The third series of Pop Goes Northern Ireland begins with the year 1972, a tumultuous year with the watershed events of Bloody Sunday and the imposition of direct rule. The programme also charts the rise of the Loyalist movement, Vanguard, and the emergence of the UDA as a major paramilitary force. A brief moment of hope engendered by an IRA ceasefire evaporates in the carnage of Bloody Friday and Claudy. Through Operation Motorman, the army brings to an end the infamous "no-go" areas.