begins with another chance to see Battle of the Bogside – the award-winning documentary from Open Reel Production - on Monday, January 07 at 10.35pm followed by a further screening of No Go: The Free Derry Story on Tuesday night at 10.35pm, with Exodus on Wednesday, January 09 at 10.40pm.