It is hoped that the presence of the British Army will help to contain a volatile situation in Northern Ireland.

The debate at Stormont revealed a widening gulf between the government and the opposition resulting in a number of opposition MPs walking out of the chamber.

Today's walk-out of opposition MPs from Stormont is not surprising due to irreconcilable views. Some of the opposition MPs went so far as to describe Stormont as "an irrelevance".

Martin Wallace sums up political opinion on the arrival of British soldiers on the streets of Northern Ireland, "Outside Stormont, the signs are that recent troubles have divided the North more than at any time within the past thirty years."

Austin Currie warned that an uprising is on its way.

RTÉ News reports on the political reaction to the arrival of the British Army in Northern Ireland broadcast on 14 August 1969.

The accompanying image shows British troops filmes by RTÉ News setting up barricades in Derry on 14 August 1969.

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