Northern Ireland Webquest
Purpose: After having studied the Reformation and Martin Luther, 10th grade History students are now encouraged to find out how the split of the Catholic Church continues to affect societies around the world.
The Task: Students are to answer the questions below by doing research and writing a paragraph that effectively answers each of the nine questions. Students are required to paste their answers onto our class blog: prsworldhistory.blogspot.com. It is hoped that students will have a better understanding of the issues in Northern Ireland after they have completed this assignment.
1. What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
4. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
Please include an MLA style bibliography to complete this assignment
Due Date: The assignment needs to be posted no later than 8:00am on Monday, October 4th.
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ReplyDeleteWhat has been the major issue in Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteThere have been multiple important modern issues in Northern Ireland, beginning in the early 1970’s and continuing until only a few years ago, but they all stem from one source - the division between the Catholics and Protestants who live there. The first major issue was the demand for civil rights by Catholics, who had been oppressed and denied opportunity by the relatively autonomous (and mostly Protestant) Northern Irish government, which abused Special Powers Acts to ignore civil rights and twisted voting rules to keep itself in power. Next, civil unrest provoked Britain to eliminate the local government and give control of the region directly to London. Riots and marches continued as Protestant British soldiers and police descended upon the region under the pretense of keeping the peace, and war broke out between the British and the IRA. Eventually, the IRA agreed to peace talks and disbanded under growing pressure from all sides of Northern Ireland. It was not until much later that local governing powers (this time fairer and more balanced) were finally restored, ending the last major conflict between the Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland.
Described what happened to Ireland in 1921.
In 1921, Ireland was partitioned into two pieces, 26 predominantly Catholic counties in the south becoming Southern Ireland (which would later become the Republic of Ireland) and 6 predominantly Protestant counties in the North becoming Northern Ireland, a semi-autonomous country within the United Kingdom. This was in response to growing discomfort of the Catholics in the south with Protestant English rule and growing nationalism in general. The partition agreement had been ratified in 1914, but was postponed until the resolution of the Second World War. The British arranged the new border so as to give Northern Ireland the maximum ratio of Protestants to Catholics, but that ratio shrunk as time went on. The oppressed Catholics finally decided that they wanted to break away from England and join Southern Ireland, creating one of today’s most heated political debates.
Describe what came to be known as “The Troubles” from 1963 to 1989.
In the mid to late sixties, the Catholic population of Northern Ireland, being the first generation of Nothern Irish Catholics to have experienced a decent education, began to demand more civil liberties. Voting fraud and manipulation, unfair distribution of government housing, and a lack of human rights were some of the causes they marched for. By the late 60’s, protests and sit-ins were being held all across Northern Ireland, and the (over 90% Protestant) police cracked down hard. Over the course of the next few years, the violence escalated into all-out sectarian warfare, with Protestant mobs attacking and burning Catholic areas, and vice versa. The police, completely unable to deal with the problem, sided with the Protestants, which lead the IRA to regain prominence as the complementary defender of the Catholics. As complete chaos broke out, the British government sent in large numbers of troops and police, and suspended all local and provincial government in favor of direct rule from London. Unfortunately, this did not have the intended effect, as the British condoned the new policy of internment and torture, usually of Catholics, without trial, turning the British forces into yet more oppressors in the eyes of the Catholics. This, in concert with the Bloody Sunday shootings, gave the IRA a boost in membership, and it carried out bombings in Northern Ireland and eventually in England until a cease-fire in 1994.
How has the British Army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
ReplyDeleteThe British Army was deployed to Northern Ireland to support the police forces, exhausted by several days of rioting after a parade celebrating a historical victory of Protestants over Catholics. What was initially planned as a spur-of-the-moment, small and temporary reinforcement became the longest deployment of the British Army in its history, and involved over 300,000 service members over its course, with up to 30,000 in Northern Ireland at a time. Initially, they were welcomed by the Catholics as a liberating force from the increasing brutality of the police, but it soon became apparent as the army supported the police and even, allegedly, some Protestant paramilitary groups that the situation had worsened for the Catholics. A policy was put in place of shoot-to-kill of suspected Republicans, and suspected “dissidents” were arrested and tortured without trial. The presence of the army was probably one of if not the largest factor in prolonging the violence, as the continued mistakes and atrocities of the army gave the IRA its biggest recruitment opportunities and freedom fighter/underdog status. The bulk of the troops was not pulled out until 2007, almost four decades after the initial deployment.
Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
I.R.A. stands for Irish Republican Army, a term used by many organizations that stem from one original IRA - the freedom fighters that provoked independence for Southern Ireland in the early 20’s. After the Republic of Ireland was formed, the IRA split into two IRA’s, one becoming the legitimate military of the new country, and one remaining a terrorist organization. That remaining one persisted until 1969, when it split into the “Official IRA,” a Marxist political group, and the “Provisional IRA,” a militant terrorist/freedom fighter group dedicated to protecting Northern Irish Catholics. The PIRA is generally the group referred to when the term IRA is applied in a modern context. The PIRA persists today, and has spawned two other groups, the “Continuity IRA” and the “Real IRA.” The PIRA fought for Catholics living in Northern Ireland, and was the main armed force that countered the acts of the Protestant police force (The Royal Ulster Constabulary, or RUC.) When the Britsh Army entered Ireland, they too became targets of the PIRA, and the violence eventually became mainly between those two groups. The PIRA also became expert at creating massive bombs, detonating them in Protestant areas of Northern Ireland for retribution and in prominent parts of England to draw national attention and political pressure to deal with the issue. One of these bombs killed an MP and almost killed the prime minister at the time, Margaret Thatcher. After the liberals took political power in England in the 90’s, hopes for a settlement were raised and reached, as the PIRA agreed to a cease-fire in 1994, briefly interrupted in 1996-97, and finally disarmed for good in 2005 after a long and controversial process of international scrutiny.
What happened on “Bloody Sunday” in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
ReplyDeleteThe infamous incident that later came to be known as Bloody Sunday occurred in January of 1972. A protests by Catholics numbering between 5,000 and 20,000 against the new policy of internment without trial passed a British Army base on the way to its destination, and some of the protesters began to harass the soldiers. Eventually the soldiers started to arrest the protesters, and violence broke out. The soldiers began firing on the crowd, claiming to have come under attack with guns and nailbombs. Most observers dispute this observation, and no guns or bombs have ever been recovered at the scene. The soldiers also claimed to only be firing at those with guns, but none of the dead possessed weapons when they were recovered and most observers again claim the firing was indiscriminate. 13 people, all Catholic protesters, were killed, with another 13 injured (one of whom died later.) This incident sparked huge international criticism of Britain’s handling of the conflict in Northern Ireland, as it was one of only a few violent incidents perpetrated directly by the government and not by paramilitary groups. A legal inquiry was not established until 1998, and even then did not publish its findings until earlier this year. After hearing every testimonial possible of the event, the inquiry published its report earlier this year, conclusively stating that the civilians posed absolutely no threat to the soldiers, that no stones or other weapons were used, and that the soldiers lost control and fired upon the crowd without warning. None of the soldiers involved have ever been punished for their actions.
What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
Currently Northern Ireland has a devolved government, similar to the governments of Scotland and Wales, and is part of the United Kingdom. This devolution of government has been one of the major issues in Irish politics since direct British rule was instated in the early 70s. Devolution was not restored until the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998 and a proportionally representative government was put into power. Britain has suspended local government twice, once in 2002 and again in 2006, with the government actually acting as originally intended for the first time in 2007. Now, Catholics and Protestants are fairly represented in the Northern Irish Assembly and a Protestant and Catholic are First and deputy First Minister, respectively. In 2010, control of the judicial system and police were returned to Northern Ireland, marking the U.K.’s confidence in the new power-sharing government. The Republic of Ireland has discarded its claim to sovereignty over Northern Ireland, the IRA has disarmed, and overall things are quite possibly more peaceful than they have been for centuries. Thousands died in the conflict, but the end result was a stable, fair government that ensured peace and equality for all its citizens, regardless of religion.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
ReplyDeleteOn Bloody Sunday in 1972, 14 unarmed civilians were killed and many more wounded when British troops opened fire on their peaceful protest. This happened at a peaceful protest in January by Catholics who were campaigning for equal rights in Londonderry. The British troops according to a recent report published this year concerning Bloody Sunday acted rashly and then lied about it. This incident led to an increase in violence in the “troubles”. Six months after Bloody Sunday, a Catholic priest, affiliated with the IRA, organized three car bombs to explode in the town of Claudy, which killed nine innocent bystanders. This one incident was done in response to Bloody Sunday.
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
The current government as of 2007 is shared between Protestants and Catholics. It iccludes having the speaker rotate from being a Nationalist to a Loyalist. This power sharing government appeared to have worked for 22 months as no violence occurred during this period. However, in 2009 with more Irish economic troubles, a republican dissident killed two British peace keepers and an Irish policeman in 48 hours, and violence has recently increased. Obviously, this power sharing government has not satisfied all, even though it is relatively fair to both sides.
Works cited
Abunimah, Ali. "Northern Ireland News - Breaking World Northern Ireland News - The New York Times." Nytimes.com. New York Times, 02 Oct. 2010. Web. 2 Oct. 2010. .
"The Bloody Sunday Inquiry: Long Time Coming | The Economist." The Economist - World News, Politics, Economics, Business & Finance. The Economist, 17 June 2010. Web. 02 Oct. 2010. .
"The Claudy Killings: Not Peace but a Sword | The Economist." The Economist - World News, Politics, Economics, Business & Finance. The Economist, 26 Aug. 2010. Web. 02 Oct. 2010. .
"Historic Return for NI Assembly." BBC News - Home. British Broadcast Corporation, 8 May 2007. Web. 02 Oct. 2010. .
1. What has been the major issue in northern Ireland in the past 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteThe major issue in Northern Ireland during the past three decades has been tensions between Protestant Irish people and Catholic Irish people. The Catholics in Northern Ireland are a minority and were shut out of politics for a very long time as well as faced economic discrimination. The Catholics in Northern Ireland generally live a much poor life. There is a high percentage of them unemployed and below the poverty line. On the other hand, Protestants are usually richer and more employed than Catholics. In addition, they dominate the local police force as well as the British peace keeping force whose mission is to stop the Catholic terrorist known as the IRA. However, these issues no longer just a difference in religions; it is also a cultural issue. Many Catholics and Protestants believe that the other is different from oneself even if they have never met one.
2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
In 1916, the Republic of Ireland was still under British possession. However, that same year, the Irish people rebelled in a rebellion that is known as the Easter Monday rebellion. This rebellion was put down, but it kicked off several years of guerilla fighting that lasted until 1921 were Ireland received its independence. However, the upper six counties with a large protestant population wanted to stay in the United Kingdom. Also, Belfast at the time was a rich production center, and the British did not want to give that away. So, the republic of Irelands independence in 1921 did not include the whole Island.
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
The “troubles” from 1963-1985 refers to a civil war between rebel Catholic forces and the British government. The Catholic forces, IRA, were displeased with their lot in society, since many of them were a lot poorer than their Protestant counterparts. The fighting was intense some year with a high death toll of 486 in 1972. However, during the rest of the year violence only caused 100 deaths. The declaration of the Downing Street Declaration in the late ‘80’sended the official “troubles”, but minor violence continued into the 21st century.
4. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
The presence of the British army has only helped the split, for most or all of the British troops in Northern Ireland are Protestants. So, Catholics are always reminded of their lower economic status to Protestants by the troops on the street. In addition, the presence of British troops probably increased the levels of violence during the “troubles”, since British troops represented the oppressors as well as sometimes shot civilians in event like “bloody Sunday” where 14 unarmed civilians were killed.
5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
The IRA stands for the Irish Republican Army. It was founded in 1969 to give civil rights to Catholics, and many in the group believe that that means giving Northern Ireland its independence from London. This group has been very mixed. It has been both violent and nonviolent. It had renounced arms after the Belfast agreement only to hit Northern Ireland with a new wave of bombing in the 2000’s. Recently their bombings caused the British government to raise its terrorist threat level to substantial. However, they have also held many peaceful rallies and diplomatic talks to achieve their goal of Catholic civil rights. But, these have been overshadowed by their radical bombings and shootings. Due to these violent actions, the British government considers them terrorists.
1.
ReplyDeleteThe major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades is that Northern Ireland has been ruled by Great Britain, and the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland has been mistreated
2.
On December 6, 1921, the Anglo- Irish Peace Treaty was established between Great Britain and Ireland. The treaty stated that the Republic of Ireland was now a free state, no longer ruled by Great Britain. The Republic of Ireland gave up their rights to the north, thus giving it to Great Britain.
3.
“The troubles” is a war between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, as well as the I.R.A and Great Britain’s troops. This began when the Northern Ireland Prime minister Viscount Brooke Borough stepped out of office. After the prime minister resigned, an ex- army officer, Terence O’Neil was put into office. Northern Ireland was facing an economic decline, and O’Neil wanted to launch a series of extreme advances to improve this. The first one was to meet with the prime minister of Ireland. Many “unionists” felt threatened by some of his plans, provoked violence. Blatant attacks began all throughout Northern Ireland in 1966, with killings by a radical group called the Ulster Volunteer Force. This was the beginning of The Troubles that lasted for another 19 years.
4.
The presence of the British army in Northern Ireland was very harmful to the Catholic minority. They would beat Catholics, and segregated them to opposite sides of streets, and sometimes between fences. The Protestants were widely favored in most every aspect of life, including voting and a higher government investment in Protestant neighborhoods.
5.
ReplyDeleteThe I.R.A is the Irish Republican Army. The I.R.A are activists trying to assist Northern Ireland by removing Britain from rule. One of their main goals is to get citizens in Northern Ireland arms to protect themselves against the British forces. People in Ireland and Northern Ireland believe that the I.R.A is a good group that is only trying to assist helpless people. However, if you were to ask people from Great Britain, they would say that the I.R.A is a terrorist group.
6.
On January 30, 1972, the very aggressive British Army set into action the “Parachute Regiment” to restrain the riots in Derry, the largely Catholic section. The army was brutal with the Catholics, killing thirteen and leaving numerous others wounded in the streets. This was known as Bloody Sunday.
7.
Today, Northern Ireland is run by Ian Paisley and Martin McGuiness, who are the first and deputy first ministers. Tony Blair believes that this change will give a change for Northern Ireland to “escape the heavy chains of history” and “ “make history anew.”
Works Cited
ReplyDelete• Kellett, Andrew. "Irish Republican Army (IRA)." In Ackermann, Marsha E., Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and Mark F. Whitters, eds. Encyclopedia of World History: The Contemporary World, 1950 to the Present, vol. 6. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE53&iPin=WHVI169&SingleRecord=True (accessed September 27, 2010).
• History, By Bbc. "BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC - Homepage. 1 Feb. 2007. Web. 27 Sept. 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/recent/troubles/the_troubles_article_01.shtml
• Paseta, Senia. "Northern Ireland: A Divided Community 1921-1972." Reference Books, Newspaper Archives, Historical Research, E-Reference Books. Web. 28 Sept. 2010. http://gale.cengage.co.uk/product-highlights/history/northern-ireland-a-divided-community-19211972.aspx
• Axelrod, Alan, and Charles L. Phillips. "Anglo-Irish Peace Treaty." Encyclopedia of Historical Treaties and Alliances: From Ancient Times to the 1930s, vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE53&iPin=treaties00136&SingleRecord=True (accessed September 28, 2010).
• Irish Free State and Great Britain. "Anglo-Irish Peace Treaty." In Axelrod, Alan, and Charles L. Phillips. Encyclopedia of Historical Treaties and Alliances: From Ancient Times to the 1930s, vol. 1. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE53&iPin=treaties00136&SingleRecord=True (accessed September 28, 2010).
• Burns, William E."Great Britain, 1979–2009." A Brief History of Great Britain, Brief History. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2010. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE53&iPin=BHGBR11&SingleRecord=True (accessed September 28, 2010).
• "BBC NEWS | UK | Northern Ireland | Historic Return for NI Assembly." BBC News - Home. 8 May 2007. Web. 29 Sept. 2010.
1. What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteWithin the past three decades there have been various important events beginning in the 1970’s up to a few years ago. The one factor that has made these conflicts important is the harsh division between the Catholics and the Protestants in Northern Ireland. Conflicts between the two religions have brought about massacres, governmental hardship, and oppressed people. An example of this is during the 1970’s when the Catholics demanded for Civil Rights, but were denied this simple request by a mainly protestant government, which violated the “Civil Authorities Act”.
2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
In 1921, the Angelo-Irish treaty was signed. This treaty stated: British forces would withdraw from most of Ireland; Ireland was a self-governing dominion of the British Empire, British would be able to monitor certain ports for their own protection, and the Irish Free State would be responsible for its part of the Imperial debt. The Treaty was mainly to ally the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
The troubles was a period in which of conflict between the Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland that spilled over to Britain, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe various times. The Troubles was a nationalist conflict between the Catholic and Protestants that had political and military dimensions. The I.R.A. basically wanted to have Ireland without British control and sent troops to fight away British that brought about bloodshed. The arousing of this issue was due to Catholics receiving an education during the early to mid 60’s, which made Catholics think about the issues that were going on and essentially revolt. Many different issues brought this about such as voting issues, manipulation, and the longing for civil liberties. Throughout The Troubles though, there was chaos between the overpowered Protestants, which held over 85% of the population in Northern Ireland during the 1960’s and the 15% of furious Catholics. There was burning, killing, and massacre constantly going on that lead to civil unrest. This conflict kept on going until 1994 when the British stopped shooting.
4. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
The British army sides with the Protestant population, adding forces for them in Northern Ireland. The British army was initially deployed to stop rioting between the religions but, it has evolved into a much larger issue throughout the years. There has been a complete segregation between the two religions by communities, huge walls, and political status.
5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
The I.R.A. (Irish Republican Army) was developed in 1969 and since have been devoted for Irish Republican revolution. They are fighting to remove the British troops out of Northern Ireland and unifying Ireland.
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
On January 30th 1972, the Bogside Massacre occurred. Bloody Sunday was a day when Catholic Civil Rights activists were marching and then the British troops came in and shot 26 civilians. This incident made Catholics more apt to liking the I.R.A and their efforts of getting rid of the British troops in Northern Ireland.
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
The Current government in Northern Ireland is shared between the Protestants and the Catholics. Ian Paisley (Protestant) and Martin McGuinness (Catholic) are the current deputy ministers and they run the show. I do believe that it is fair to both sides, but there has been outbreaks that show there are still conflicts between the two religions that hopefully will be resolved soon.
Works Cited
ReplyDelete"BBC - History - Northern Ireland: The Troubles." BBC - Homepage. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"CAIN: Events: Bloody Sunday - Summary of Event." CAIN: Northern Ireland Conflict, Politics, & Society. Information on 'the Troubles' Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"History of Ireland 1921 - 1925: The Irish Civil War and Stabilisation of Northern Ireland." Wesley Johnston. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"Ireland in the Late 1960s and 1970s." Irish History Links. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"Irish History Timeline." Irish History Links. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"Irish Republican Army (IRA)." Federation of American Scientists. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
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ReplyDeleteThese last 3 decades, Northern Ireland has been engulfed in conflict. The conflict involves government favored Protestants and the downtrodden Catholics. Northern Ireland is controlled by Great Britain and consists of mostly Protestants. The Protestants in Northern Ireland are usually better off than their neighboring Catholics. Protestants only hire Protestants, and thus Catholics are largely unemployed. It has turned from a conflict over land and religion into a struggle for the equal rights of Catholics. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) has been fighting from mainly Catholic Republic of Ireland on behalf of their fellow Catholics in Northern Ireland.
ReplyDeleteIn 1921, Ireland was partitioned into Northern, and then called, Southern Ireland by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Southern Ireland was never a political entity of Great Britain, and eventually broke off to become the Republic of Ireland in 1922. “The Troubles” referred to the time of violence between Ireland’s nationalist, Catholic population and Northern Ireland’s Protestant/ British loyalist dominated populous. This time period consisted of violent clashes between Ireland’s Irish Republican Army and the unionist Ulster Volunteer Force. Unionists have the same belief as loyalists that Ireland should become part of the United Kingdom.
The British troops’ presence in Northern Ireland may be adding fuel to the already blazing fire of mistrust from the Catholic community. It adds to the feeling of oppression and control when they see British soldiers patrolling their streets daily. Their goal is to maintain peace and provide security against “separatist forces” (the IRA).
peace and provide security against “separatist forces” (the IRA).
ReplyDeleteThe IRA declared a ceasefire on August 31, 1994. Their statement said, "We believe that an opportunity to create a just and lasting peace has been created.” Apparently a just and lasting peace was not created because the IRA bombed London’s Docklands on February 9th, 1996. Another cease fire was not put into place until July 20th, 1997, following the election of a new Labour government. The IRA was less hostile toward this new government because they had stated talks with the IRA would be conducted as long as there was a cease fire.
In 1998, the Belfast Agreement was passed, with endorsement from both the British and Irish governments. It stated that all political parties would resolve conflicts with only peaceful, democratic ways. Ireland also gave up its claim on Northern Ireland. A human rights commission was created in order to insure the equal treatment of both Catholics and Protestants. This officially ended the conflict between the two governments; however there is still much bitterness between the two sects to this day.
Works Cited
ReplyDelete"BBC News | Northern Ireland | Understanding Northern Ireland." BBC News - Home. 03 Oct. 2010 .
"British Army Exits Northern Ireland : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. 01 Oct. 2010 .
"Good Friday Agreement - summary." ARK Home Page. May 2000. 03 Oct. 2010 .
Thomson, By Alex. "Bloody Sunday | UK news | guardian.co.uk." Latest news, comment and reviews from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk. 01 Oct. 2010 .
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ReplyDelete1. What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDelete-During the last 3 decades, Northern Ireland has experienced one of the worst social situations ever to occur in Europe, the divide between the Catholics and the Protestants. This divide originated with the Reformation of the Catholic Church, and the formation of the Anglican Church. Ireland was colonized by Britain completely in 1649 by Oliver Cromwell, and this conflict has been present in the isle ever since. In the last three decades, Northern Ireland has seen a segregated society, separating Catholics from Protestants. In addition, Catholics have been suffering economic hardship as well, due to their religious beliefs. During their campaigns for civil rights, peaceful or violent, the Catholics were met with swift action by the British authority. With British troops policing the border as well as the counties, there were many opportunities for them to exploit or commit acts of violence against the Catholic Irish under the pretense of keeping the peace. With the formation of the Provisional IRA, violence increased dramatically from 1969 onwards, instigating a larger British presence in Northern Ireland, causing more violence and furthering the divide between the two religious groups. Now, the Provisional IRA has been disbanded, and a power sharing government has been instituted, restoring at the least, political rights to the Catholics.
2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
-In 1921, the majority of Ireland received its provisional independence from Great Britain. Similar to the later partitions of British colonies, Ireland was partitioned based upon the religious distribution of people. Ireland’s independence movement started in 1916, during World War I. Their reason was, “with Britain distracted by the war in Europe, there would be no better opportunity to strike for an independent Ireland,” (BBC). While their logic was sound, their execution was poor, and the British easily put down the Easter Rising of 1916. This event spawned guerilla warfare between the Irish and the British, culminating with the partition and provisional independence of the majority of Ireland in 1921. Under the “Government of Ireland Act, which became law in May 1921, the six predominantly Protestant counties of Ulster would become the 'north', and the remaining 26 predominantly Catholic counties would become the 'south,’”(BBC). Ulster was the center of the unionist movement, the people who did not want to sever their ties with Great Britain. This provisional independence resulted in the formation of the Irish Republican Army, an organization dedicated to the independence movement of the entirety of Ireland. However, even the IRA splintered when faced with signing the treaty that partitioned Ireland, leading up to an “all out civil war” between the “pro-treaty and anti-treaty members” of the IRA, (BBC).
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
ReplyDelete-“The Troubles” was a period of time in Northern Ireland’s history in which the conflict between the Catholics and Protestants escalated to involve the PIRA and the British army. The Catholics were increasing their campaign for civil rights with many marches and other techniques, similar to the civil rights movement in the United States. The British army became more severe in their reactions to these campaigns, and many incidents occurred in which the army was the enemy. The British army’s actions brought forth a renewed popularity to the PIRA, sympathizers of the Catholics’ plight. The Troubles originated with the emergence of the educated generation of Catholics, and their grievances “for the end to seven 'injustices', ranging from council house allocations to the 'weighted' voting system,” (BBC). With events such as Bloody Sunday, the British army took on the image of the enemy, allowing the PIRA to exert its influence over the Catholics by gaining many followers from them. This period had the highest occurrences of violence, and while it officially ended in 1983, the Provisional IRA continued its actions until 2005, when it officially disbanded. Many other splinter groups from the PIRA originated during the Troubles as well. Paramilitary organizations such as the Real IRA and the Continuity IRA continued to commit atrocities throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the most notable being the Omaghe bombing
4. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
-The British army has been in the middle of this conflict for some time, elongating Britain’s period of Imperialism throughout the twentieth century. Britain wanted to retain the counties of Ulster, including the city of Belfast, because it was a place of industrial success, and the factories of those counties helped Britain in its war efforts, especially in the World Wars. The British army has patrolled the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland for several years now, and the government takes orders from London. The army, mostly Protestant, were prone to siding with the Protestants, infuriating the Catholics, and subsequently, the PIRA. With the atrocities committed, such as Bloody Sunday, the British army actually increased PIRA activity against them, as the PIRA received many volunteers from the oppressed Catholics. The British army basically served as the belligerents of this entire conflict, starting with their imperialistic intent in the 1600’s, and ending with their involvement with the Bloody Sunday event in 1972.
5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
ReplyDelete-The IRA, the Irish Republican Army, were the original freedom fighters for Ireland. Their cause was to unite the Irish isle under one non-British government. Despite their failure to unite Ireland, they did gain a significant amount of volunteers from the oppressed Catholics. The original IRA consisted of the “nationalists” of Ireland, or those who believed that Ireland should be its own country. After the partition, the IRA splintered and did not come back into the spotlight until the Troubles, when one of its splinter groups, the Provisional IRA, was at work throughout the British Isles.
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
-On January 30, 1972, several thousand Catholic civil rights protesters marched in Derry, Northern Ireland. These marches were deemed illegal by the British authorities, but the march still occurred in the Catholic part of town, Bogside. The Catholics were “protesting the policy of internment” (Facts on File), and the lack of the right to a fair trial. The British forces, claiming that they were under fire, fired back upon the protesters, killing fourteen and wounding twelve. This event drew international press coverage, publicizing the crisis throughout the world. This event started protests across Europe and even America; even a song was written about it. This event gave the PIRA a more tangible reason to fight against the British, as well as a good recruitment tool.
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
- The current political situation in Northern Ireland is more stable than it has been for a long time. While the religious divide still runs strong among the populous, the government has shifted to a power sharing system, in which Catholics and Protestants are equally represented. Stemming from the Good Friday agreement, signed in 1998, Northern Ireland shifted to the power sharing government. At the end of the Troubles, the Anglo-English agreement that was signed dictated that the Republic of Ireland no longer included all of Ireland in its constitution, and that Northern Ireland would only secede from Great Britain if the majority of people agreed with it. In addition, the Provisional IRA disbanded in 2005, ending the acts of violence upon the British and Protestants in the late 20th century.
Works Cited
ReplyDelete"BBC News | Latest News | 'The Mountain to Climb'" BBC News - Home. 8 Apr. 1998. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"BBC NEWS | UK | Northern Ireland | Timeline: Northern Ireland's Road to Peace." BBC News - Home. 27 Jan. 2006. Web. 03 Oct. 2010.
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History, By Bbc. "BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC History. 01 Feb. 2007. Web. 03 Oct. 2010.
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McCarthy, John P. "Irish Bloody Sunday, 1972." Ireland: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present, European Nations. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=IRL0086&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 3, 2010).
McKenna, Fionnuala. "CAIN: HMSO: Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act (Northern Ireland), 1922." CAIN: Northern Ireland Conflict, Politics, & Society. Information on 'the Troubles' 27 Apr. 2010. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
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ReplyDelete1.What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteThe major issue in Northern Ireland during the last three decades has been the occupation of Britain and its oppression. Catholics in Northern Ireland long claimed that “Protestant British have for a long period of time violated their civil rights and have discriminated against them in housing, jobs, and other areas” (world book online. com). Even though this conflict is between the Catholics and Protestants, it has drastically grown into a new kind of conflict- not a religious one, but a cultural one. It doesn't matter whether you are religious or not; if you are born into a Catholic family then you are considered Catholic and vice versa. The conflict in Northern Ireland quickly grew to be a massive problem that seemed impossible to fix in the eyes of the global community.
2.Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
Before 1921, under the Act of Union Britain controlled all of Ireland. Even though many Catholic Irish wished to have complete independence from Britain, the Protestants opposed this because they did not want to become a minority group in Ireland. The conflict led to violent guerilla warfare between the British and the Irish. In 1921, the British parliament passed the Government of Ireland Act, which divided Ireland into two separate political units and gave each some powers of self-government. However, this was not enough for the southern Catholic Irish and they demanded for a single, united Irish republic. Eventually, in 1921 southern leaders and the United Kingdom signed the Anglo- Irish treaty, which created the Irish Free State from 23 southern countries and 3 countries of Ulster. Under the Government of Ireland Act, Northern Ireland was given its own governor, parliament, prime minister, and cabinet. Even though these government positions were controlled by Northern Ireland, the Unionist Party-which favored continued union with the U.K- held the most influential power in the government. This greatly weakened the Northern Irish in government and its influential power over laws and decisions.
3.Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
“The Troubles” is known as a violent time period between members of Northern Ireland's Roman Catholic and Protestant communities. In the late 1960's, the struggle for civil rights turned violent, triggering the beginning of “the troubles”. Because the Irish Catholics started massive protests and riots in Northern Ireland, the British sent troops to restore order, who ended up clashing with the IRA who sided with the Catholics. The IRA and the unionist group, such as the Ulster Defense Association, committed terrible terrorist acts including bombings and raids. By the late 1980's and 1990's, the conflict intensified between the two sides and the bloodshed eventually spread to continental Europe and England. Even when the Anglo- Irish agreement was signed in 1985, which gave the Republic of Ireland the power to oversee Northern Ireland's government, neither side was fully content and riots soon sprouted in various parts of Northern Ireland.
4. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
ReplyDeleteDuring “The Troubles” time period, Great Britain sent its army to Northern Ireland in order to maintain peace and order in the country. The British army remained in Northern Ireland for nearly 38 years, which was its longest military campaign. By having the British army occupy Northern Ireland, this angered the Irish people because they refused to be controlled by the British military. Rather than sustaining peace in Northern Ireland, the presence of the British army only caused more civil unrest and violence to erupt within the country.
5.Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
The IRA (Irish Republican Army) is an organization that has sought to unite Northern Ireland with the independent Republic of Ireland. They want Irish Catholics to have religious freedom as well as a better, improved life. Throughout its history, the infamous organization has used various military and terrorist tactics to achieve its goal. When Irish Catholics began protesting against the Protestant government and war broke out between the two groups, the IRA sided with the Irish Catholics and fought against the British military.
6.What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
On Sunday, January 30th of 1972, civil rights demonstrators staged a march attended by more than ten thousand in Derry, Northern Ireland. Even though the government has forbade such protests to take place in public, this demonstration continued nevertheless. In the late afternoon, the Parachute Regiment were ordered to arrest protesters after some disturbances occurred. Claiming that they were "under fire” by the IRA because of previous encounters in the past, the Regiment opened fire on the marchers, killing fourteen and seriously wounding thirteen. This intensified the struggle between the groups and caused more chaotic riots to erupt in Northern Ireland as well as the Republic of Ireland and the United States.
7.What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
ReplyDeleteIn the last few years, the conflicting sides have met for multi- party peace talks in order to put an end to the long-lasting struggle. After years of negotiations, the two parties finally came to a conclusion- the Good Friday Agreement. This agreement called for an elected assembly for Northern Ireland, a cross-party cabinet with devolved powers, and cross-border bodies to handle issues common in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. This agreement also gave more shared political power to minority Catholics in government. However, even though Northern Ireland now has partisan control over its country, the Irish Catholics have not fully obtained their civil rights and justice because of how fairly new the government is. Even though the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998, it took 9 years to establish the stable government that pleased both sides.
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Works Cited Page
"Bloody Sunday." World Book Online. World Book. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
Imbornoni, Anne M., Borgana Brunner, and Beth Rowen. "The Northern Irish Conflict: Chronology." Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free Online Reference, Research & Homework Help. — Infoplease.com. Pearson Education, Inc. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
"Irish Republican Army (IRA)." World Book Online. World Book. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
Mcarthy, John P. "Irish Bloody Sunday, 1972." Facts On File Online Databases. Facts on File Inc. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
Scotscheck, Ralf. "The End of a Dark Chapter: British Military Leaves Northern Ireland - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International." SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten. Spiegel Online, 31 July 2007. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"Troubles." World Book Online. World Book. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1. What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the past 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteThe past few decades, Catholics have been force to live in a world that doesn’t accept them. Northern Ireland consists of mostly Protestants who are favored because Northern Ireland is under the control of Great Britain. A country cannot fully be successful if half of its citizens are not socially equal to the other half. Also, the local government was forcefully taken over by Great Britain entirely. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) had been fighting against Great Britain so that the Catholics in Northern Ireland get equal rights.
2. Describe what happened in Ireland in 1921.
In 1921, the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed. This treaty ended the Anglo-Irish war, and allowed Ireland to control its own counties as well as agreed upon letting Northern Ireland be apart of Great Britain’s control. However it was thought to be a temporary arrangement, which brings conflict in the future. Neither side was about to defeat the other and to create peace the treaty was created. This treaty basically tricked the Irish because Great Britain said that they would allow them to have their own country, The Republic of Ireland, if they could continue to control Northern Ireland for a while longer. They ended up always maintaining control over Northern Ireland as well as actually segregating the Catholics from the Protestants, which led the Catholics to live in an era of discrimination.
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
“The troubles” began in 1963 and lasted up until 1985. It began with the Ulster Volunteer Force (UFV), which was a violent and illegal group who were against the IRA. After numerous attacks and forms of violence against innocent people, the situation became more serious. This whole “war” within society began due to the Protestant’s detestation towards the Catholics, and the Catholic’s fury and anger they had for the Protestants. During this somewhat chaotic time, a variety of different reforms were being created here and there, all in an attempt to slow down the madness. However soon deaths of civilians were becoming more and more common. In 1972, 13 protestors were killed by troops and leaving the massacre with a total of 14 deaths. In the next ten years Great Britain and Ireland went back and forth having more power and advantages, and then suddenly the Hunger Strikes began. These left many people dead, leaving Sinn Fein the new elected. Things got a little less hectic and finally in 1985 Ireland and Great Britain somewhat peaceful agreement to stop the chaos.
4. How has the British Army and its presence in Northern Ireland influence the struggle?
Just the sheer presence of the British Army would add onto an already distasteful time for the Catholics. They feel as if their entire lives are being managed by the Protestants who seem to have more privileges and over all happier lives. Having the British around makes the Protestants seem superior and the Catholics helpless. This could lead to a point where the Catholics just can’t take it anymore and serious upheaval will occur once more.
5. Who were the I.R.A and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what are they fighting for?
ReplyDeleteThe IRA stands for the Irish Republican Army. They represent the Republic of Ireland, which is mainly Catholic and they are fighting against Great Britain, which is mainly Protestant, to have ideally control of Northern Ireland or to simply to give equal rights to all Catholics and Protestants alike. Some say that the IRA has either a strong passion for their people and it’s rights or they feel obligated to help now, since back in 1921 they gave into Great Britain’s manipulation and allowed them to gain Northern Ireland.
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
Bloody Sunday took place on 1972. A riot was breaking out and when troops opened fires upon the crowd 14 lives were lost 12 of them were very young adults. The most controversial part of the event was the fact that it wasn’t truly necessary for the troops to begin shooting and some say that they didn’t know what they were doing but they felt something drastic should be done because the demonstrators were committing illegal crimes.
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
The biggest issue continues to be whether Ireland or Great Britain should gain or continue to have control over the country of Northern Ireland. According to the U.S. Department of State’s official site, Northern Ireland currently is segregated by those who want it to combine with the Republic of Ireland (Nationalists and Republicans) and those who wish to continue to be controlled under Great Britain (Unionists and Loyalists). In 1998, Ireland and Great Britain signed a sort of “treaty” which was called the Good Friday Agreement. The United States is currently providing funds to the situation in Northern Ireland to ensure that when the next election in 2011, will run smoothly in terms of national safety. I think the agreements that Great Britain and Ireland shared are mostly fair because they have both agreed to it, but it still doesn’t answer Northern Ireland’s problems about who should rule them, it just postponed the result.
Works Cited
"BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC - Homepage. 1 Feb. 2007. Web. 3 Oct. 2010. .
Gannon, Joeseph. "The Anglo-Irish Treaty: Seed of 'The Troubles' -- The Wild Geese Today." TheWildGeese.com -- The Epic History and Heritage of the Irish. 2001. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"Impact Of Religion On Ireland's Economy, The Last 20-30 Years-The Celtic Tiger - Essay - Termpaperqueen." Free Term Papers, Research Papers, Coursework, Book Reports | OPPapers.com. 2010. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. .
"Ireland." U.S. Department of State. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. .
1. Over the last three decades Ireland has been in turmoil due to the constant struggle between the Catholics and the Protestants. Ever since the arrival of the Protestants in Northern Ireland the Catholics have been treated like second-class citizens due to the enormous amount of British support for the protestant community. The Protestant community is now sixty percent of the population, and the Catholic only forty. Due to this massive shift in population the Protestant community controls the government and police force of Northern Ireland. Along with British support such as troops and money, the Protestants have been accused of abusing their power to repress the Catholics of Northern Ireland. What was once a conflict over differing religious ideals has now become a cultural conflict. With Protestants controlling all of the good jobs in the area, the Protestants feel that they do not have any representation in the government. Another problem is that while the British try to act as the mediators of the conflict, they support the Protestants, as most British soldiers and citizens are Protestant.
ReplyDelete2. In 1921 Ireland was split into two jurisdictions: Northern Ireland, and Southern Ireland, both under British control. In Southern Ireland the British failed to establish protestant control because of the overwhelming amount of Irish parliament members, however the parliament and government of Northern Ireland was quickly established. In 1922 Southern Ireland decided that it was tired of the failed British rule and the Irish war of independence established the entire island of Ireland as a free state. However, due to its large number of Protestants Northern Ireland decided to remain under British control. Creating one of the largest cultural conflicts in the world.
3. In the 1950’s the Welfare State was introduced by the British in Northern Ireland and this allowed Catholic children to have access to higher education for the first time. This created a generation that had been exposed to new ideas and would not tolerate being second-class citizens any longer. In 1968 Catholics had become impatient waiting for political reform and marched for civil rights in Northern Ireland. The conflict started to escalate with Protestant attacks from loyalists on Catholic areas. In 1969 the Provisional IRA broke off from the Official IRA vowing to defend the Catholic minority with the use of force. However, loyalist forces such as the Ulster Defense Association were also forming. As a response to the chaos, the British were forces to send in troops to retain control in Northern Ireland, but this only angered the Catholic people as the British had sided with the Protestants. Attempting to retain control in Northern Ireland was quickly becoming difficult for the British forces and they had started to use more aggressive tactics to attempt to stop the violence.
4. The British Army’s presence in Northern Ireland had angered the Catholics and was not able to keep the peace as it had intended. The British army’s peacekeeping mission over 38 years had involved over 300,000 troops and had cost the lives of 750 British soldiers and caused the deaths of 309 civilians. It was events like “Bloody Sunday” that caused the Catholics to despise the British presence in Northern Ireland and drove more people to IRA increasing the violence by even more. At first many believed that the British army was the neutral force that the conflict needed, but it soon became apparent that they were in no way neutral. The Protestant government had been given control of the British troops stationed in Ireland, and this was England’s biggest mistake. The Protestant government abused the power they had been given just as they had before the conflict had begun.
ReplyDelete5. The IRA is the Irish Republican Army that had once fought to bring independence to Ireland from the British in the 1920’s. Once the “troubles” in Northern Ireland the PIRA was created to be a military force to fight for the rights of Catholics. The PIRA stove to unite both Northern and Southern Ireland into one independent country and to defend the Catholic minority from Protestant oppression. What had started as a defensive mission had spawned into a full-fledged offensive campaign against the loyalists of Northern Ireland. The arrival of the British military that the IRA had once freed southern Ireland from did not make things any better causing the IRA to take up arms again. While the IRA calls itself a peacekeeping force, they have been branded as terrorists after the revenge bombings and killings that they have committed against protestant civilians. The PIRA attempted to cause a British withdrawal from Northern Ireland because they knew that without British support, the government could easily be overthrown and the country united. On July 28th 2005 the PIRA announced the end of it’s armed campaign, however it is still listed as a major terrorist organization by the British government.
Jake Smith
ReplyDeleteMr. Webber Period 6
10/02/10
Northern Ireland Web Quest
1.) The conflicts Ireland has had in the past 3 decades have been strange. The conflicts have been started with the British, when they parted Ireland into two separate states in 1920, while also imposing a British identity on the North, these conflicts were called the “The Troubles.” Ireland might have been able to live with the British involvement, but the British were unfair to the Irish minority. Discrimination and the lack of basic rights were the problems the Irish people faced.
2.) In 1921 Ireland signed a partition splitting up Ireland into two separate regions, Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. They became separate states under separate rule. While Northern Ireland went under British control, Southern Ireland remained Independent.
3.) There were many factors that built up “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland. The constitutional state of Northern Ireland and the relationship between the Unionists and Nationalists were some of the biggest problems, because the people were forced to choose sides. This starts a conflict within a society leading to civil war. Another factor was the presence of the British troops. As the Prime Minister called in for help to make “law and order,” it went a little to far. As it brought three days of violence to the mainly catholic Bogside area of Londonderry. “The Troubles” is said to have ended when the Belfast “Good Friday” Agreement was signed. An agreement made to tone down the violence of the troubles, attempting to make a peaceful unified state.
4.) Presence of the British troops caused more harm than help. It made the Northern Irish people feel oppressed and violated. The British troops were very aggressive with protesting civilians, leading to death, like on “Bloody Sunday.” The troops were called in to help stabilize the country, to create “law and order.” They deployed into the mainly catholic Bogside of Londonderry where there was protesting. The action taken to take the down the protesters was over the top aggressive and should have been handled differently.
5.) The Irish Republican Army was a republican group in Ireland who revolted and fought to get British control out of Ireland. It began after the tragedy of “Bloody Sunday.” They came out ready to hit hard and did so with bombings and shootings attempting to topple the protestant government and get the United Kingdoms influence over Northern Ireland destroyed. Since 1960 the I.R.A. has killed over 1,800 people, 650 of the deaths were civilians.
ReplyDelete6.) Bloody Sunday did not have the greatest death toll in the fight in Northern Ireland, but it was the most significant. Bloody Sunday refers to the 30th of January 1972, where British troops shot dead 13 unarmed protestors. This incident opened the eyes of many people, showing them the British troops need to go. It put a train into motion with no brake; the people of Northern Ireland were going to get freedom at all costs. This was a major turning point for the better in the Irish conflict.
7.) The current state of Ireland is fair to both sides, the Catholics and the Protestants. The President of Northern Ireland is Ian Paisley a Protestant, together with McGuinnes, a Catholic, also a leader of government. So both Protestant and Catholic voices will be heard. In this state Northern Ireland should live and prosper for sometime. But along with time brings change, for better or worse.
Works Cited
"BBC News | NORTHERN IRELAND | Political Impact of Bloody Sunday." BBC News - Home. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"BBC ON THIS DAY | 14 | 1969: British Troops Sent into Northern Ireland." BBC News - Home. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"Belfast Agreement." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"Government of Ireland Act 1920." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"Northern Ireland Conflict Briefing." FlashPoints. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
Smith, By Zadie. "Irish Republican Army - The New York Times." Times Topics. 02 Oct. 2010. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
1. What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteThe major issue in Northern Ireland during the last three decades has been the conflict between the Protestants and Catholics. In very general terms, the Catholics of Northern Ireland were in favor of rejoining the Republic of Ireland and gaining autonomy from Britain. The Northern Irish Protestants wanted to remain under England’s protection and stay separated from the Republic of Ireland (Phillips and Axelrod).
On a deeper level, the Catholics of Northern Ireland were oppressed in every sense of the word by the Protestants. They were denied the Protestants’ quality of education, job opportunities, civil rights, and political power. The Protestants did everything in their power to keep the Catholics subdued and powerless, even going so far as to pass the Special Powers Act of 1922. This bill allowed the police (Protestant of course) to arrest, abuse, and imprison anyone without even formally charging him or her. The Catholics of Northern Ireland fought for civil rights, Catholics of the Republic of Ireland took up arms to free their fellows from oppression by both the Protestants of Northern Ireland and Britain, and the Protestants of Northern Ireland entered the violence to maintain their power (Durraj).
2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
In 1921, Ireland was divided into the Irish Free State, a sovereign nation, and Northern Ireland remained part of Britain. The main difference between these two factions is religion: about 95% of people of the Republic of Ireland (what used to be the Irish Free State) are Roman Catholic verses the 40% in Northern Ireland. Protestants make up the other 60% of the Northern Irish population, and held the power (Phillips and Axelrod).
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
“The troubles” was a time in Irish history of violence and chaos founded in the oppression of the Catholics in Northern Ireland by the Protestants (See question #1). The Catholics, denied the liberties and privaleges of the Protestants looked to Martin Luther King Jr. for the inspiration to create civil rights reform in Northern Ireland (Darraj). Supported by the I.R.A. and many other militant and semi militant groups from the Republic of Ireland, the Catholics fought for civil rights while the Protestants (represented militarily by the Ulster Volunteer Force, British army, and others) tried to maintain control of Northern Ireland. This conflict resulted in many violent clashes between factions, hundreds of deaths, and “direct rule” of Northern Ireland by Britain. “The troubles” began in 1963 when new Viscount Terrence O’Neill attempted the remedy the civil turmoil by meeting with the prime minister of the Republic of Ireland, Sean Lemass. His radical move encouraged the Catholics’ hopes for equal civil rights but worried the Protestant unionists: the Republic of Ireland’s constitution still laid claim to Northern Ireland. If both Irelands were reunited and separated from the United Kingdom, the Protestants would lose their power and the protection of Britain. In 1996, the tensions finally came to a head, bringing about the first of a series of violent conflicts which did not end until the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985 which mandated the sharing of power between Protestants and Catholics (Northern Ireland: The Troubles).
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ReplyDelete4. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
ReplyDeleteThe British army began their occupation of Northern Ireland in 1968 in response to the huge Catholic civil rights protests and the violence between Catholics and Protestants that erupted as a result. The army’s involvement further incensed the Catholics as it meant they were oppressed by not only their Protestant countrymen but also the army of Protestant England (Phillips and Axelrod). Obviously the involvement of the army added to the death toll immensely as the soldiers were well trained and equipped. The soldiers killed 309 people (British Troops End Mission in Northern Ireland). The army also prolonged the struggle. The involvement of the British army made the I.R.A. the perpetual underdogs, giving them the glory of freedom fighters and thus increasing their recruitment. The troubles were circular; one group would protest the violence of the other, who would protest the protest. If the I.R.A. was not so strong, then the cycle of violence would not have been so bloody and drawn out.
5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
I.R.A. stands for “Irish Republican Army” (Darraj). It was a semi militant body based in the Republic of Ireland. It grew out of the Irish Volunteers group that fought to gain Irish autonomy from Britain, and continued its mission. Whereas the Sinn Fein tried to gain freedom from the United Kingdom through politics, the I.R.A. wanted to force British troops out of Northern Ireland with physical violence (Northern Ireland: The Troubles). It used guerilla tactics such as ambushes, raids, and sabotage to attempt to achieve their goals. The majority Catholic I.R.A. also fought for the civil rights of the Catholics in Northern Ireland. The Irish Republican Army eventually split into many different groups including the more radical Provisional Irish Republican Army and the Continuity Irish Republican Army. The I.R.A. was seen as a terrorist group by Britain and the Protestants of Northern Ireland: it used guerilla tactics, and targeted British and Protestant officials as well as causing the deaths of soldiers and civilians alike. On the other hand, the Catholics thought of the I.R.A. as freedom fighters, bravely going under fire to liberate them from Protestant and British oppression (Combs and Slann).
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
ReplyDeleteOn Bloody Sunday (January 30,1972), about 15,000 Catholics illegally protested the policy of internment—the police policy of arrest without formal charging or trial—with a massive civil rights march in Derry. As the demonstration drew to a close, the protesters came into contact with the British army and threw bottles and other trash at the soldiers. Claiming they were being fired upon by two snipers, the army “returned” fire. Tanks soon surrounded the demonstrators and the soldiers continued to shoot into the crowd. They killed fourteen, wounded seventeen, and arrested sixty. Shortly afterwards, Lord Widgery exonerated the soldiers in a report to the international community, saying that the army’s actions had been reckless but provoked. The event caused dissent and protests in America, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. In fact, protesters in Dublin burned the British Embassy in Merrion Square to the ground. Partly as a consequence of Bloody Sunday, the British government took complete control of Northern Ireland three months later reasoning that the Irish government could not control the violence (Darraj)
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
Northern Ireland is now run in accordance with the Good Friday peace accord of 1998. The I.R.A. disbanded (for the most part) in 2005 and the 106 British army bases were reduced to twenty by 2007. Northern Ireland’s government is finally free from the “direct rule” of Britain and comprised of both former unionists and Sinn Fein members. The police force was 21% Catholic as of 2007, and midway through its ten year reform (British Troops End Mission in Northern Ireland).
Although the political climate is definitely more stable today, I find it hard to believe that the decades long conflict has suddenly been completely resolved. There is still a huge gap between Catholic and Protestant factions symbolized by the massive walls dividing communities. Two I.R.A. groups were still plotting attacks as of July 2007.
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ReplyDelete1.There have been three key issues dominant in Northern Ireland’s history over the past three decades: a large Catholic minority that has faced discrimination from the Protestant majority in Northern Ireland aligned with the British government; a Catholic minority that wanted to secede from the United Kingdom and join the Republic of Ireland, and the deployment of British troops along Northern Ireland’s southern border and in urban Belfast sent to “keep the peace”; which resulted in raised tensions and a quasi civil war.
ReplyDelete2.In 1921, England sought to overcome the intractable tensions in Ireland between Protestants and Catholics by dividing the Island of Ireland into two countries: one, an independent republic in the south (Republic of Ireland) and the other, a dependent state in the North. Two parliaments were introduced: one in the south (Dublin) served 26 counties and was granted national sovereignty, the other (Belfast), which remained part of the United Kingdom, served six Northern counties but had its own parliament called the Stormont. Because of the large Catholic minority remaining in the North, the topographical partition was not an effective solution.
3. “The Troubles” refers to the period of armed conflict in Northern Ireland from 1963 to 1985 in which a Catholic minority population fought against Protestant rule and oppression. Initially a region-only conflict, the British Army was called in to support the local police force, protect Catholics, and restore order. The British military describes the conflict as taking place in four distinct phases. Phase I occurs from 1969-1971 and consists of marches, protests, rioting, looting, and other acts of disorder. Phase II is described as the period of insurgency from the summer of 1971-1975, with both branches I.R.A. (the O.I.R.A. and the P.I.R.A.) forming military style battalions and brigades; firefights and full-force military retaliation from the British army were commonplace. Phase III overlaps Phase II, beginning with and O.I.R.A. cease –fire in 1972 and a P.I.R.A. transformation into a highly effective terrorist organization with operations in Northern Ireland, mainland England, and Continental Europe. Phase IV is characterized by mainstream politics and diplomacy beginning in 1980 with Sinn Fein, the I.R.A.’s political entity, succeeding in mainstream politics and later the beginning of the peace process in the 1990’s. Phase IV diminished violence, arms, and ultimately resulted in the British Army’s partial withdrawal from the region. “The Troubles” resulted in unimaginable rioting, gun battles, bombings, acts of terrorism, and suffering. Britain had never before experienced this level of unrest and violence within the United Kingdom.
4.Initially, the British Army entered the conflict in Northern Ireland at the request of the Unionist government to support its law and order organization – the Royal Ulster Constabulary (the constables), to purportedly protect Catholics. “Operation Banner” was the name that was given to the military operation that lasted 38 years and resulted in 763 army deaths and 6100 army casualties – the most deadly action since the Korean War. It also resulted in 3600 civilian deaths. At its peak, the British Army had 30,000 soldiers stationed. Soldiers routinely patrolled streets with machine guns and residents were forced to pass through checkpoints and were subjected to mandatory curfews. To the Catholics, the army was an oppressive, occupying force that supported British rule and intimidated catholic citizens. Unionists saw the army as a necessary force to counter Catholic terrorism and violence. The British Government today officially states that the army was not victorious in Northern Ireland, but rather, allowed a political process to take place that resulted in shared political power between Catholics and Protestants in one governmental body. This conclusion is erroneous; the army was obviously sent so that Northern Ireland remained English and so that its resources could be used by the English Crown.
ReplyDeleteToday the police have the ultimate law and order authority in Northern Ireland. Many argue that the army should never have been brought into Northern Ireland at all. Operation Banner was the British Army’s first and only operation against people of the United Kingdom, not foreigners. The Bill of Rights 1689 states that it is against the basic human rights of people to have the state maintain an army operation England. The net effect of the British Army’s prolonged presence in Northern Ireland was to create an occupied zone in Northern Ireland, similar to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in Israel and a more militarized opposition in the IRA.
5.The Irish Republican Army (I.R.A.) was formed in 1919 as the successor organization to the militant nationalist “Irish Volunteers.” The I.R.A. sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland and reunify with the independent Republic of Ireland after its split in 1921. It used armed force, bombings and other terrorist activities to achieve its goals. Declared illegal in 1931 by the Irish legislature, its members were allowed to be detained and interned without trial. In 1969 the I.R.A. split into two organizations: the Marxist Official wing, which was against violence, and the Provisional I.R.A., which was committed to the use of terror tactics against Northern Ireland’s Protestants, British military, and mainland England. The P.I.R.A., was responsible for the 1979 assassination of Lord Mountbatten and the deaths of more than 1,800 people. While successful in securing shared power for Catholics in Northern Ireland, its terrorist tactics have been condemned.
ReplyDelete6.On January 30th, 1972 Catholics held a civil rights march in Derry, protesting internment and restrictions on marches. In order to ensure that the march would remain peaceful, the I.R.A. promised to stay away from the protest. British soldiers from a parachute regiment clashed with protestors at barricades blocking the city’s central square. Soldiers opened fire, killing 13 and injuring 13 more; this day came to be known as “Bloody Sunday”. Troops claimed that they were fired on first, but this was later disproved. As a result of the shootings, thousands joined the I.R.A. and even more British troops had to be deployed to control more violence. The British government took control of security away from Northern Ireland and appointed its own Secretary of State for the country. The Stormont government resigned in protest and Prime Minister Edward Heath introduce “direct rule” of Northern Ireland from Westminster. In Britain’s inimitable style, its efforts at maintaining peace energized the I.R.A.’s base and other freedom-fighting groups, and inflamed Protestants’ opinions against British Rule.
7. The current political situation in Northern Ireland is better than the decades of violence during “The Troubles”; however, the peace agreement, known as the Good Friday Agreement has not solved the region’s problems and enduring Catholic-Protestant tensions. Peace talks began in 1996 with disarmament and several cease-fires. Settlement was reached on Good Friday in 1998; the settlement recognized the rights of both groups, a desire to demilitarize the region with decreased British troops and an unarmed police presence, a multi-party assembly to govern the region, the right for residents to be called either Irish or British, the recognition of linguistic diversity and the teaching of Irish in all schools, a North-South council and an Anglo-Irish council to consider areas of mutual interest, and finally an agreement that Ireland shall not be one united country without the consent of a majority in Northern Ireland. Since the peace agreement, both groups have struggled with power sharing and a true working government. Underlying the impasse is the I.R.A.’s commitment or refusal to stop using arms and stop engaging in violent acts. In 2005, Gerry Adams, a former I.R.A. leader committed to total I.R.A. disarmament and progress was made, a power sharing government has existed and even functioned, but random acts of violence by splinter groups threaten the balance. Long held prejudice and distrust also threaten the region. The recent economic downturn has exacerbated tensions. While the current government power-sharing structure is fair in theory, government cannot erase prejudice. Hatred and bias continue to plague both sides and affect who gets jobs, public monies and housing.
Works Cited
ReplyDeleteBBC History. "The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
"Irish Republican Army (IRA) (Irish Military Organization) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
"The New York Times." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
"The Road to Northern Ireland, 1167 to 1921." BBC. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"Timeline - Northern Ireland - The Troubles." History on the Net Main Page. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
"Timeline: Northern Ireland | UK News | Guardian.co.uk." Guardian.co.uk. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"The Torch Magna Carta." The Torch. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
Under, William. "Northern Ireland Flashes Back to the Troubles - Newsweek." Newsweek - National News, World News, Business, Health, Technology, Entertainment, and More - Newsweek. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
Webb, Andrea. "From War To Peace, Future Face of the Army in Northern Ireland." Web. 3 Oct. 2010. .
"Where Are British Troops and Why?" BBC News - Home. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
1.What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades? The major issues in Northern Ireland since the 1960’s has been the catholic and protestant quarrels that occur in Northern Ireland, a section of the island that has been clamed by the British for economic reasons. The reason why this occurs is because the catholic population feels that the overruling English body is favoring the protestant population in government and economic affairs. Thus over time the two bodies have been separated and over time developing a hatred for the other group. Eventually leading to things such as the IRA and bloody Sunday.
ReplyDelete2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921. In July 11 1921 the IRA and the British signed a treaty that gave Ireland its independence from the British. This started after world war one when a man named Sinn Fein attempted to persuade the major powers, when they were redrawing the map, to make Ireland its own separate country from the British, but he was ignored. So a group of individuals saw this and sat down together in 1919 to create the IRA to cause a formidable guerilla army. This began a small war with the British causing many casualties. Meanwhile Sinn Fein and four other candidates began a new parliament in Dublin, and refused to recognize the English parliament. The combination of theses acts led to four months of negotiating and led to a treaty that gained most of the island of Ireland its independence.
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985. The troubles started when Viscount Brookeborough was kicked out of office for his failure to address the worsening economy. So they found a new guy named Terence O'Neill. He immediately instituted a strict economic policy, which upset most. He then threatened the unions and got many people scared mostly protestant, and raised catholic hopes, add in the past hatred of these people and you get a violent period of hatred. Riots immediately commenced, beginning “the troubles” known as the time where Catholics and Protestants were at each other’s throats.
4. How have the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle? The presence of the British army was just adding gas to the burning flame. The British intervention upset the catholic population even more than they already were, but what were the English suppose to do. The catholic and protestant rioting got intense so at first the British army was there to restore security. But then violence broke out and the army instituted a curfew and did house to house searches because the conventional IRA broke up into the PIRA the one more commonly known for there protection of catholic rights and violence against the British government. This in addition to the British army and government being bias favoring the Protestants led to more hatred and violence. Plus shootings such as Bloody Sunday led to even more hatred.
ReplyDelete5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for? The IRA started out as a group of Irish Guerillas fighting the British for freedom in the 1920’s. They gained independence and were content then in the 1960’s a new IRA was born, it was called the PIRA. This was created as a reaction to the discrimination of the catholic population in the province of Northern Ireland. They adopted the same Guerilla tactics as before against the Protestants, British Army and local government. They are considered to be terrorists by the British government. But they only were able to succeed because of British army soldiers killing unarmed civilians. Causing recruitment for the new organization to soar.
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle. On January 30, 1972, fourteen civilians were killed wall protesting. The protest was in the town of Derry. Soldiers of the first army paratrooper regiment opened fire on protestors killing fourteen people, the majority of the wounds were caused by people being shot in the back as they ran away. This incident was another spark of hatred for the British government causing more people to join the PIRA and protesting, making the British have to put in more troops and causing a full upset in both sides.
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides? The Good Friday Agreement crafted the current political situation in Ireland today. It says that now Northern Ireland has some control and has gained some rights for both, but it is still uneven. Though it has prevented further uprising and problems people are still not treated equally. It works though and now has two representatives, one representing either group (catholic and protestant) which allows some political stability.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePlease include an MLA style bibliography to complete this assignment
ReplyDeleteFletcher, Holly. "Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) (aka, PIRA, "the Provos," Óglaigh Na HÉireann) (UK Separatists)." Counsel on Foreign Relations. 16 Mar. 2010. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
History, BBC. "BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." The Troubles. BBC-History, 1 Feb. 2007. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
Jonson, Westley. "History of Ireland 1919 - 1921: The War of Independence and Partition."History of Ireland. 8 Aug. 2007. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/past/history/19191921.html>
1. What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteFor the past three decades, Northern Ireland has had a cultural conflict stemmed from religious separation between the Catholics and Protestants. However, as the Catholics are the minority, they have been politically and economically discriminated. The majority of Catholics today are still at a major economic disadvantage to the Protestants. This is because of the ignorance that has spawned through this conflict, leading both Catholics and Protestants to despise each other based on religious title alone. For example, Protestants only hire Protestant people, leaving the misfortunate Catholic in an endless loop of poverty. However, the religious war is long forgotten. Many “Catholics” are not religious at all yet are still labeled as one and misrepresented; Catholics today fight and protest for their basic human rights.
2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
For a long time, the British presence in Ireland was unsettling for many Catholics. They were misrepresented and were tired of being, essentially, bullied by the British. It was time for a revolution! So, Catholics organized an attack and proclaimed independence, which was later called the Easter Rising of 1916. However, the plan was badly carried out, the rising was stopped completely, and its leaders were executed. However, this did prompt the Anglo-Irish War, spanning through 1919-1921. Then, in 1921, came the Anglo-Irish Treaty. The treaty stated that Ireland was a semi-autonomous Free State. So, in 1921, that piece of land belonging to the British Empire would now be called the Republic of Ireland, where many Catholics preside today. However, due to the Government of Ireland Treaty, the section that was mainly protestant chose to be independent from The Republic of Ireland, and is now known as Northern Ireland.
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
The troubles were a time period of Civil War between Protestant and Catholic sides in Northern Ireland. Although it was not really, a fully-fledged war, there were gunfights, massacre, and bloodshed on both sides. The IRA and the Ulster Volunteer Force, a loyalist/unionist “terror group” were both involved. This was the height of the conflict, where the hate for opposition was strongest. However, that does not mean that the hate and conflict today is weak. Bloody Sunday may be an exception, but through these 22 years, a steady clash went on in the streets of Northern Ireland.
4. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
ReplyDeleteAlthough the British Army came as a “peacekeeping” force, they denotatively remind the Catholic citizens of inferiority. Because the British sides with the Protestant sides, the army is biased towards the protestants, making life even harder for the minority Catholics. In fact, in 1970, there was a peak amount of 30,000 troops in Northern Ireland. But the rather harsh, violent methods used by these troops to break up violence are hypocritical. “Bloody Sunday” is a great example. British troops fired at civilians at a protest, and killed 14 unarmed citizens that day.
5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
The IRA are the Irish Republican Army, or a terrorist group of sorts. They have 100+ members and thousands of sympathizers. They were fighting to remove British troops from and unite Northern Ireland. However, their methods of doing so have not been very peaceful. They have bombed, kidnaped, massacred, extorted, smuggled, robbed, and beat many people.
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
Bloody Sunday really is a day to remember. In 1972, around 10,000 organized civilians (including women and children) protested against internment without trial. However, stones soon began flying at soldiers and claiming they were under fire, began to “return fire.” Within 30 minutes, 13 unarmed civilians were lying dead on the streets and many more were very injured. Those 13 had taken shots to the head and upper body, inexplicably emphasizing the unfairness and bias the soldiers are to the Catholics. Bloody Sunday had also triggered more events to happen in retaliation, leading a protest for basic rights turn into more fuel to the fire of conflict in Northern Ireland.
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
In Northern Ireland today, there has been more stability in peace than ever before. Right now, it is representing Catholics and Protestants equally. Both sides agreed to a Good Friday agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, where Britain strives to remove its troops from the scene, and to remove all paramilitary weapons for two years. Also, a Human Rights Commission would be established in Northern Ireland. I think that based on these terms, the current situation has never been more impartial to both sides. I like the fact that Northern Ireland is striving for lasting peace. The IRA has disbanded, and these terms have been holding up as of late.
Works Cited:
ReplyDelete"BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC - Homepage. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
"BBC News - Ireland Country Profile." BBC News - Home. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
"BBC ON THIS DAY | 14 | 1969: British Troops Sent into Northern Ireland." BBC News - Home. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
Gannon, Joseph. "The Anglo-Irish Treaty: Seed of 'The Troubles' -- The Wild Geese Today." TheWildGeese.com -- The Epic History and Heritage of the Irish. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
McCarthy, John P. "Irish Bloody Sunday, 1972." Ireland: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present, European Nations. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE53&iPin=IRL0086&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 4, 2010).
Melaugh, Martin. "CAIN: Events: Bloody Sunday - Summary of Event." CAIN: Northern Ireland Conflict, Politics, & Society. Information on 'the Troubles' Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
Pike, John. "Irish Republican Army (IRA)." Federation of American Scientists. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
Rakoczy, Christy. "What Is the Good Friday Agreement?" Yourdictionary.com - The Last Words in Words. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
Tompson, Richard S. "Anglo-Irish Treaty." Great Britain: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE53&iPin=GB0030&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 4, 2010).
1.When the island was partitioned in 1921, Northern Ireland was mostly comprised of Protestants. Catholics, the minority, were divided into a sub class. The IRA, a militant minority, is a group of Irish Catholics who want to have Northern Ireland and Ireland re-united. Britain, who did not want to have the island reunite, has classified the IRA as a terrorist organization.
ReplyDelete2.In 1921, the British government was being pressured to solve the problem of Ireland. During World War I, Ireland was not unified with the British government, which was consequently adversely affecting the war effort. Wilson’s administration was demanding that the British fix this problem. The British government, feeling it had a duty toward the protestant majority in modern-day Northern Ireland, who professed felt they belonged to Britain, partitioned off Northern Ireland.
3.The Troubles, also known as Ireland's Troublesome 30 years, was a period of time in which Northern Ireland dissolved into violent conflict. With majority leaders in the N. Ireland government deadlocked on what to do in regards to the violence, the British had its military stationed in Northern Ireland as what it saw as a neutral force. However, the IRA and other militant groups began to take aggressive action against what they saw as an occupying force. The state continued in this manner for 30 years.
4.A majority of Britain's role has been played as what it sees as a neutral, peacekeeping force, while the IRA views Britain as militarily occupying Britain. Britain has done little to help the situation, instead increasing the divide between Catholics and Protestants by separating the two groups in cities with large populations of either group. Attempts to halt the IRA have had negative effects on the Catholic community as a whole, such as criminalization of the IRA and consequently, the Catholic community.
5.The IRA, or the Irish Republican Army, is essentially a militant group in Northern Ireland. The aim of the group is to reunite Northern Ireland with the rest of Ireland, forming a unified country. The IRA original descends from a group called the Irish Volunteers, and since the 70's has become closer to a terrorist organization than its predecessors, though still fight towards the same cause. In the 70's, the IRA became caught up in the troubles, fighting a civil war against the British troops in Ireland.
6.Sunday, January 30th, 1972, massive protests were held against Britain's internment policy. As the protests became more and more negative, Britain had some of its troops begin arresting people. The troops, claiming they were under fire, began to shoot at the protesters, killing 14 and wounding 12. In 1998, Britain created a committee to give an official report on the matter, though no report has been released.
7.Northern Ireland's current government is a mix of Loyalists and Nationalists in the government. The two parties are for the most part, equally represented. The result is a pretty fair government to both sides. However, there are still notable tensions between the Catholics and the Protestants. The Catholics have been resigned to what is essentially a lower social and economic class, because Protestants tend to hire protestants. This has left most Catholics out of the economy of Northern Ireland.
Arthur, Paul. "Frontline: The Ira & Sinn Fein." PBS. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
Combs, Cindy C. and Martin Slann. "Irish Republican Army (IRA)." Encyclopedia of Terrorism, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=TER0160&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 4, 2010).
McCarthy, John P. "Ireland's Troublesome Thirty Years." Ireland: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present, European Nations. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ReplyDeleteItemID=WE53&iPin=IRL0008&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 4, 2010).
McCarthy, John P. "Irish Bloody Sunday, 1972." Ireland: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present, European Nations. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=IRL0086&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 4, 2010).
1. Northern Ireland has been ruled by Great Britain and the majority of people in Northern Ireland are Protestants whereas the minority is Catholic. For centuries the Catholics have been mistreated. The Catholics are usually less wealthy as well as have less political control and face discrimination, religiously and economically.
ReplyDelete2. For years now Catholics and Protestants had been fighting and in 1921 the Anglo-Irish Treaty had been passed. The treaty end the war of independence and granted Ireland as the Irish free state. The treaty seemed like it would be the answer to the troubles of the Northern Ireland but created more unrest starting the civil war of 1922.
3. The “troubles” refers to the civil war and period of unrest in Northern Ireland from 1963-1985. The unrest of the Catholics started to boil over as sit-ins and riots started to happen more and more frequently. A rebel army known as the IRA started to fight the British police due to their lower economic status. Many members of the IRA were poorer than most Protestants as well had a much smaller say in government. The violence that happened between the IRA and the British police during these years came to be known as the troubles including events such as Bloody Sunday and the Battle of Bogside.
4. The British Army has brought a slight sense of safety to the Protestants of Northern Ireland since they know that someone is protecting them and their cause. On the other hand, the British Army has made a very tense environment for everyone in Northern Ireland since violence has increased due to the shootings by the British Army. Such increase in violence was seen in Bloody Sunday when 14 unarmed citizens were shot causing increase anger against the Protestants from the side of the Catholics.
5. The IRA is the Irish Republican Army. They fight in order to give civil rights to oppressed Catholics in Northern Ireland. They are often considered a terrorist group even though they have fought with non-violent ways. Although, they are often very controversial when it comes to fighting since they do fight in very violent ways blowing up subways and train stations in order to prove their points and ideas.
6. Bloody Sunday happened on January 30, 1972. It was an event that caused much controversy and pointed a bad finger at the British. On this day Irish Catholics were having a having a protest but the British Army did not let the protest go unnoticed. Claiming they were under fire, the British Army opened fire on the Irish killing 14 and wounding 12. This shooting was known as Bloody Sunday from then on.
7. The current government of Northern Ireland represents both Protestants and Catholics equally. However this system has not been entirely fool proof since in 2009 after economic problems in Ireland an Irish man is said to have killed 2 British police officers creating more violence and more unrest. The continuous unrest continues to ask the question, whether or not the problem will ever be solved?
History, By Bbc. "BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC - Homepage. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
"History of Ireland 1921 - 1925: The Irish Civil War and Stabilisation of Northern Ireland." Wesley Johnston. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
"Irish Republican Army (IRA)." GlobalSecurity.org - Reliable Security Information. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
McCarthy, John P. "Anglo-Irish Treaty." Ireland: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present, European Nations. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE53&iPin=IRL0027&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 3, 2010).
McCarthy, John P. "Northern Ireland." Ireland: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present, European Nations. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE53&iPin=IRL0644&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 3, 2010).
1. Northern Ireland has been ruled by Great Britain and the majority of people in Northern Ireland are Protestants whereas the minority is Catholic. For centuries the Catholics have been mistreated. The Catholics are usually less wealthy as well as have less political control and face discrimination, religiously and economically.
ReplyDelete2. For years now Catholics and Protestants had been fighting and in 1921 the Anglo-Irish Treaty had been passed. The treaty end the war of independence and granted Ireland as the Irish free state. The treaty seemed like it would be the answer to the troubles of the Northern Ireland but created more unrest starting the civil war of 1922.
3. The “troubles” refers to the civil war and period of unrest in Northern Ireland from 1963-1985. The unrest of the Catholics started to boil over as sit-ins and riots started to happen more and more frequently. A rebel army known as the IRA started to fight the British police due to their lower economic status. Many members of the IRA were poorer than most Protestants as well had a much smaller say in government. The violence that happened between the IRA and the British police during these years came to be known as the troubles including events such as Bloody Sunday and the Battle of Bogside.
4. The British Army has brought a slight sense of safety to the Protestants of Northern Ireland since they know that someone is protecting them and their cause. On the other hand, the British Army has made a very tense environment for everyone in Northern Ireland since violence has increased due to the shootings by the British Army. Such increase in violence was seen in Bloody Sunday when 14 unarmed citizens were shot causing increase anger against the Protestants from the side of the Catholics.
5. The IRA is the Irish Republican Army. They fight in order to give civil rights to oppressed Catholics in Northern Ireland. They are often considered a terrorist group even though they have fought with non-violent ways. Although, they are often very controversial when it comes to fighting since they do fight in very violent ways blowing up subways and train stations in order to prove their points and ideas.
6. Bloody Sunday happened on January 30, 1972. It was an event that caused much controversy and pointed a bad finger at the British. On this day Irish Catholics were having a having a protest but the British Army did not let the protest go unnoticed. Claiming they were under fire, the British Army opened fire on the Irish killing 14 and wounding 12. This shooting was known as Bloody Sunday from then on.
1. What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteThe major issue in Northern Ireland during the last three decades has been the conflict between the Catholic and Protestant citizens. The Catholic people of Northern Ireland are supported by the Republic of Ireland, whereas the Protestant people of Northern Ireland are defended by England. This conflict has become more than a disagreement between religions; it has become a conflict of culture and ethnicity.
2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
In May 1921, the British government put the Government of Ireland Act into practice. This law split Ireland into two parts: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. Northern Ireland was composed of the six counties where the majority of the population is Protestants. Southern Ireland was created out of the 26 counties where the majority of the population is Catholic. Southern Ireland would later gain independence from the British Government in 1949 and become the Republic of Ireland.
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
In 1963, Terence O’Neil replaced Viscount Brookeborough as prime minister of Northern Ireland. He attempted to solve the political and economical issues of Northern Ireland by meeting with the prime minister of the Republic of Ireland. This caused a lot of unrest throughout the Protestant population and tension between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland. Riots and murder in May and June started what became known as the Troubles. The Troubles became a time of civil rights marches, rapid change of prime ministers, riots, destruction, and the development of rebel military groups. A few key events that furthered the destruction caused by the Troubles were the continued interference of the British army, which caused resentment throughout Northern Ireland, and the choice of the government of Northern Ireland to imprison suspected IRA members without a trial.
4. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
ReplyDeleteThe British army further agitated the conflict between the Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland. The British army ended the Battle of Bogside, but this only proved that the government of Northern Ireland was losing control of its people. Then, the British army disarmed the police and set up the Ulster Defense Regiment. This action caused violence, unrest, and destruction of homes. The British army’s attempts to calm down the conflict sent more recruits into rebel military groups. The situation in Northern Ireland was becoming impossible to control, so the British Army became more aggressive. This aggressiveness led to deaths, which only fueled the opposing IRA.
5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
The Irish Republican army, or the IRA, is an unofficial military organization. Some radical factions of the IRA are considered terrorist groups. The IRA’s main grievance is that Northern Ireland remained a part of Britain when it separated from the Republic of Ireland. The IRA also wants Northern Ireland to rejoin with the Republic of Ireland.
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
On Sunday 30th of January, 1972, British troops killed 13 people who had been demonstrating. Another wounded person died shortly after. This event has come to be known as “Bloody Sunday.” Bloody Sunday led to an increase in the IRA troops, which the British government in turn counteracted with more British troops. The increase in IRA and British troops led to even more violence.
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
Peace negotiations between Irish and British governments began in the early 1990’s, and IRA and the opposing loyalists agreed to ceasefires a few years later. The Good Friday agreement was signed in 1998 to create an elected assembly and a power-sharing executive. There are still many problems for the government to work through, but the result of the peace negotiations is a big step from the troubles, which occurred only a few years before. Although the IRA may not be completely satisfied, the IRA and Catholics in Northern Ireland need to compromise. This may not seem fair to either Protestants or Catholics, but as seen in most political conflicts, both sides have valid points, and they must accept that they have to compromise in order to resolve their disputes. More recently, in 2007, it was declared that the formation of a power-sharing government will continue.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
ReplyDelete"BBC NEWS | UK | Northern Ireland | Quick Guide: Conflict in Northern Ireland." BBC News - Home. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"BBC NEWS | UK | Northern Ireland | Timeline: Northern Ireland's Road to Peace." BBC News - Home. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
Combs, Cindy C. and Martin Slann. "Irish Republican Army (IRA)." Encyclopedia of Terrorism, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=TER0160&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 3, 2010).
History, By Bbc. "BBC - History - The Road to Northern Ireland, 1167 to 1921." BBC - Homepage. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
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McCarthy, John P. "Northern Ireland." Ireland: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present, European Nations. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=IRL0644&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 4, 2010).
1. The issue of North Ireland is a very tricky one. Geographically North Ireland is part of Ireland. However, politically, North Ireland is part of Britain. This is because of religion. Most of North Ireland is Protestant and the latter is Catholic. The British are Protestant and Ireland is Catholic. Now, one can see a reason for dilemmas. Within North Ireland the Catholics are facing discrimination not only by the Protestant people, but also by the (mostly) Protestant government. The Catholics desire that North Ireland be united with Ireland but the Protestants and the British will not allow that to happen. However, the Catholics persisted to overcome the discrimination and gain their civil rights. The result was a huge amount of violence. As the Catholics progressed, the British decided to take action and instigate direct control of North Ireland. They sent in troops into North Ireland to cease the civil rights movement. Eventually war broke out between the British (in North Ireland) and Ireland leading to a peace treaty. Along with that the IRA stopped its armed campaign. Ever since these events, the religious conflict has been healing. I believe that in Ireland the conflict is exaggerated. In the U.S there is no issue despite the fact that we have a myriad of religions in the country. I feel that Ireland houses the extremists of these two groups resulting in more violence.
ReplyDelete2. In 1921 a peace treaty was signed between Britain and Ireland to end the Irish War of Independence. The Anglo-Irish Treaty stated that the British would pull out of most of Ireland and that Ireland would be independent. A short time before this, North Ireland was created by the Government of Ireland Act. That law was made before 1921, but was not instigated until this time. It called for 26 predominantly Catholic countries (Ireland) and 6 predominantly Protestant countries (N. Ireland) to be established as separate entities. I believe that splitting the Catholics and the Protestants was a smart move because these two religious groups obviously do not get along. However, it should have been required to evacuate the Catholics from North Ireland to instigate peace once and for all. If the Catholics would have moved out of North Ireland and left those six countries to the Protestants, many lives most likely would have been saved. Thus, the battle continued between Catholics and Protestants.
3. The “Troubles” resulted after many years of discrimination against the Catholics. The government was dominated by Protestants thus causing the Catholics to have almost no say or power in politics. Furthermore, most of North Ireland is Protestant resulting in unseen discrimination. After many years of oppression, the Catholics demanded more rights. Thus they took action. Riots and protests arose led by the Catholics to obtain their rights. These actions began the period that is known as the “Troubles”. During the “Troubles”, Ireland/ North Ireland experienced a large amount of violence. It began with the mostly Protestant police attempting to cease the catholic riots. However, from that point on the Catholics simply attacked even harder. This resulted in Britain sending troops. Because of this move, the IRA began to support the Catholics essentially resulting in another war. The IRA took a very audacious approach by bombing not only North Ireland but also England multiple times. As the violence reached its pinnacle, there was a cease-fire between Ireland and Britain.
4. Britain is mostly a Protestant country resulting in a mostly Protestant army. The British have deployed forces in North Ireland many times to cease violence. However, most of the times (such as Bloody Sunday) they cause violence. This is because in most of the battles, the British army sides with the Protestants and attack the Catholics. The British have had a strong influence on the struggle but I believe that they have not completely dejected or scared the Catholics. If this was true, then the Catholics would not have attempted to gain rights. Thus, the British army has caused the struggle to have high risks. This is because they are very powerful, and when it comes to fighting the British are well equipped.
ReplyDelete5. The IRA is the Irish Republic Army which is a paramilitary group supporting Catholics. The IRA’s goal is to remove British troops from North Ireland and to unite Ireland. It was originally founded in 1922 and has been involved in many wars supporting Catholics (against Protestants and the British). However, in 1969 the IRA split into the Provincial IRA, Official IRA and the Continuity IRA. Essentially, the Provincial IRA was a terrorist organization the wished to reach its goal through violence. The Provincial IRA has committed many deadly crimes that resulted in a myriad of deaths. The Official IRA sought to reach its goal through defense and policies. The Continuity IRA is another violent organization which is simply opposed to anyone or thing that does not want a united Ireland. All three of these IRAs have the same goal, but are using different methods and approaches. The goal is to unite Ireland. I believe that the violence is unnecessary. Violence instead will cause more grudges and retaliations. This is why I support the Official IRA.
6. Bloody Sunday was a grave event that occurred in 1972 in Londonderry, North Ireland. A large protest by the Catholics suddenly turned deadly. This is the British arm shot and killed seventeen protesters without justification or the right to do so. The protestors did not attack the British paratroopers which would allow for this shooting. The army also did not give a warning before opening fire and the civilians were unarmed. Thus, the army simply lost their temper and opened fire among the civilians. This could have been triggered because most of the British army is Protestant and the protesters were Catholic. I believe that this could have been an underlying reason to cause this shooting. This event had a huge event on the struggle between Protestants and Catholics. This is because it not only “set in train the suspension of the Northern Ireland government” (Bloody Sunday) which led to direct rule from London but it caused Catholics to want to take action. Thus, more Catholics rushed to join the IRA and it almost justifies the IRA’s arguments to attack the British. Now the IRA had yet another reason to retaliate against the British.
ReplyDelete7. The current political system of Ireland has drastically improved since the 70’s. Though it is still a part of the United Kingdom, Catholics and Protestants receive about a fair amount of representation and rights. Since that time, the IRA has stopped their military missions and there has been a large amount of communication between political leaders in Ireland, North Ireland and Britain. A milestone of the struggle was the Good Friday Agreement. This allowed a “power-sharing devolved assembly and executive” (Timeline) and more connections across the Irish border. Thus, the Catholics have been given better political rights but they have not yet received full rights. Although the struggle between Catholics and Protestants seems as if it has dissipated I feel that it still lurks. Politically, most of the tension has been resolved and the Catholics are receiving more rights. However, I believe (after seeing that video of the man whose properties were vandalized) that the problem is subtle and on the streets. The problem now concerns the average people. There may be unseen or unrecorded hate crime between Protestants and Catholics which shows that there is still some amount of tension. Overall, for the most part the struggle has dissipated.
Works Cited
ReplyDelete"BBC News - Bloody Sunday Killings 'unjustified and Unjustifiable'" BBC - Homepage. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
"BBC News - Northern Ireland Profile." BBC News - Home. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"BBC NEWS | UK | Northern Ireland | Timeline: Northern Ireland's Road to Peace." BBC News - Home. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
History, By Bbc. "BBC - History - The Road to Northern Ireland, 1167 to 1921." BBC - Homepage. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
1. Discrimination by the Protestant in Northern Ireland against the less populated Catholics that resulted in fighting between the religions.
ReplyDelete2. In 1921 the Anglo-Irish treaty between Great Britain and Ireland helped established the Irish Free State. The Irish Free State was a self-governing body that was within the British Empire. The treaty also gave Northern Ireland the option to not be part of the Irish Free State, which they chose to do.
3. “The troubles” was a period of civil unrest between the protestant unionist majority and the catholic nationalist minority about their status within the United Kingdom. The Catholics wanted to reunite Ireland and Northern Ireland politically and created an Irish republic, while the Protestants wanted Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom.
4. The British army went to Northern Ireland as a neutral force with the intent of upholding the law and the right for people of Northern Ireland to the democratic process. The British forces were thought to be working with the protestant unionist majority, which incited the IRA to continued violence.
5. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) was formed with the intention to end British rule and fought against British forces that had occupied Northern Ireland to uphold the law for nearly thirty years.
6. In January of 1972, during an Ireland civil rights association march the British Army opened fired on 26 protestors and bystanders in the Bogside area of Derry Northern Ireland. 14 of the 26 people died on Bloody Sunday, which is also sometimes referred to as the Bogside Massacre.
7. Since 1998 much of the fighting had diminished in Northern Ireland. The Catholics and the Protestants have been in constant negotiations for peace over their disagreement on how to govern Northern Ireland. Ultimately they compromised by maintaining a local government in Northern Ireland with shared control by Catholics and Protestants.
Works Cited
2008, By. "Religiously Based Civil Unrest and Warfare." ReligiousTolerance.org by the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Web. 02 Oct. 2010. .
"BBC NEWS | UK | Northern Ireland | Timeline: Northern Ireland's Road to Peace." BBC News - Home. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"CAIN: The Anglo-Irish Treaty, December 1921." CAIN: Northern Ireland Conflict, Politics, & Society. Information on 'the Troubles' Web. 02 Oct. 2010. .
"Facts On File History Online." Facts On File Online Databases. Web. 02 Oct. 2010. .
"Irish Republican Army (IRA)." Federation of American Scientists. Web. 02 Oct. 2010. .
MaXimus, By. "Timeline - Northern Ireland - The Troubles." History on the Net Main Page. Web. 02 Oct. 2010. .
Thomson, By Alex. "Bloody Sunday | UK News | Guardian.co.uk." Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian | Guardian.co.uk. Web. 02 Oct. 2010. .
1. In the last three decades in Northern Ireland a major issue has been that Province’s minority of Catholics been “treated as second class citizens” by British authorities (YouTube video). In the 20th century, especially, the Catholics have begun to protest their mistreatment with violence, killing British paratroopers and Protestants in their rage. They believe it their own right to have independence because, after all, this is their, not the British’s or the Protestant’s, country.
ReplyDelete2. In 1919 the Irish Republican Army (IRA) began to fight a guerilla war against British forces. The war is called the Irish War of Independence. The IRA, in their fight for freedom, killed both British soldiers, and innocent civilians, and it was not until 1920 that the British attempted to instill some form of peace. British authorities passed the Government of Ireland Act. The act called for the establishment of two parliaments: one for Northern, the other for Southern Ireland. At this point Ireland split into two provinces: a predominantly protestant north and a Catholic south. But the IRA disregarded the bill and persisted in their fight for total independence. Then, in 1921 the IRA and the British government reached a truce that caused the conclusion of the Irish War for Independence. On behalf of the IRA, Michael Collins signed the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which commissioned Ireland as an “Irish Free State, which had 'dominion status' within the British Commonwealth, but fell short of full independence” (Northern Ireland: The Troubles). Northern Ireland, because it was composed of mostly nationalist Protestants opted out of the Irish Free State and in turn remained part of the United Kingdom. Of course this enraged the Catholic unionists and eventually led to a the Irish Civil War between those for and those opposed to the treaty. Anyway, each province (the north and the south) was partly responsible for governing its own society, though, as implied through the previous quotation they had far from complete liberty. So, in summary: the small minority of Catholics in the Northern Ireland desired total independence and civil rights, but the Protestants that made up the majority of the province remained loyal to Britain.
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ReplyDelete3. In the early 1960’s violence in Ireland began to break out once again. In 1963, after 20 long years of service as the Prime Minster of the recently prosperous province of Northern Ireland, Viscount Brookeborough stepped down from his position. As a result of World War II and Britain’s support Northern Ireland’s protestant industries had thrived. This was not at all the case for Ireland’s minority mistreated Catholics, who lived harsh, inhumane lifestyles, and in 1963 they would begin to do something about it. In the 1960’s Northern Ireland’s economy began to decline and Brookeborough failed to address this and other issues. In 1963, Terence O'Neill relieved Brookeborough of his duties and immediately began to take steps toward improving the economy. O'Neill’s established policies provoked the initial riots, protests and attacks of the period that later came to be known as “the Troubles”. The creation of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (Nicra) followed. The group, which was composed of mostly Catholics, advocated for the ending of what they claimed to be 7 injustices (one of which was impartial voting rights). Nicra, along with other Catholic forces held civil rights protests and demonstrations. British reforms to try and give the Catholics what they wanted failed and only angered the Catholic society more. In 1969 a new sector of the IRA, called the Provisional IRA (PIRA) was formed. The PIRA supported the catholic community in their struggle for civil rights. The group “was prepared to pursue unification in defiance of Britain and would use violence to achieve its aims” (BBC). The group attacked and killed soldiers and civilians, rioted, and warred for their independence. To quell the turmoil British forces became more ruthless and didn’t hesitate to cause violence themselves. A great representation of this is the day we call “Bloody Sunday”, when British troops shot and killed 14 people and wounded various others because of their violent civil rights protests. From 1963-85, the violent war between the Protestants and the British against the IRA and the Catholics caused the deaths of hundreds of people. “The Troubles”, a period marked by civil unrest, blood, and violence finally ended in 1985, when the British Anglo-Irish Agreement was passed but still the effects last on in the Protestant and Catholic communities.
ReplyDelete4. The presence of the British army in Northern Ireland has only fueled the anger of the Catholic communities. For decades the British controlled all of Ireland. In 1963 the Northern Province, composed of mostly loyal Protestants, who want to be part of the United Kingdom, was not granted the right to independence. This disappointed the unionists, who because of their mistreatment desired liberty in the form of civil rights. The struggle between the Protestants and the Catholics has always been religious, but has evidently become political too; The Catholics are unionists and the Protestants loyalists. Britain obviously feels the need to get involved in the conflict, because, technically speaking, they “own” the country it is their responsibility to keep the peace. And because the Protests’ and Catholics' religious views have always differed, the British alliance with the Protestants, and consequently the opposition of the Catholics to the British forces, has caused the struggle between the Protestants and the Catholics to become worse. The Catholics have two reasons to hate the British forces: first, the British mistreat the Catholic community, and the other, which ties in with their mistreatment, is that the British are allies of the Protestants, who the Catholics hate. The British think that if they were to remove their forces from Ireland total chaos would break out between the two sides. But the Catholics see the presence of the British in Ireland as a bigger threat. They feel that the British sided with the Protestants to team up on them. And naturally this makes them madder. The Catholics have become more passionate about their war for independence as a result of British intervention. If they win the war they will be taking out two birds with one stone; they will bring harm their protestant adversaries by defeating the British and gain civil rights.
ReplyDelete5. They Irish Republican Army is a primarily Catholic organization whose principal focus is breaking away from British rule and gaining independence. Their grievance: British authority favored the protestant majority of Northern Ireland and left the Catholics to rot. The army was created as a force to assist the Catholic society in their pursuit of its desired civil rights. It was composed of often untrained catholic civilians who were tired of living in such brutal conditions. The group used “violence to achieve their aims” (BBC). The group carried out such acts as protests, riots, marches, and bombings of protestant regions in an attempt to attain liberty.
ReplyDelete6. On January 30, 1972 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland 13 unarmed Catholic protesters were shot and killed, and 17 were wounded, by British soldiers. The protest by the IRA was deemed illegal by British authorities. Still the army and its Catholic followers carried it out. British troops were sent to suppress riots and protests. When they arrived, the soldiers were unhesitant to fire rounds of bullets at the enraged demonstrators. From this point on the battle between the IRA and the Catholics against the loyal Protestants and their British comrades turned into a struggle for revenge. The battle arguably had escalated from a religious skirmish to a protest of the mistreatment of the Catholics to a point when participants didn’t even know what they were fighting for. If asked why they are fighting, children might answer: because they’re protestant and I am Catholic. Really they just fight because, frankly, that is what they were taught to do. The war was never over religion though. Catholics only wanted freedom. They believed it their right, since after all this was their native country. But the British had occupied it for centuries. Bloody Sunday had an effect on the struggle. The now unified Catholic force had another reason to kill the Protestants: the Protestants had killed them. It was no longer only a battle for liberty. It was a battle for revenge too.
6. On January 30, 1972 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland 13 unarmed Catholic protesters were shot and killed, and 17 were wounded, by British soldiers. The protest by the IRA was deemed illegal by British authorities. Still the army and its Catholic followers carried it out. British troops were sent to suppress riots and protests. When they arrived, the soldiers were unhesitant to fire rounds of bullets at the enraged demonstrators. From this point on the battle between the IRA and the Catholics against the loyal Protestants and their British comrades turned into a struggle for revenge. The battle arguably had escalated from a religious skirmish to a protest of the mistreatment of the Catholics to a point when participants didn’t even know what they were fighting for. If asked why they are fighting, children might answer: because they’re protestant and I am Catholic. Really they just fight because, frankly, that is what they were taught to do. The war was never over religion though. Catholics only wanted freedom. They believed it their right, since after all this was their native country. But the British had occupied it for centuries. Bloody Sunday had an effect on the struggle. The now unified Catholic force had another reason to kill the Protestants: the Protestants had killed them. It was no longer only a battle for liberty. It was a battle for revenge too.
ReplyDelete7. Today, the war between the Protests and the Catholics rages on, but on a less violent scale. Signs of the conflict are evident throughout Northern Ireland. In Belfast giant walls, called peace lines, have been and are still being built to impede interaction between the Protestants and Catholics. In the city the Protestants walk on one side of the road, and the Catholics the other; the Catholic owned stores are on one side and the Protestant owned the other. And still, British troops patrol Northern Ireland. But the British, the Catholics and the Protestants have made progress. In 1994 the IRA declared a cease-fire. Later that year the British and Sinn Fein, the head of the IRA, took part in the first official peace talks. Fein argued for the British withdrawal from Northern Ireland, but the British reasoned that, first the IRA must give up all of its weaponry. Talks concerning the establishment of a Northern Ireland Government continued. In 1989 the peace talks led to the Good Friday Agreement, which called for an elected assembly of Northern Ireland. Both the loyalists and the Unionists would have political power and a say in national affairs. But in 1999 the IRA would not give up its weapons as it had promised to and the building of the new assembly was halted. Many times after the IRA agreed to disarmament, but never followed through with it. Finally in 2010, the British, the Catholics and the Protestants signed Hillsborough Castle Agreement. The treaty called for Britain to hand over the control of the police and justice system to Northern Ireland. Today the representation and treatment of the Catholics has improved very much thanks to the numerous peace talks and negotiations still though the Catholics have it rougher than the Protestants. The past has affected the present and the catholic unemployment rates are nearly 70%, life is still hard and more (YouTube Video).
Works Cited
ReplyDeleteAbbot, Patrick. "History of Ireland 1963 - 1969: O'Neill and the Civil Rights Movement." Wesley Johnston. Web. 03 Oct. 2010.
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History, BBC. "BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC - Homepage. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
"The Road to Northern Ireland, 1167 to 1921." BBC - Homepage. 02 Jan. 2007. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
Marie, Ann, Borgna Brunner, and Beth Rowen. Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free Online Reference, Research & Homework Help. — Infoplease.com. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"This Day in History — History.com — What Happened Today in History." History.com — History Made Every Day — American & World History. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
"YouTube- No Peace on the Streets - Northern Ireland." No Peace on the Streets- Northern Ireland. YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
1.What has been the Major Issue in Northern Ireland during the last three decades?
ReplyDeleteIn the past three decades, there has been a dispute of religion and culture in northern Ireland, which is controlled by Great Britain. The conflict and hostility between the Irish Catholics and Irish Protestants have been a major issue for a long period of time. In northern Ireland, the two religions are divided and their society has been that way since 1921, when the British . Since the British are mostly Protestant and control northern Ireland, the Protestants living in Ireland have advantages in politics, economics, and labor.
2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
In 1920, the Government of Ireland act was passed by the Parliament United Kingdom which partitioned Ireland. This act provided for two partitioned home rule states.One set covered a region which included six mostly Protestant countries became known as Northern Ireland. The second set was the remainder of the land which was twenty six mostly Catholic countries, was known as Southern Ireland. Their creation was a compromise produced by the British Government when faced with the demand by Irish nationalists for home rule and the demand of Irish unionists that home rule not be conceded.In 1921, The Anglo-Irish Treaty came about. was concluded between the British government and the representatives of the Assembly of Ireland. This meant British Crown forces would withdraw from Ireland, so the majority Ireland was able to advance to full freedom. This majority was southern Ireland, while Northern Ireland stayed under the rule of the United Kingdom.
3.Describe what came to be known as “The Troubles” from 1963-1985
“The troubles” was a cycle of violence which lasted for around three decades between northern Ireland's national community (Irish Catholics), and the Unionist community (Protestants). This began when the prime minister,Viscount Brookeborough, had been forced out in 1963 by members of his own party due to failing to address the worsening economic malaise. This also was due to the fact two thirds of Northern Ireland's population was Protestant, but was worsened by drawing of local government electoral boundaries to favor unionist candidates who were Protestants. In areas where boundaries were drawn, the Catholic minority had their power and importance diluted politically. He was replaced by Terence O'Neill, who immediately wanted to introduce a variety of bold measures to improve the economy. However, in order to succeed as the new prime minister, he also had to address the political and social issues in Northern Ireland. He met with the Southern Ireland's prime minister Sean Lemass, which was the first such meeting between Irish heads of government for 40 years. This represented a serious threat to many unionists, since the Republic's constitution still laid claim to the whole island of Ireland. O'Neill's policies provoked outspoken attacks from within unionism. With Catholic hopes raised on one side and unionist fears on the other, the situation quickly threatened to boil over, and violence finally erupted in 1966 This continuing conflict, which lingered into the 1990s, became known as "the Troubles."
4. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
The British army is mostly Protestant so during the entire struggle, the British have favored Northern Ireland. The Catholics are always treated unfairly and have an extreme disadvantage in labor,politics, and economics. After bloody sunday, sent to Northern Ireland to keep the peace, the presence of the British Army contributed significantly to the increase of violence.
5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
ReplyDeleteThe Irish Republican Army (I.R.A) formed in 1969, is devoted to removing British forces from Northern Ireland, to giving Catholics civil rights, and to unifying Ireland. The IRA conducted attacks until its cease-fire in 1997 and agreed to disarm as a part of the 1998 Belfast Agreement, which established the basis for peace in Northern Ireland.The IRA has several hundred members, plus several thousand sympathizers.
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
On Sunday January 30, 1972, Irish Catholic Civil Rights protesters were shot by the soldiers of the British Parachute Regiment after a Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association march in the Bogside area of the city of Derry. It began with a few protestors provoking the soldiers of the British Army, then lead to arresting of the protesers, which then lead to mayhem and violence breaking out. Fourteen died, six of whom were minors. Many witnesses, including bystanders and journalists, testify that those shot at were all unarmed. Five of those wounded were shot in the back by the British Army. Bloody Sunday remains among the most significant events in the recent "troubles" of Northern Ireland, arguably because it was carried out by the army and not by paramilitaries. Catholics who had looked for a just settlement of their grievances regarding discrimination and inequality while remaining within the United Kingdom then saw union with Ireland as their best hope, since the British Army was perceived as supporting the Unionists. Many who had looked to politics and negotiation as the best way of realizing their goals now turned to the paramilitaries.
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
Currently, in northern Ireland, there is still hostility between the two religions. However, Ian Paisley, who is a Protestant, and Martin McGuiness, who is Catholic are both deputy ministers in Northern Ireland. This means the government is shared by both sides which is fair. I believe this is a small step forward towards a life where both religions live in peaceful unison.
Works Cited
BBC History. "Northern Ireland: The Troubles." BBC. N.p., 1 Feb. 2007. Web. 3 Oct. 2010. .
"Bloody Sunday." New World Encyclopedia. N.p., 3 Apr. 2008. Web. 3 Oct. 2010. .
CBC News. "Loyalist Sentenced 16 years for attack on Northern Ireland Parliament." cbcnews. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2010. < http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/12/08/stone-sentence.html>.
Imbornoni, Ann Marie. "The Northern Irish Conflict: A Chronology." Infoplease. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2010. .
"Irish Republican Army." Global Security. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2010. .
Pike, John. "Irish Republican Army." Intelligence Resource Program. N.p., 21 July 2005. Web. 3 Oct. 2010. .
1. What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteThe British government has controlled Northern Ireland and, more importantly, the Catholics for the last three decades. Many Catholics wants to be independent and unite with Southern Ireland. Northern Ireland's Catholics are treated as the minority and lack key civil rights, which has now encouraged violence and threats against Great Britain. Protestants and Catholics have been separated since the separation of their country which has also aroused opposition amongst the two religions.
2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
In 1919, an uprising against British rule began, because the British government controlled 26 counties. In 1921, Michael Collins signed the Anglo-Irish Treaty and settled on an agreement that Britain can continue to control 6 counties in Northern Ireland. Collins was shot dead and the IRA was strongly against the treaty, but nothing more than “...keeping the dream alive” continued on because World War I was beginning (BBC).
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
Terence O’Neill took over Ireland and worked to improve the economy. He needed to address the issues in Northern Ireland before he could continue on. Trying to fix Ireland threatened many unionists and increased hope in many Catholics, and their polarized feelings led to the beginning of “the troubles.” Many civil right marches occurred to support Catholics that began peaceful, but evolved into violent statements. In 1969, O’Neill resigned and James Chichester-Clark replaced him. The Battle of Bogside, a three daylong riot, required the help of British military to control the commotion and Ireland remained in control of Britain. After Britain’s help, reforms rapidly increased just as fast as the attacks on Catholics increased. The IRA evolved into the Provisional IRA (PIRA), which were more willing to achieve their civil rights using violence. Chichester-Clark resigned in 1971 and Brian Faulkner replaced him. In 1972, “Bloody Friday” killed nine people from more than twenty PIRA bombs after “Bloody Sunday” which killed thirteen innocent people shot by British military. In 1973, the British government suggested that Protestants and Catholics would share power and allow Catholics a role in Ireland’s affairs. These ideas and the election of a Catholic government official Sinn Fein raised the possibility of Catholics having a voice in Northern Ireland and lead to the "peace process" to neutralize feelings amongst Irelands inhabitants. Ultimately, “the troubles” were 20 stressful years of extreme violence and negotiation between Northern Ireland, Southern Ireland, and Great Britain.
4. How have the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
ReplyDeleteSince 1969, thousands of people have died and tens of thousands have been injured because Britain has occupied Northern Ireland. Britain wants to stay in control of Northern Ireland therefore; more troops are deployed to keep their power. However, the IRA will continue fighting to remove them, which leads to more violence and an unsafe environment to Northern Ireland's people.
5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
The IRA stands for Irish Republican Army, which was established in 1919 during an uprising against the British Army. Catholics populate Northern Ireland and were largely against Ireland splitting and Britain gaining control. The IRA is made up of several hundred members and thousands of patrons and has a very strong guerilla organization. IRA is known for “...bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, extortion, and robberies” which can classify IRA as a terrorist group (Global Security). They fight to remove the United Kingdom from Northern Ireland.
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
In 1972, thirteen Catholics were shot dead and fourteen were injured from British troops during a civil rights march in Londonderry’s Guildhall Hall Square. The British Soldiers open fired without giving any warning and the shots weren’t in response to attacks by bombs or stone throwers. The people shot were clearly fleeing from the incident and were not posing any threat. The soldiers lied about their shots that weren’t pre-planned. This event increased the need for Northern Ireland to be free form Britain and encouraged IRA to strike out on Bloody Friday and many years later.
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
Northern Ireland is in a “new era” (BBC) because they are slowly transitioning into a peaceful process to eliminate the IRA and to connect Ireland again. The Protestants and Catholics are separated in religion, culture and history, and Catholics are still a minority. Attacks towards opposite religions often occur and children are influenced to follow. Ireland as a whole is overcoming the separation of the country and British control and influence on Ireland.
Works Cited
ReplyDelete"Bloody Sunday Report Published." BBC - Homepage. 15 June 2010. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
Cherry, Matt. "Making Peace in Northern Ireland a Reality." Council for Secular Humanism. 23 May 1998. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
"Irish Republican Army." GlobalSecurity.org - Reliable Security Information. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
"Key Events in Northern Ireland History." BBC - Homepage. 13 Jan. 1998. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
"Northern Ireland: The Troubles." BBC - Homepage. 01 Feb. 2007. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
Reynolds, Paul. "The IRA's History of Splits." BBC - Homepage. 10 Mar. 2009. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
"Timeline: Northern Ireland's Road to Peace." BBC - Homepage. 27 Jan. 2006. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
The rest of my work is above.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited:
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Darraj, Susan Muaddi. "'Dividing Ireland'." Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams, Modern Peacemakers. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
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McCarthy, John P. "Irish Bloody Sunday, 1972." Ireland: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present, European Nations. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
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Phillips, Charles, and Alan Axelrod. "Northern Ireland Civil War." Encyclopedia of Wars, vol. 2. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=EWAR1080&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 1, 2010).
1. What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteNorthern Ireland is plagued with a religious, social, and cultural problem. Northern Ireland is a country split between two religions: Catholicism and Protestantism. The population is split almost equally between the two religions, 53% being Protestant, 44% being Catholic, and 3% other or non-religious (statistics.gov). Although their similarity in numbers, Protestants have much more power in Northern Ireland. They own more businesses and will not hire Catholics for work, causing high unemployment rates in the Catholic community. Also, the Protestants are backed up up by the British military, giving them even more power. The separation and intolerance between the two religions has brought the country to violence and turmoil. Catholics are fighting for equal rights, but the segregation runs so deep that it has turned into the culture of Northern Ireland. New generations are being born into a segregated country, so they feel the bias to the other side without really understanding why.
2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
In 1921, under the Government of Ireland Act, the partition of Northern Ireland and the rest of Ireland was finalized. The six predominantly Protestant counties of Ulster became north, and the remaining twenty-six predominantly Catholic counties became the south. This was how Northern Ireland was created. Later, the Irish counties in the south would gain independence and become the Republic of Ireland.
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
“The troubles” from 1963-1985 was a period of violence in the history of Northern Ireland. In the 1960s, the Catholics in Northern Ireland looked to the American Civil Rights movement for inspiration. The Catholics in Ulster started demonstrating for better access to housing and fairer wages. In August 1969, the demonstrations turned to violent rioting and police repression. Eventually the British army was deployed. The British government had to intervene which caused a series of reforms to occur. The goal of the reforms was to to placate both communities by stating their support for equality and freedom from discrimination. Reforms that called for the disarming of the police and the setting up of the Ulster Defence Regiment under the control of the British Army caused outraged loyalists to respond with more civil unrest and attacks on Catholic homes. Also in 1969, the provisional IRA or PIRA broke off from the official IRA. The PIRA was more extreme than the IRA; “it was prepared to pursue unification in defiance of Britain and would use violence to achieve its aims,” (BBC). Also, loyalist paramilitary forces started to organize. The UFA and Ulster Defence Association joined to a force of thousands. In the middle of the two sides was the British Army. It attempted to control the PIRA with house-to-house searches and the imposition of a limited curfew, but this only caused more recruits to the paramilitary and more violence. Then, with a new prime minister, Brian Faulkner, and the reintroduction of internment-detention of suspects without trial- in 1971 lead to one of the most violent years in the Troubles. Violent events continued, such as Bloody Sunday in 1972 and loyalist bombings in Dublin and Monaghan 1974. The troubles officially ended in 1985, when the Anglo-Irish Agreement confirmed that Northern Ireland would remain independent of the Republic as long as that was the will of the majority in the north. The PIRA did not disband until 2005.
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ReplyDelete4. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
ReplyDeleteThe British army influenced the struggled by agitating both of the opposing sides of the conflict. Their attempt to create peace through reforms during the troubles angered the loyalists and caused the destruction of Catholic property. Also, the British government’s tendency to side with the Protestants and events such as Bloody Sunday angered the Provisional IRA even more, increasing the violence and anger the Catholics felt towards the state of Northern Ireland.
5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
The I.R.A is the Irish Republican Army. It is a paramilitary organization that has committed itself to the removal of the British in Northern Ireland and the ending of the partition of the island. The I.R.A has been active since the Anglo-Irish War from 1920 to 1921. The I.R.A is supported by North Ireland’s Catholic population, and fights for equal rights for the Catholic population. In 1970, the Irish Republican Army split. The Provisional Irish Republican Army was made. The P.I.R.A. took a more extreme turn and focused on uniting Ireland through terrorist activity. In 2005, the P.I.R.A announced the end of its armed campaigns.
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
After North Ireland Prime Minister Brian Faulkner introduced interment in 1971, Catholic anger rose. Only nationalists were arrested because of interment, and often they were mistreated. On January 30, 1972, a demonstration was staged in Derry, Northern Ireland against interment, even though Northern Irish authorities had banned demonstrations. Members of the Parachute Regiment were ordered to take arrests at the scene. They claimed to have been under fire, so the soldiers began to fire on the marchers. Fourteen were killed and twelve were injured. Catholic and I.R.A rage sprang from this event, and it lead to an increase in I.R.A. members. This increased the violence in an already extremely bloody conflict.
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
Peace treaties and proclaimed cease fires by the I.R.A started in the 1990s. Negotiations for a treaty between Northern Ireland political parties and Britain began in September 1997. After months of rigorous and difficult negotiations, the Good Friday Agreement was reached April 10, 1998. The agreement called for a power-sharing provincial government in Northern Ireland, but also ongoing consultation between the British and Irish governments on matters relating to Northern Ireland. Within Northern Ireland’s government, the treaty called for a proportionately elected assembly and a multiparty ministry. This is not entirely fair, since the I.R.A. was fighting for the end of partition of northern and southern Ireland. However, these agreements are a vast improvement from the violence of the Troubles.
There have been many issues with Ireland for the past three decades. One huge issue is the separation between the Catholics and the Protestants. In 1919 Ireland was split into two sections; the north having a majority of Protestants and the south having a majority of Catholics. A sub issue is that the Catholics demanded for rights. Catholics in the north were refused basic civil rights and by the Northern Irish Government. The British Government intervened to prevent a civil war. Because of the conflict of religion in Ireland, the peace making IRA or the terrorist IRA group has given the British many problems over the past few decades.
ReplyDelete1921 was an overwhelming year for Ireland and UK. Ireland completely separated into two separate sections. Northern Ireland was primarily Protestants, and the south was mostly Catholic. In 1921 Northern Ireland became part of the United Kingdom. To show the seriousness of the added territory, the UK changed their name from “The United Kingdom of Great Britain” to 'The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” It can be argued that having northern Ireland has become more of a nuisance for the UK than they expected.
In the early sixties Northern Ireland’s small Catholic population revolted and demanded more civil rights. Some examples of these civil rights were voting issues, and an overall lack of human rights. Almost all of the Catholics in Northern Ireland revolted and marched for their civil rights. This protest had a very negative and bloody affect. The Catholics in Northern Ireland had no trial for their actions, and the British were forced to shoot and kill the potentially dangerous Catholics. This gave the IRA an excuse to attack Northern Ireland; thankfully this eventually led to a peace treaty between the UK and Ireland.
It is hard to say with any decision how things would have been if something did not happen. I think that the British army’s presence has a mixed representation in Northern Ireland. On one hand the British army is protecting the North from the South. But on the other hand if given more time things might have worked out better for Ireland as a whole if there was a civil war. The UK has a enormous upper hand in this situation. The British has a bigger army, but because of their extensive patrols the area of Northern Ireland seems somewhat restricted and unhealthy.
The IRA is the Irish Republican Army. The IRA is really just a freedom fighter organization. The IRA is sort of Ireland’s “gang.” The IRA is not funded by Ireland, but the IRA is known to take extreme measures in the fight against Northern Ireland and the British. The IRA fights in the defense of Catholics that are living in Northern Ireland. The IRA is also known to make bombs and detonate them in common Protestant areas.
ReplyDeleteBloody Sunday occurred in January 1972. Bloody Sunday was a protest by the Catholics against a new policy that was recently passed. British soldiers became anxious with the growing crowd and decided to start to arrest people. Little did they know that this would fire the rage of the Catholic protestors exponentially. The protestors threw rocks, Molotov cocktails, and shot at the British police. The police returned fire and killed 13 Catholic protestors. Reports were made that the protestors never did anything harmful to the police, but it is still unclear.
Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland was taken from the Irish in the 70’s. The United Kingdom wanted the land at that time because Ireland had a very valuable port. Currently there is a more equal representation of the Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland. The conflict between theses two religions is a huge deal and should not be taken lightly by both the British and the Irish government.
Works Cited
ReplyDelete"Bloody Sunday Trust." Bloody Sunday Trust- Dedicated to Truth, Justice, Reconciliation and Healing. June 2010. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
"Conflict in Northern Ireland." Coursework Help - GCSE and A-Level Course Work. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
History, BBC. "BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC - Homepage. 02 Jan. 2007. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
"History of Ireland 1919 - 1921: The War of Independence and Partition." Wesley Johnston. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
O'Cleary, Connor. "Belfast Norther Ireland | Recreational Riots | Conflict." International News | Global News from Around the World. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
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ReplyDelete"Communities in Northern Ireland." Statistics.gov. Office for National Statistics, 11 Oct. 2004. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
Kellett, Andrew. "Irish Republican Army (IRA)." In Ackermann, Marsha E., Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and Mark F. Whitters, eds.Encyclopedia of World History: The Contemporary World, 1950 to the Present, vol. 6. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=WHVI169&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 4, 2010).
McCarthy, John P. "Irish Bloody Sunday, 1972." Ireland: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present, European Nations. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=IRL0086&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 4, 2010).
"Northern Ireland: The Troubles." BBC.com. 02 Jan. 2007. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
State, Paul F. "sectarian clash in 20th-century Ireland." A Brief History of Ireland, Brief History. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Modern World History Online, Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=BHIRE11&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 4, 2010).
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ReplyDelete1. The major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades is one of civil rights. Northern Ireland is the area where the largest Protestant population is located in Ireland, and the Protestants have held almost all of the political power in Northern Ireland over the last Century. The Catholics who are the majority of the Irish population feels oppressed by the Protestants because they do not have as much say in their government. Also, the Protestants have better jobs, better education, and better housing. Because of this, the Catholics have been protesting for their civil rights, and the whole issue has become quite bloody and violent.
ReplyDelete2. After years of fighting between the Irish and English, in 1921, the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed. As a result of the treaty, the Southern part of Ireland separated and became a dominion of Great Britain known as the Irish Free State. The treaty also stated that the Irish Free State could have its own government, but that it still had to honor the King or Queen of England. Since the Protestants mainly controlled the government in northern part of Ireland it remained under the rule of England, much to the chagrin of the Catholics. The separation additionally caused further oppression of the Catholics. The Protestants refused Catholics political rights in order to protect their own political power. They even went as far as allowing the police the to arrest any Catholic without question.
3. The period known as the troubles was a time where young Irish Catholics began to demonstration to protest for their right to better jobs, education and voting. In other words they were marching against Protestant superiority. One of the groups spearheading these marches was called the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA). The British government tried to eliminate protests organized by this group by making demonstrations by led by NICRA illegal, but the group kept on marching despite the law. The demonstrations also inspired the Provo faction of the IRA launched more intense attacks on the Protestants and in response a Protestant group called the Ulster Volunteer Force began retaliating towards the Catholics. In an effort to calm the violence, British troops were sent into Northern Ireland. In reality, they ended up making the conflict worse, not better.
4. The original purpose of the deployment of the British Army was to keep the violence between the Protestants and Catholics at a minimum. They were sent to re-enforce the Northern Ireland police who were struggling to maintain order. At first the Catholics were happy to have a mediating force in their midst, but as time went on they became aware that the army favored the Protestant cause. The Catholics especially came to regret the army when the incident of Bloody Sunday occurred. Instead of doing good, the British army caused more violence in the long run.
ReplyDelete5. The IRA stands for the Irish Republican Army. It began in 1913 as an organization ready to use force (guerilla warfare) against the British in order fight for the independence of Ireland. The IRA’s original rampages led to the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which led to the creation of the Irish Free State. Since the Irish Free State became the Republic of Ireland, the IRA has been fighting for the joining of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. After the Catholics started protesting the oppression of the Protestants from England and for their civil rights, a faction of the IRA called the Provos that is base in Northern Ireland became even more violent towards the Protestants. Provos also are responsible for distributing weapons to Northern Ireland Catholics because they feel it is the only way for Catholics to defend themselves against the Protestants.
6. Bloody Sunday January 30, 1972 was a very sad day for the Catholic Irish. It started out as an illegal demonstration in the Northern Irish city of Londonderry. The Catholics in Northern Ireland were protesting against a law that the Protestants had passed, which allowed police to arrest anyone the suspected of being involved with the IRA. In response, the government decided to take care of the Catholic protesters by sending in the British Army. The army came in and began arresting and firing on the protesters who had no weapons of their own and “fourteen [people] were killed and 12 were wounded” (McCarthy). The British army even brought in tanks so that they could surround the crowd. Also, the British Parliament made the executive decision to make Northern Ireland directly under its jurisdiction. The whole event of Bloody Sunday outraged the Irish all over and demonstrations against the British cropped up in the Republic of Ireland. In addition, this horrific event made the British army stationed in Northern Ireland even less popular than before.
7. The current political climate is much more subdue than it was before due to the signing of the Good Friday or Belfast agreement 1998. This agreement included the creation of the Northern Ireland Assembly, which consists of 108 members chosen from all of the different political parties in Northern Ireland. Assembly is meant to be a peaceful governing body that represents the interests of both Catholics and Protestants. The current first minister, Ian Paisley and deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, are Protestant and Catholic respectively, and McGuinness feels “confident he and the DUP leader could work together” (BBC NEWS).
1. What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteThe past three decades in Northern Ireland hold many issues, ranging from religious to political dilemmas. In Northern Ireland, a religious and cultural struggle exists between the Catholics and the Protestants. The Catholics in Northern Ireland suffer from unequal social status and economic stress due to their religion. Catholics protesting civil rights usually are countered by the British army, effectively ending the demonstrations. The British army patrols the border of Northern Ireland, to protect it from terrorists. The presence of the British army in Northern Ireland has led to terrorist organizations, such as the Provisional I.R.A.. This group was active in “the troubles”, a time of intense violence between the Catholics and Protestants. The I.R.A. used fear and violence to try and unite Ireland into one nation. “The troubles” were ended by the Belfast Agreement, which created The Northern Ireland Assembly, the legislative power in Northern Ireland. The Assembly is made up of representatives based on the percentage of Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland.
2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
In 1918, the Sinn Fein party received support in the elections and declared themselves an autonomous state. The British tried to put down the Sinn Fein party, but caused a guerilla war between the British and the Irish. At first, the British and Irish signed a partition in order to stop the fighting. This gave the Irish a semi-autonomous state. Not happy with the agreement, the Irish continued to fight against the British. Exhausted from fighting, the British agreed to sign the Anglo-Irish treaty to stop the war. In 1921, the Anglo-Irish treaty separated Ireland into Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. The treaty specified that Northern Ireland was to be controlled by the British, favoring the Protestants. They would have their own government, but would be subject to British rule and law. Southern Ireland turned into The Republic of Ireland. They would have their own political system and government, favoring the Catholics.
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
“The troubles” from 1963-1985 refer to the three decades of violence, involving the Irish Catholics, against the British, and Protestants in Northern Ireland. This period of time is considered a war by some. A political deadlock separated two factions in the government, those who sympathize with the Catholics, the nationalist community, and the Protestants, the Unionist community. During “the troubles,” many armed conflicts between militant groups and the British soldiers occurred, leaving many dead and countless wounded. One of the militant groups, the I.R.A., was the main protagonist in the war. There goal was to rid the British from Northern Ireland by using violence and war. During “the troubles,” Bloody Sunday occurred, where British soldiers killed 13 civilians. To end “the troubles,” the British signed the Belfast Treaty, or Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
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ReplyDelete4. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
ReplyDeleteBecause of the presence of the British army in Northern Ireland, increased tensions exist between the protesters and Northern Ireland. The British soldiers in Northern Ireland have created small terrorist organizations, such as the Irish Republican Army (I.R.A.), to oppose the presence of a military. The rebels have used events, like Bloody Sunday, to gain support of more Catholics in Northern Ireland. In addition, the British military in Northern Ireland has put international pressure on the British to remove their soldiers and give the Catholics equal rights in Northern Ireland.
5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
The I.R.A., is a terrorist organization in Northern and the Republic of Ireland that attacks British soldiers and political leaders. They are fighting for an Ireland that is autonomous of British rule, on the belief that Northern Ireland is unfairly treated by the British. These terrorists want to rid the British from Ireland; they try to accomplish this by attacking the British and Protestant citizens. The I.R.A. uses fear attacks in order to scare the British government, by bombing buildings with pipe bombs and murdering citizens in Northern Ireland, resulting many people dead and the infrastructure of Northern Ireland irrevocably harmed.
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
On Bloody Sunday, riots in Ireland caused British troops to fire and kill many of the rioters. “On that day, British army paratroopers fired upon a peaceful civil rights demonstration in the Bogside area of the city, killing 13 people.” (www.wsws.org) These 14 people that were killed became martyrs and fueled the fire of protesters in Ireland. The effects of Bloody Sunday gave the civil rights protesters more power and influence as seen by an increase in supporters of their cause. With an increase of protesters, the British government eventually had peace talks with the Republic of Ireland to allow the Protestants and Catholics to have equal rights, socially and politically.
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
ReplyDeleteIn Northern Ireland, two political parties, the Unionist (Protestants) and the Nationalists (Catholics), are the major players in the government. The Unionists want Northern Ireland to remain controlled by the United Kingdom, while the Nationalists want Northern Ireland to become part of The Republic of Ireland, creating one united Ireland. “The Northern Ireland Assembly consists of 108 elected Members - six from each of the 18 Westminster constituencie.” (niassembly.org). These 108 members vote on legislation and constitutional rules. These members vote on ministers to rule the government and if one side has a majority, there is not a fair representation in the government.
Works Cited
"Brief Summary, Northern Ireland Assembly." Welcome to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Web. 02 Oct. 2010. .
History, By Bbc. "BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC - Homepage. Web. 02 Oct. 2010. .
"Irish Republican Army (IRA)." GlobalSecurity.org - Reliable Security Information. Web. 02 Oct. 2010. .
Stevens, By Robert. "Northern Ireland: Eyewitness Accounts of 1972 "Bloody Sunday" Massacre Indict British Army." World Socialist Web Site. Web. 02 Oct. 2010. .
Rochelle Dong
ReplyDelete1. What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
Though the issue has been predominant in the last three decades, the beginnings of conflict date back to the 17th century, when the English were able to finally subdue the rebellions.
However, the conflict did not really begin until Protestants and Catholics fought against who was to have the official religion on Ireland. One reason was that, politically, Catholic’s were a minority when it came to voting, even in areas that were predominately Catholic. Another reason is that the right to vote in local government elections was restricted to “ratepayers” which favored Protestants. Catholic areas also receive less government investment that their Protestant counterparts. The bias against Catholics in Northern Ireland has sparked anger and resentment from Catholics as they want equal rights to Protestants.
2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
The “Anglo-Irish Treaty” which was agreed upon by the British government and IRA, was able to replace the old Dublin Home-Rule Parliament. The new Act allowed Ireland to be more independent. This new state was allowed to have its own army, though it remains under the British Commonwealth. Ireland would also be a British representative, and allow British naval bases there. Also, the boundaries would be newly set to reflect Unionist/Nationalist communities.
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
After the 1921 Anglo-Irish treaty, most Catholic and Protestant hostility cooled down a bit, but in the late 1960s, riots broke out. British troops were brought in to calm the situation down, but the IRA and a Protestant military carried out acts of terrorism, such as bombing. These acts of violence carried into the 1990s and became known as “the Troubles.”
4. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
The British army has only prevented Catholics and Protestants to make peace with each other. Troops march on the streets, preventing any Catholic to go to the wrong side or create a conflict. British troops have also added more violence to the conflict by retaliating against Catholics on Bloody Sunday.
5. Who are the I.R.A and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
ReplyDeleteThe IRA is the Irish Republic Army that was dedicated to removing the British troops in Northern Ireland. The IRA split in 1970, and one group, called the Provisional IRA (or Provos) rededicated itself to creating a united Ireland through terrorist activity, such as bombing and assassination.
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
In 1972, at least 10,000 civil right protestors staged a march. These marches were however, outlawed. In late afternoon, members of the British army were ordered to arrest. The regiment involved with this incident had already previously encountered the IRA in the weeks before. Claiming that they were under fire, the regiment opened fire on the marchers. Fourteen were killed and twelve were wounded.
This incident angered the Catholics living in Northern Ireland and made them more compassionate towards the IRA.
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
In 2007, a government based on a power-sharing arrangement between the Catholic and Protestant political parties took office. On February 5, 2010, the Hillsborough Castle Agreement allowed Britain to hand over control of to Northern Ireland. Both Catholics and Protestants have a voice in Northern Ireland politics now, and the situation is much stable than it used to be in the past.
Works Cited
Abunimah, Ali. "Northern Ireland News - Breaking World Northern Ireland News - The New York Times." Times Topics. The New York Times, 15 June 2010. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
"BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC. Ed. BBC History. BBC, 01 Feb. 2007. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
Kellett, Andrew. "Irish Republican Army (IRA)." In Ackermann, Marsha E., Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and Mark F. Whitters, eds.Encyclopedia of World History: The Contemporary World, 1950 to the Present, vol. 6. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=WHVI169&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 4, 2010).
McCarthy, John P. "Irish Bloody Sunday, 1972." Ireland: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present, European Nations. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=IRL0086&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 4, 2010).
"The Northern Irish Conflict: A Chronology." Infoplease.
© 2000–2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease.
04 Oct. 2010 .
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ReplyDelete1. There have been many different issues that have happened currently in Northern Ireland. However these conflicts all have traces back to the split between the Catholics and the Protestants that are living in Ireland. On one side are the Catholics who wish for independence from England and want to become part of the union with the Republic of Ireland. On the other side of the conflict are the Protestants who want to remain connected with England who offers the Protestants defense. Over the last few decades these two groups have been in a constant feud with each other. This fighting caused each side to develop a military type organization. The Catholics developed the Irish Republican Army or the IRA. The Protestants created the Protestant Ulster Defense Association. These two organizations have been engaged in all forms of violent actions such as street fighting, political assassinations, and many planted bombs. Because of all this crime the British military was put in Northern Ireland to try to help calm the violence but in many cases this has only built the violence up more between the Catholics and the Protestants.
ReplyDelete2. 1921 was when the Irish Free State was created which was divided from Northern Ireland. This area latter became the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland Still remained under the control of Britain because at the time it was a large source of goods and income for Britain. The main difference between these two areas was religion. In The Republic of Ireland the dominate religion is Catholic. Over 95% of people in the Republic of Ireland are Catholics. However in Northern Ireland this ratio is much smaller. In Northern Ireland only about 40% of the population was Catholic. This left the other 60% of the population to be Protestants. This split has been the cause of all the fighting that has been occurring.
3. The period now known as the troubles was a time in which there was a high amount of violence in Northern Ireland. It started due to feelings of discrimination against the Catholics which were the minority by the Protestants which were the majority. Because of a few improvements in society catholic kids were able to become much more educated which then caused a generation that would not stand for all of the discrimination. This caused many different protests to spread throughout Northern Ireland. Unfortunately these protests caused the police to become involved and violence began to rise. The IRA and the UVF formed out of this violence and there was constant violence between the two. This violence also got the British army involved which in return causes more violence. In general this period was a period of great unrest and a lot of violence.
4. The British army in Northern Ireland has influenced this struggle more than people think. This is because the majority of the British troops are Protestants. This causes the Catholics to want to fight the army as well. If Catholics are against Protestants and the army is mostly Protestants then to the Catholics the army is a major enemy. Also when the army is committing many various acts of violence themselves against the Catholics; the Catholics are going to constantly be reminded of why they want to fight. The troops that are in place to prevent violence are causing more violence in Northern Ireland than if they weren’t in place at all.
5. The IRA stands for the Irish Republican Army. The IRA is a group of Catholics with the sole purpose of removing the British government from Ireland. In their efforts to be rid of the British government the IRA has resorted to terrorist activities that use many bombing tactics to fight against the Protestants and British army. They are a major factor to all of the fighting that has occurred in Northern Ireland over the past few decades. They believe that they need to fight for their rights and are willing to kill for them.
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ReplyDeleteWhat has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteIn Northern Ireland, which is owned by the British, mainly Protestants live there. The problem with this is that the rest of Ireland is Catholic, and due to religious differences, the two groups hate each other. Due to the fact that Britain has a far more powerful army than Ireland, the power of Irish Catholics has been suppressed.
Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
In 1921, Ireland was split into two different pieces, the Protestant North Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, which is Catholic.
Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
“The troubles” between 1963 and 1985 started when Catholics in North Ireland began demanding more civil rights. To achieve this, the Catholics began protesting and marching for their cause, but the Protestant Police didn’t like this and began stopping marches, often using violence. This only escalated the situation, as the Catholics began to fight back against the Protestant Police, and began a sort of a war between everyday Catholics and Protestant Peoples. Bloody Sunday, only increased the Catholic hatred of the Protestants.
How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the
struggle?
When the army first came to Northern Ireland, the Catholics thought they might offer salvation from the ruthless Protestant Police, but because the army was Protestant, they disliked the Catholics as much as the police. The military possessed weaponry superior to what the Catholics and Police had, and so certain hard to put down revolts and riots were met with heightened violence. The main consequence of the British Army deploying to Northern Ireland was that the I.R.A. used every mistake and example of brutality as a way to recruit more members and increase the fervor in both the regular Catholic people, and the existing members of the group.
5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
The I.R.A. is an acronym for Irish Republican Army, a coalition of freedom fighters in Ireland that caused the split between Northern and Southern Ireland in 1920. After the countries divided, the I.R.A. itself splintered. One side became the Official I.R.A. of (southern) Ireland, while the other stayed as a terrorist force. The (terrorist) I.R.A. fought against the Protestants in Northern Ireland, and sometimes Britain itself. The I.R.A. fights for the rights of Catholics that live in Southern and Northern Ireland.
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ReplyDelete6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
ReplyDeleteOn Sunday of January 20, 1972, 28 Irish Protesters were shot to death by British Soldiers. The majority of the witnesses state that all those shot at were weaponless, and 5 of the dead were reportedly shot in the back as they ran away from the hail of bullets.
What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
The current government in Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and also a semiautonomous, meaning that it is only partially self governed. Control of Northern Ireland is often turned over to Britain. Religiously, Northern Ireland is ruled by Protestants, meaning that the Catholics living in Northern Ireland often face persecution, both from the police and the regular people. This isn’t fair, but the few Protestants that live in Southern Ireland face the same treatment.
Bibliography:
Abbot, Patrick. "The Ireland Story - Irish History, Maps of Ireland." Wesley Johnston. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
"BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC - Homepage. 1 Feb. 2007. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
"Bloody Sunday (1972) - New World Encyclopedia." Info:Main Page - New World Encyclopedia. 3 Apr. 2008. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
Rowen, Beth, and Borgna Brunner. "The Northern Irish Conflict." Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free Online Reference, Research & Homework Help. — Infoplease.com. 2007. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
1. The major issue in Northern Ireland during the last three decades has been that Northern Ireland wants independence from Britain. They do not want to be controlled physically, culturally, and socially by British rule. They want to self-govern, and have been fighting with undying passion for civil rights while Britain continues to brutally suppress the people of Northern Ireland.
ReplyDelete2. In 1921, a delegation was sent to represent Ireland in a negotiation with prime minister David Lloyd George of Britain. The Irish delegation wanted “a completely independent and unified state” (Donnelly), but the British refused to grant them independence. Instead, the two sides agreed on the Anglo-Irish Treaty which split up Ireland into Northern Ireland, which constituted six counties and remained under British rule and Ireland, made up of the other 26 counties.
3. In the 1960s, the troubles began as the Catholics felt underrepresented and suppressed by the Protestants (the majority) who had no intentions of releasing their control. Groups founded to oppose the Protestants or to suppress the opposing Catholics were formed and clashed throughout these times. Groups such as the IRA were founded during this time period and struggled over control and civil rights.
4. The British army and its presence in Northern Ireland has intensified and magnified the struggle. The army is reckless and often seems to be looking for a fight with ordinary citizens. The presence of the army, although meant to be a peacekeeping mission, is merely angering the citizens more. The army is killing families and innocent passersby in the crossfire with the revolutionaries. The revolutionaries are channeling their anger towards the army to all of Britain, increasing their passion and willingness to strive for independence.
ReplyDelete5. IRA stands for Irish Republican Army. The IRA was “an unofficial semimilitary organization” (Combs). The IRA’s main grievance was Britain’s political control over Northern Ireland. They wanted Northern Ireland to be allowed to become a part of Ireland. The IRA used guerrilla warfare in order to force the British into negotiating political compromises. After this settlement was established, a part of the IRA did not like it, so they split off. This group who opposed the settlement was called the Irregulars. They went on to lose the civil war between the two factions of the IRA, but, instead of disbanding, they continued fighting and were soon known as basically a terrorist group due to their occasional acts of violence.
6. On January 30, 1972, (later dubbed “Bloody Sunday”), citizens where on the streets, staging a march in protest for civil rights. The British army wanted the people out of the streets, but instead of carrying this out peacefully, they opened fire (claiming they were under fire) and shot and killed 14 people, and injured 12. This incident essentially fanned the flames of the revolutionaries, increasing their passion towards the cause, and it made martyrs out of the people who had been killed.
7. Currently, Northern Ireland is mainly Protestant and remains a part of Britain. This situation is not fair for Northern Island because they have essentially lost their battle. They were fighting for independence from Britain, and Britain was fighting for continued control over Northern Ireland. Also, within Northern Ireland itself, the majority of the population is still Protestant. The Catholics of Northern Island have basically lost their battle in every way possible.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited:
BBC News. "Timeline: Northern Ireland's Road to Peace." BBC News - Home. 27 Jan. 2006. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
Combs, Cindy C. and Martin Slann. "Irish Republican Army (IRA)." Encyclopedia of Terrorism, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE53&iPin=TER0160&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 4, 2010).
Donnelly, Michelle. "Irish independence." In Ackermann, Marsha E., Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and Mark F. Whitters, eds. Encyclopedia of World History: Crisis and Achievement, 1900 to 1950, vol. 5. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE53&iPin=WHV127&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 4, 2010).
McCarthy, John P. "Irish Bloody Sunday, 1972." Ireland: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present, European Nations. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE53&iPin=IRL0086&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 4, 2010).
McCarthy, John P. "Northern Ireland." Ireland: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present, European Nations. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE53&iPin=IRL0644&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 5, 2010).
State, Paul F. "formation of modern Ireland." A Brief History of Ireland, Brief History. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Modern World History Online, Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE53&iPin=BHIRE10&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 5, 2010).
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ReplyDelete1. What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteThe major issue in Northern Ireland for the past three decades is the discrimination, segregation, misrepresentation, and mistreatment of the Catholic minority. Since Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, the Protestant majority of the Northern Irish population is favored while the Catholics are being pushed farther and farther away into economic, political, and social discomfort and disadvantage. Even if a family is not religious, they are forced into either category based on where they live, where they come from, and other family members’ religions. There are even streets where only Protestants work, walk, and shop on one side and only Catholics work, walk, and shop on the other. Both groups’ hatred of the other is not a argument of religion and belief, but an argument of culture and loyalty to the United Kingdom.
2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
Under the Government of Ireland Act of 1921 Ireland became partitioned into two parts, the Protestant counties becoming the north (eventually Northern Ireland under British rule), and the Catholic counties forming the south (which in 1922 became the Irish Free State, then in 1937 became the Republic of Ireland). The Republic of Ireland still wanted control of Northern Ireland, and the Catholics still residing in Northern Ireland wanted to break away from British rule.
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
The Troubles of Northern Ireland from 1963 to 1985 was a violent civil war between the Catholics and the British (British government, Protestants, and other Unionists)
As the Catholics became more educated and involved in politics, they started to question their lack of civil rights and fight for what they didn’t have. The Catholics staged many civil rights marches, while rough military groups formed on each side. The IRA was formed with the purpose of defending the Catholics in Northern Ireland and unifying Irelands two parts, but was moderately inactive. The Provisional IRA took the same purpose though it would use violence to attempt success. The UVF combined with the Ulster Defense Association to counter the attacks of the PIRA and the IRA. The British army, left in confusion, tried to disassemble PIRA groups, but could not keep up. In 1985, the Anglo-Irish Agreement was signed saying that “Northern Ireland would remain independent of the Republic as long as that was the will of the majority in the north,” (BBC History).
4. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
The British army supports the Protestant majority of Northern Ireland and sides against the Catholics. They attempted to disassemble the IRA but did not succeed. It seemed as though when the British tried to stop the IRA, more and more Catholics were rebelling. The British wanted to have complete control of Northern Ireland so they tried to quiet the Catholics and the Republic of Ireland, who were in support of unifying Ireland, to retain their rule over Northern Ireland.
The main issue of Northern Ireland used to be a “simple” Protestant/ Catholic conflict; however, it has descended into a more cultural ethnic conflict. Northern Ireland is currently a part of the United Kingdom, along with England, Scotland, and Wales. Religiously, it is comprised of a mix of both Protestant Christians and Catholics. Ever since the split of the Catholic Church by Martin Luther, these two groups have collided and conflicted over and over again. In Northern Ireland however, the Catholics are outnumbered by the predominant Protestants, and are thus discriminated against in Northern Ireland. The Republic of Ireland wants Northern Ireland to become part of the rest of the island, as well as most of the Catholics. The United Kingdom wants to keep Northern Ireland for itself. This has come to a head on several violent occasions, causing death and destruction in this small area. Current generations barely even know what the conflict is based upon, they have simply been born into it and the discrimination and strife is drilled into them at a young age. The divide of Ireland came in 1921. It was called the Government of Ireland act, which effectively split the predominantly Protestant northern 6 counties of Ulster into what is now known as Northern Ireland. This came about through the escalation of violence in all parts of Ireland following World War I. After the partition, the British government began to try and actively solve the problems and the rest of the fighting.
ReplyDeleteThe Troubles in Northern Ireland are a series of events (violent and nonviolent) that would bring the two sides of the divide against each other into conflict. They started in the aftermath of World War II, and the decline of heavy industry. The former leader was replaced by Terence O’Neill who would attempt to bring about radical reform in Northern Ireland. He met with the leader of the Republic of Ireland and investigated nationalist communities. This caused uproar in the Unionist community (those wanting to stay with Britain) and his reforms met opposition. Events escalated in 1966. Riots started, and two Catholics and one Protestant were murdered by the Ulster Volunteer force. These were the first events marking the beginning of the Troubles. Violent confrontations became more and more common as time wore on. These confrontations usually started with civil rights marches being dealt with by armed forces. By this point, paramilitary groups had formed on both sides of the conflict, and violence was rampant. One such group was the IRA, or Irish Republican Army. They formed right after partition to fight for the independence of Ireland, and began fighting on the side of the Catholics in the conflict. There are several branches and divisions of the IRA. They all oppose partition and want to unite Ireland as one, while also denying the existence of either government. The “Official IRA” strives to achieve this through policy reform, whereas the “Provisional IRA” uses terrorism and violence to get what they want. Another group is the “Continuity IRA” which split from the “Provisional IRA” and will not accept any agreement other than one that unites Ireland. Another group is “The Real IRA” which is the most dangerous and violent.
In 1969, at the request of the Northern Ireland prime minister, British troops were sent in to deal with the violence and various paramilitary groups. However, this only served to anger the nationalists and drive more into the ranks of these militant groups. The situation simply continued getting worse and worse, even as a new prime minister took office. He authorized the arrest and internment of suspects without trial, which utterly failed. The British Troops continued to become more and more aggressive in trying to keep the peace, which was steadily becoming harder and harder. These events eventually led to Bloody Sunday, on January 30, 1972. Bloody Sunday was a violent riot where British Military troops were deployed and thirteen civilians were killed, and another died later on. This only made the nationalists even angrier, and even more people joined the IRA and other groups. Britain appointed a secretary of state, and the Troubles wore on.
ReplyDeleteEventually an agreement was reached, that Northern Ireland would stay a part of Britain as long as the majority agreed. The hardline nationalist powers condemned it for keeping Northern Ireland part of Britain. Others thought it was a step in the right direction. The unionists were horrified, and held huge strikes and demonstrations but eventually they calmed down. After another decade of violence, the situation there is repairing. Most groups have observed a ceasefire and are no longer causing violence and damage. While it is still not stable, it is better than it was before, and steps are being taken to gain the cooperation of all parties involved.
Works Cited
"BBC - History - NI: The Troubles - Fact Files." BBC - Homepage. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
History, By Bbc. "BBC - History - The Road to Northern Ireland, 1167 to 1921." BBC - Homepage. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
History, By Bbc. "BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC - Homepage. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
ReplyDeleteThe Irish Republican Army was formed by Irish nationalists during The Troubles. They believed in civil rights for the Catholics in Northern Ireland. They also wanted to unify the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland as one country and government, separate from Great Britain, though they never succeeded. They fought against the Catholics (the UVF and the UDA), and the British, and were considered terrorists according to those groups.
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
Bloody Sunday refers to Sunday, January 30, 1972. A Catholic civil rights march was not allowed into the town, so they joined a rally. It was under control until young men started to harass British soldiers in the streets who fought back using their guns, leaving 13 protesters dead and an additional 13 injured. Official reports say that the IRA had threatened the British soldiers who then shot only people who were in possession of weapons, which justified their shooting. The Catholics, however, would say otherwise. None of the injured or dead were found with weapons.
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
The Downing Street Declaration, issued in 1993 states that the people of Northern Ireland have a right to self-determination, and that the United Kingdom would surrender Northern Ireland to the rule of the Republic of Ireland, but only if the majority of the population of Northern Ireland was in favor. This is not entirely fair because of course the majority of the population is Protestant, and unless there is a sudden political or economical change, they will never be in favor of surrendering Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland.
In 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was issued, allowing a representative for the Catholic portion of the population as well as a representative for the Protestant portion. This is a step towards equal rights, as the minority will have a say in the government. Both Protestants and Catholics will never be at peace with each other just because it is cultural difference, and hating the other side is what they were raised with, but they are now “officially” equal from a political point of view.
1.) Over the last 3 decades there has been notable turmoil in Northern Ireland. This is due to the dis-agreement between the two prominent religions, catholicism and Protestantism. The Catholics living in this region are supported by the predominantly catholic region of The Republic of Ireland; whereas the protestants are supported by England. Not only are the protestants supported by the english, but Northern Ireland is governed by England. This posses a serious issue because protestans are truly given better opportunities and living conditions because england supports protestants. This had escalated into discrimination of the catholics and has even spiraled into a violent conflict.
ReplyDelete2.) 1921 was a very fateful year in Ireland because it was the year where it was divided up into the different regions. The British government and the Irish agreed upon the division of Ireland. The Northern portion of six counties which is now known as is Northern Ireland was given to the British. The southern region which is now the Republic of Ireland was "given" to the irish. Actually England still had "dominion status" in the lower 26 counties of ireland. It was not until 1949 when the Republic of Ireland was established and it became completely independent. The most important part of 1921 was the division of Northern Ireland because this has influenced years after the split.
3.) 1963-1985, also referred to as the troubles, was a very problematic time in Ireland. This was when the tension became to great that the catholics began to uprise and fight for their rights. We see simple sit ins to hunger strikes and riots during this period. Also appalling violence occurred in Northern Ireland any many were killed. Bloody Sunday is a great example of a conflict between the British and catholics where things turned violent. More british troops were sent and intervened more often. This is also when we see the IRA, a small terrorist group, conduct acts of terror on the protestants. In short, this was a time of great disagrement and violence.
4.)Overall the military involvement and presence has further inflamed the situation in Ireland. For starters, people living in the Republic of Ireland are greatly opposed with the troops patrolling the border. With events like Bloody Sunday the peoples distaste for the troops is even greater. The cycle continued, as people were enraged with the troops and oppression they became violent which forced the troops to be agressive. This then leads to the IRA and other groups inflicting terror on more people. Further agitating the situation, Troops formed the Ulster Defense Regiment. People again were frustrated with the troops leading to more conflict.
ReplyDelete5.) The IRA, Irish Republican Army, is a fairly well known unofficial army. Some sects of this group are considered to be terrorist factions. The IRA conduct seemingly random bombings in Northern Ireland. Contrary to popular belief the IRA negotiates peacefully as well as committing crimes. The IRA wanted Northern Ireland to stay apart of The Republic of Ireland during the split. Today they still want Northern Ireland to rejoin The Republic of Ireland.
6.) On January 30, 1972 Bloody sunday occurred. It all started witha riot involving catholics. They were requesting and rising attention to civil rights. The british military was present and monitoring the situation. What was an attempt at crowd control turned out to be a killing spree. As the riot got more violent the british retaliated with crowd control methods. Later on the sunday turned bloody with the use of lethal force to suppress the riot.
7.) Today the government situation has improved in Ireland. Now both Catholics and Protestants have an equal say. Although there is still obvious tension between the parties people are lead to believe there is an equal say. Still protestans tend to elect and hire other Protestants and catholics alike. Unfortunately the classes have generally stayed the same. Most protestants are more affluent than catholics which is due to the history of the conflict.
Works Cited
ReplyDeleteClarke, Sean, James Strucke, and Jenny Percival. "Timeline: Northern Ireland Key Moments in the History of the Province." Guardian.co.uk. Guardian, 10 Mar. 2009. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
"HISTORY – BLOODY SUNDAY – EVENTS OF THE DAY." Museumoffreederry.org. Web. 3 Oct. 2010. .
"The Road to Northern Ireland, 1167 to 1921." BBC.com. BBC, 2 Jan. 2007. Web. 3 Oct. 2010. .
"The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC.com. BBC, 2 Jan. 2007. Web. 4 Oct. 2010. .
"The Ulster Defence Regiment." Army.mod.uk. Army. Web. 4 Oct. 2010. .
1. The major issue in Northern Ireland in the past three decades is the division between Catholics and Protestants. The civil rights of Catholic minority are being oppressed by Great Brittan’s mainly Protestant government. The conflicts between the two religions sometimes turn violent.
ReplyDelete2. In 1921 the republic of Ireland became a separate nation from Great Brittan. Northern Ireland remained apart of Great Brittan and was given its own parliament. Because Northern Ireland is mostly Protestant, the catholic minority had very little say in this parliament. This misrepresentation later led to many conflicts between the Catholics and Protestants.
3. The Troubles was time of a lot of conflict in Northern Ireland between Catholics and Protestants. The Catholics in northern Ireland started demanding more civil rights and were usually confronted with violence.
4. The British army originally was put into Northern Ireland to help protect the Catholics but turn out to fight against them.
5. The I.R.A. is the Irish Republican Army. They defended the Catholics in northern Ireland in attacks from the protestants.
6. On January 30th 1920 the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) march had been organized to protest against the continuation of Internment without trial in Northern Ireland. Soldiers from the British Army opened fire on them and killed 13 people innocent people.
7. The Current government in Northern Ireland is shared between the Protestants and the Catholics. it is pretty fair for both sides because there has been very few outbreaks of violence.
http://thelastangryrepublican.myfineforum.org/sutra71.php+%22the+troubles%E2%80%9D+1963-1985+ireland&cd=19&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/ira.htm
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/bsunday/sum.htm
A brief history of the Republic of Ireland
http://www.helium.com/items/1832299-northern-ireland-vs-republic-of-ireland
Works Cited
ReplyDelete"BBC NEWS | UK | Where Are British Troops and Why?" BBC News - Home. 9 Dec. 2004. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"CAIN: Events: Bloody Sunday - Summary of Event." CAIN: Northern Ireland Conflict, Politics, & Society. Information on 'the Troubles' 17 June 2010. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
History, By Bbc. "BBC - History - The Road to Northern Ireland, 1167 to 1921." BBC - Homepage. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
History, By Bbc. "BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC - Homepage. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"Irish Republican Army (IRA)." Federation of American Scientists. 21 July 2005. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
1. What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteThe major issue faced in Northern Ireland for the past three decades has been segregation and prejudice between the Catholics and Protestants. There is no date that can be pinpointed that started the dispute; however, it began in the late 1960’s. The Catholics citizens were underprivileged compared to the Protestants in Northern Ireland. Not only that, but the Catholics feared the more powerful British government consisting of primarily Protestant members. The hate led to bombings, killings, and riots which engrained a culture of resentment of the other group into the minds of Northern Ireland Catholics and Protestants.
2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
In 1921, the Anglo-Irish treaty was signed after three years of civil war in Ireland. In this civil war, the IRA and British forces were against one another. The Anglo-Irish treaty stated that twenty-six of Ireland’s thirty-two counties would form the Irish Free State and the northern six counties would continue to remain under Britain’s control. The Irish Free State officially became its own independent republic in 1949. Foreign policy, income tax, and defense remained under control of the British in Northern Ireland, although they were allowed their own parliament. In Northern Ireland, approximately one-third of the population was Catholic while the remaining two-thirds were primarily Protestant. The Catholics wanted Northern Ireland to break off completely from Britain and join the Irish Free States.
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
“The troubles” were a series of events and actions of hate between the Catholics and the Protestants. Tension between the two groups arose in 1963 when the prime minister of Britain, Viscount Brookeborough, stepped down from his position and voting rights were restricted for Catholic citizens. According to the BBC, unionist (who were usually Protestant) candidates were favored due to the two-thirds Protestant majority, ratepayers “holding or renting properties in more than one ward” could vote up to six times which was biased towards the Protestants, and there was a “refusal of Catholic political representatives in parliament.” Since the previous generation of Catholics was the first to be properly educated, they were less willing to be overrun by the Protestants and became infuriated. Terence O'Neill was eventually elected in that election and tried to better the economy by discussing strategies with the prime minister of Ireland. Since the Republic of Ireland still claimed the entire Irish island, the unionists feared that the meeting would bring about benefits for the Catholics. Consequently, the election left both sides of the argument broiling with anger. The anger led to a number of Catholic civil rights marches that were confronted by Parliamentary groups which many times resulted in bloodshed. In response, the IRA came to the defense of the Catholics. Protestants, on the other hand, were maddened by the Catholics behavior and found it necessary to burn and vandalize Catholics’ property.
4. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
ReplyDeleteThe British army and its presence in Northern Ireland has worsened this struggle. By doing so the Catholics feel oppressed. Since the British army consists primarily of Protestants, the army looks down on their fellow Catholic citizens. Initially, the British army was sent into Northern Ireland in order to aid the police with controlling the Catholic riots.
5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
The IRA, Irish Republican Army, was formed in 1916 for the Easter Rising in Ireland. In 1969 the PIRA, Provincial IRA, became a branch of the official IRA. The PIRA supported the Catholic Northern Irish and had a main goal of reunifying Northern Ireland with the rest of the Irish island. However, the PIRA willingly and frequently used violence, such as bombing, to achieve their goal. This brought the British Army to a point where they would search houses in order to stop PIRA’s activities. By doing so, the British Army’s intentions were counterproductive since actions such as searching houses and Bloody Sunday resulted in more followers of the IRA.
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
On January 30, 1972, “an unauthorized march in the Bogside, a nationalist area of Londonderry” (Shirbon) took place with about 10,000 protesters present. This protest was illegal due to the ban of such protests by the Stormont Parliament. The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association organized this march, as they felt mistreated by and underprivileged compared to the Protestants. As the march progressed, paratroopers were sent in to calm the protesters and attempted to barricade the protesters’ path. Unfortunately, the civil rights activists were upset by the paratroopers, and some confronted the soldier as well as threw objects at them. The soldiers responded by shooting rubber bullets at the protesters. Like in the American Gettysburg battle, nobody really knows who fired the first real shot, but at the Northern Ireland protest, a soldier or protester, depending on who is asked, open fired. Consequently, the soldiers began to uncontrollably shoot the protesters. Within twenty-five minutes, thirteen protesters were killed and fourteen were wounded (with one wounded dying later). This incident confirmed the Catholics hate towards the Protestants, and the IRA received more members. Evidently, this struggle had evolved from a religious war into an ethnic war. It also exacerbated the fact that the Catholics were the minority and had no say in political or civil issues. The hate between the two groups passionately grew and bombings, as well as hate crimes, worsened. This event was not thoroughly investigated until 1998.
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ReplyDelete7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
ReplyDeleteCurrently, the political situation in Northern Ireland still shows some hatred due to the engrained, negative view of the other group in Catholic and Protestant lives; however, the situation is improving. This improvement began in 1985 when the British and Irish prime ministers signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement. This agreement stated that the Republic of Ireland had some role in Northern Ireland’s whereabouts. This, nevertheless, did not prevent Protestant politicians from ignoring the agreement. In the 1990’s, peace talks were prevalent and urged the governments involved and the IRA to cooperate with one another and to solve the problem without weapons. On April 10, 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was signed. This agreement stated that there would be an “elected assembly for Northern Ireland, a cross-party cabinet with devolved powers, and cross-border bodies to handle issues common to both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland” (Imbornoni). As a result, the Catholic community was given a say in the Northern Ireland government. Unfortunately, this agreement did not last a significant amount of time since the IRA refused to disarm, and the new government system was thus suspended. Up until 2010, not much progress was made. On February 5, 2010, however, the Hillsborough Castle Agreement was signed by the Irish and British prime ministers and officially passed on March 9. This agreement allows Northern Ireland’s police and justice system to be controlled only by Northern Ireland. The shift of power opens the doors to a more peaceful relationship between the Catholics and the Protestants, although it may take time due to the two groups’ history of hate and ethnic struggle.
Works cited:
Allison, Fiona. "The Division of Ireland in 1921: The Creation of Northern Ireland." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. 18 Jan. 2010. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
Allison, Fiona. "The Irish War of Independence 1919-1921: The History of the Irish Republican Army." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. 11 Jan. 2010. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
"BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC - Homepage. 1 Feb. 2007. Web. 04 Oct. 2010.
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"Bloody Sunday." BBC News - Home. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
Hancock, Landon. "CAIN: Background Essay on the Northern Ireland Conflict." CAIN: Northern Ireland Conflict, Politics, & Society. Information on 'the Troubles' Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
Imbornoni, Ann Marie, Borgna Brunner, and Beth Rowen. Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free Online Reference, Research & Homework Help. — Infoplease.com. 2010. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
Shirbon, Estelle, and Ian Graham. "British PM Apologizes for Northern Ireland's Bloody Sunday | Reuters." Business & Financial News, Breaking US & International News | Reuters.com. 16 June 2010. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
"This Day in History — History.com — What Happened Today in History." History.com — History Made Every Day — American & World History. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1. During the last three decades Northern Ireland has developed a major issue between the Catholics and Protestants. It was just a religious issue at first, but then it developed into one of culture and heritage. The Protestants and Catholics are separated by walls in the county to keep the violence between the two at bay. The Protestants are loyal to Britain whereas the Catholics are not, instead choosing to fight for their rights as equals to the Protestants. Since Britain plays a large part in Northern Ireland and they are Protestant, the Protestants are the ones that get the good jobs and Catholics get all of the second hand jobs if anything at all. Over the decades this issue has developed into something more than just a religious struggle; it is an ethnic struggle depending on your family’s origins.
ReplyDelete2. In 1921 the Irish War of Independence was brought to an end, the IRA and the British Government came to a solution and created the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty. This treaty was designed in order to give all the parties in Ireland something that they wanted, but not all. The treaty was between the Government of Britain and Ireland and the representatives of the Irish republic. From the treaty the Irish Free State was established as a self-governing region though still within the British Empire. Northern Ireland, which is mostly nationalist Protestants, was not part of this plan to join the Free State and instead remained part of the United Kingdom. This enraged the minority there, the Catholics. Later, this evolves into the Irish Civil War with the two sides being those opposed and those in favor of the treaty. The Catholics want complete independence and civil rights, whereas the Protestants would rather stay as they are in the UK.
3. From 1963-1985, “the troubles” were occurring in Northern Ireland. It is a period of around three decades of violence between the nationalist community, Catholics, and the unionist community, the Protestants. This time is referred to as “the troubles” because some people consider this time period to be a war. “The troubles” came about because of the question about Northern Ireland’s status in the UK and the discrimination of the Catholics minority by the Protestants majority. The IRA was determined to end British rule on Northern Ireland and the British army was committed to keeping control of Northern Ireland; these are the primary groups involved in the violence although there are others too. The violence began in 1963 when the UVF, Ulster Volunteer Force, a loyalist group murdered two Catholics and one Protestant. The violence finally ended with the Belfast “Good Friday” Agreement, although there are still occasional outbursts of violence. The agreement included the declaration of ceasefires by most of the violent groups, the deactivation of all the IRA’s weapons, the reform of the police, and the withdrawal of British Army’s troops from the streets.
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ReplyDelete4. The presence of the British army in Northern Ireland has greatly influenced the struggle. Britain feels that because it owns Northern Ireland it has to take responsibility and act one whatever is happening in order to keep the peace or rather create peace in a time of conflict. Although the British Army is not such a good option for keeping the peace between two groups in which they favor one. The British Army has an alliance with the Protestants more rather than the Catholics and this led the conflict between the two to become worse than it could have been. Even though the British Government thought that the British Army was neutral and that if they were not there the conflict would be worse, although the Catholics saw the British as a threat. In Northern Ireland, the police were disarmed and the Ulster Defense Regiment was set up under the control of the British Army. This did not go over so well with the loyalists who responded in the form of violence. This means attacks on Catholic areas became more common. The British Army often tried to help the civil unrest but ended up making the situation worse. For example, when trying to control the PIRA, the British Army would do house searches and enforce a new curfew. This did not end as well as the Army wanted it to, the opposite affects it wanted happened, more people joined the ranks of the paramilitaries. Overall the influence of the British Army was negative, if they had never taken such drastic measures in the first place then maybe people would have solved it out because what the British Army was doing did not only do nothing to help but made it worse.
ReplyDelete5. The IRA is the Irish Republican Army. It is made up of Catholic volunteers who want their independence from the UK. The IRA had begun a campaign of violence before 1921. After the treaty between the British Government and the Irish Free State was created there was a split in the IRA between pro-treaty and anti-treaty members. This led to rapid armed conflict and then a civil war. The pro-treaty government was led by Collins’ forces, and the anti-treaty 'Irregulars' was led by de Valera. During the gruesome civil war, Collins and many other Irish leaders died, yet the Irish Free State government did end up claiming victory despite the deaths. In 1949, De Valera rejoined the political process and helped southern Ireland gain full independence. In response, the Ulster Volunteer Force was revived and thus the new nation experienced sectarian bloodshed from its very inception. The IRA’s had the intention of overthrowing both the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland then creates an Irish Republic. The IRA does not like the fact that the British favor the Protestants and do nothing for the Catholics.
1. What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteOver the last three decades we have seen an extreme problem within the community leading to violet outbreaks and segregation. This problem could be the worst social problems we’ve observed in Europe, but it is not just a recent problem. We have seen tension build up between the Protestants and the Catholics for many years now. In the struggle between religion we see the catholics mistreatment because of their religion. The Catholics have been struggling for many years just to survive with their falling economy with no help from the government. In Northern Ireland we see the protestants being favored because of the Protestant Brits who occupy Northern Ireland. This causes a real problem within the community with only half of the country receiving fair treatment from the government. This civil war between religions has been going on for decades, whether the solution be violent or nonviolent, it has caused many problems for Northern Ireland.
2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
In 1921 the Anglo-Irish treaty was signed, which ended the Anglo-Irish war from the previous 2 years. It allowed the majority of Ireland to have it’s own Independence with the exception of northern Ireland who still were under the rule of Britain. This split was mainly religious based leaving the mainly protestant states of the north to be under the rule of Britain and allowing the primarily Catholic states to the south to be sovereign states.
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
“The Troubles” in Northern Ireland began in 1963 as a result of conflict between the Catholics and Protestants. In the Catholic community, more and more was being done to advocate for their civil rights which caused a nasty retaliation from the Protestants. The troubles are classified for the years in which many violent outbreaks occurred between the Catholics and Protestants. The British Army was sent in after many riots in Northern Ireland lead by the Catholics. This lead to an ongoing battle between the IRA and the UVF that lasted from 1963 until 1985 where the physical effects have not been observed in abundance but the tension between the two religions is still seen today. The troubles originally began as a form of peaceful protesting, inspired by forms of the USA, got progressively more violent ending in many riots and an outrageous amount of violence.
. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
ReplyDeleteThe British army was originally sent to keep peace, and fairness within Northern Ireland but because the British side with the Protestants, they present the Catholics many problems. The Catholics are forced to struggle through oppression and unequal rights with the Protestants. This is arguably the leading cause of tension between the Catholics and the Protestants as it was one of the leading motives for the Catholics to riot in the first place. Many would say that the British army only make an attempt to protect the Protestants while constantly showing their feelings for what they believe is the inferiority, the Catholics.
5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
They IRA stand for the Irish Republican Army, which was originally formed to help Northern Ireland fight for it’s independence from Britain. Their main cause is to help protect Catholics from mistreatment and inequality put out from the protestants. They are fighting make Northern Ireland it’s own free state, to be free from British Control, but since it is very difficult for them to overrule the British, their main goal is to create equal rights for Catholics and Protestants alike. During “The Troubles”, the IRA sided with the Catholics and helped protect and fight for them.
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
On Bloody Sunday, British soldiers shot at 28 Protesters, marching for Catholic rights, many of which suffered fatal wounds. One of the reasons Bloody Sunday is such a critical day during “The Troubles” is because the fighting was initiated by the army, not by the protesters, although this aspect is arguable, as the army began shooting because the protests got “out of hand”. The British Army was originally sent in to keep peace and protect everyone, which is another reason why Bloody Sunday is such a controversial day. Overall, this day impacted struggles between feuding religions in a negative way. When the British were first sent in, they were welcomed as a neutral protecting force to help achieve equality for everyone, but after the event of Bloody Sunday they were seen as more of an enemy than an ally.
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
ReplyDeleteMore recently in Northern Ireland, the political situation has been calmer as the government has been split to let both parties be represented equally by having Representatives for both parties in the house. In most places, the new system is seen as fair, but that doesn’t mean that the underlying conflict has been resolved. Many Catholics still do not believe they have equality and the what seems to be everlasting tension between the Catholics and Protestants is still prevalent in the streets.
"BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC - Homepage. 01 Feb. 2007. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"Bloody Sunday (1972) - New World Encyclopedia." Info:Main Page - New World Encyclopedia. Web. 01 Oct. 2010. .
Grossman, Mark. "Anglo-Irish Treaty." Encyclopedia of the Interwar Years: From 1919 to 1939. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2000. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=interwar00042&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 2, 2010).
"Irish Republican Army (IRA)." GlobalSecurity.org - Reliable Security Information. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .
McCarthy, John P. "Northern Ireland." Ireland: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present, European Nations. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=IRL0644&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 2, 2010).
6. Bloody Sunday was in 1972 and is still remembered today. On this day there were some nonviolent Catholic protesters that were committed to gaining their rights as individuals in Northern Ireland. It was during a Northern Ireland Civil Rights March, the people originally planned on marching to the Guildhall, but there were army barricades designed to reroute the march and to redirect them to Free Derry Corner. This plan was not entirely successful because a group of teenagers broke off from the march and tried to push through the barricade and march to the Guildhall. The teenagers threw stones at the British army barricade. While the teenagers were doing this the army was using a water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets to keep the rioters away. Confrontations between soldiers and youths like these were common. Later, at the Army command center, reports of an IRA sniper in the area were received. The army was given permission to go into Brigade and shoot. The first death was one who was among a crowd which was running away from the army. Violence continued until an order was given to start arresting people instead of killing. The Army became mobile and chased after the main group of marchers to the Free Derry Corner. Even after there was a call for cease fire, the Army continued to fire over 100 rounds into the fleeing crowds. Many of those shot were ones that had attempted to aid the fallen, twelve were shot fourteen wounded and two run over by army tanks. Including the previous fatalities before the call for cease fire the total number of deaths is twenty-six. Now that the British Army has open fire on the citizens they have another reason to fight, to avenge all those innocent who died.
ReplyDelete7. In 2007 a government with shared powers between Protestant and Catholic took office. This form of government worked awkwardly but steadily for 22 months. Then on March 2009 the Irish Republican Army dissidents decided to kill two British soldiers and a policeman all in 48 hours. They did this to start the narrow-minded violence all over again. As Northern Ireland’s economy continued to have its problems violence began to become more common. This includes attacks on the police, by those opposed to the power-sharing in the government. That government fell apart. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom so it has a constitutional monarchy. The Monarch is the head of state, and the Prime minister of the UK is the Head of government. This government is not the best for everyone is Northern Ireland, the Catholics are not happy with this because most of the UK is Protestant and they are discriminated against. In 2010 the British, Catholics and Protestants all agreed and signed upon the Hillsborough Castle Agreement. This Agreement stated that the police and justice system are controlled by Northern Ireland now and not Britain. Because of this the Catholics lives have improved. There is less discrimination in Northern Ireland. Life is not perfect though; there still are violent occurrences but less often.
Works Cited:
ReplyDeleteAbunimah, Ali. "Northern Ireland News - Breaking World Northern Ireland News – The New York Times." Times Topics. 05 Oct. 2010. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
"BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC - Homepage. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
"BBC News - Bloody Sunday: PM David Cameron's Full Statement." BBC - Homepage. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
"History of Ireland 1996 - 1998: The Second Ceasefire Andthe Good Friday Agreement." Wesley Johnston. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
McCarthy, John P. "Irish Republican Army (IRA)." Ireland: A Reference Guide from the
Renaissance to the Present, European Nations. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006.
Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=IRL0428&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 3, 2010).
The major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades has been the implementation of a 3 party government (Britain) in Northern Ireland, due to the belief that the government has been unstable. This act has ironically led Ireland’s Republic Army (IRA) and other radical groups to increase violence and terrorize British and Irish civilians. These conflicts have come into play largely because of the hatred and division from the large population of the Protestants to the minority of the Catholics and vice versa in Northern Ireland.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to Ireland in 1921 was the Anglo-Irish Peace Treaty. The synopsis of the treaty was that guerilla warfare stopped, the free state of Ireland was allowed to be self-governing under the British Commonwealth of Nations, and gave power to the six countries of the Northern Ireland Parliament. This then led to Britain loosening its grip on Northern Ireland and eventually pulling out from the country as a whole.
What came to be known as “the troubles” is simply the time period of increased violence and a tension increasing conflict between nationalist Catholics and unionist Protestants. The United Kingdom during the beginning of the 1700’s really started to occupy Ireland and take over the land. The British brought along with them Protestantism and overpowered the minority of the catholic nationalists. A few 100 years later, the time period of 1963-1985 is a religious war which there was much bloodshed. These two religious groups warred and settled themselves down when they years started to approach the 1990’s.
The British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle by: augmenting the feud between Catholics and Protestants, created more controversy between unionist and nationalists, and have taken over peoples’ homeland. When the British started to occupy, many Irish people’s farms and houses were taken over by British nobles and were forced to work for them. This can relate to the French revolution and Maximilien Robespierre when gangs went out in the rural country side and started to take over land and manor houses from the French nobles (Webber).
The IRA stands for the Irish Republican Army and this consisted of Irish citizens who volunteered to join the army in opposition to helping the British. Their main grievance in Northern Ireland was the creation of the Irish Republican Brotherhood. This was a rivaling group who had similar view points but very different tactics of achieving them. The IRA was fighting for the nationalistic people of Ireland and they held much opposition against the British.
What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972 was a civil rights protest against the policy of interment (Facts on File). It is recorded that over 10,000 protested in Derry on the gory day. Authorities as well as the Parachute regime were aware of this protest and the armed regime claimed they were under fire so they shot back and wounded 12 while 14 were brutally killed. This incident set off a “chain reaction” in Northern Ireland and outraged thousands across Ireland and Northern Ireland as well as the United States.
The current political situation in Northern Ireland is improving fairly. In 2007 leaders were elects in Northern Ireland as well as capitalistic developments starting to grow from the year 1998. Northern Ireland is seeing the best days it has had in centuries with equality starting to spread throughout the people. Catholics and Protestants as well as nationalist and unionists are being represented fairly as well as the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland agreeing on a shared government system where no region will have more power over the other.
Thank you.
What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteBritish troops drafted into Northern Ireland to act as support from the RUC. The welcome of the British Army was very short lived because they wanted to be allies with the RUC and wanted to provide backup with them. The RUC was an armed police force that Catholics could never trust in an already religious divided state.In 1970, the Provisional IRA was established which started a massive bombing campaign across Northern Ireland in attempt to bring the Ulster economy to its knees and to force the British Government to withdraw. The British Army and the Unionists imposed a curfew on the Catholics living in a certain area. These raids on Catholic homes from the British Army came across as violent. Many people were angry with the breach of their Civil Rights which led to a much bigger support for the IRA and a big recruitment drive which only prolonged the Northern Ireland troubles. In 1972, a Protestant terrorist group was formed called the Ulster Defense Association. Their main goal was to protect the Protestant community who worried that British withdrawal from Northern Ireland would occur.
Describe what happened to Ireland in 1920
In 1920, The government of Ireland Act was established.This introduced two parliaments to Dublin to serve twenty-six countries and one in Belfast to serve six northern countries. These twenty-six countries were known as the Irish Free State and were given a good amount of independence. However, the six northern countries were to remain part of the United Kingdom but still have their own parliament. A council of Ireland didn’t like this Act and was set up to oversee measures common to both parts.
Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985
“The troubles” began when the prime minister of Northern Ireland, Viscount Brookeborough, stepped out of office. It was a war between the Protestants and Catholics. The Catholic minority had been marginalized politically mainly because of the product of Northern Ireland’s two-thirds Protestant majority, but was then exacerbated by the drawing from local government electoral boundaries to favor unionist candidates. “Police harassment, exclusion from public service appointments and other forms of discrimination were factors of daily life, and the refusal of Catholic political representatives in parliament to recognize partition only increased the community’s sense of alienation.”
4.How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
Their influence in the political system was curbed by manipulating the boundaries and by favoring their army. Catholics were consigned to segregate and move to overcrowded streets inhabited by many poor people. They endured high levels of unemployment and poverty. The Unionist employers were highly encouraged by the state to only higher Loyalist Protestants.
5.Who are the I.R.A and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
ReplyDeleteThe I.R.A is the Irish Republican Army and they are the original fighters for freedom in Ireland. They believed that Northern Ireland should be its own country. They were formed in 1960 as the armed wing of the political movement. The IRA is devoted both to removing British forces from Northern Ireland and to unifying Ireland. They conducted attacks until its cease fire in 1977 and they agreed to disarm as a part of the 1998 Belfast agreement. Traditional IRA activities included bombings, assassinations, kidnap’s, beatings, extortion, smuggling, and robberies.
6.What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle
The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association organized a march that had already been considered illegal by the British. Over 15,000 people attended the march which proceeded from Creggan. As they all reached the William Street area, the British Army had set-up barricades so the march was diverted. A number of people broke away from the march and attempted to pass the barricades. They threw stones at the British troops who fired back with rubber bullets, tear gas, and a water canon. Within a matter of minutes, Paratroopers opened fire into the fleeing crowds gunning down unarmed and indiscriminate people. This was possibly the IRA’s biggest recruitment ever.
7.What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
The Good Friday Agreement was a sixty-five page document that addressed relationship with Northern Ireland; between Northers Ireland and the republic. This agreement gave the people of Northern Ireland a bigger voice and a chance to think for themselves. The situation in Northern Ireland is sufficiently stable for measures to be taken however the real reason is the lack of recruits. Catholics and Protestants are slowly thought of as equal. Even though there is a good government system and a stable economy, there is still a religious divide that still runs strong among the populous.
1. What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteFor the last three decades, the major issue in Northern Ireland has been the conflict between the Protestants and the Catholics. The protestans of northern Ireland want to remain affiliated with Great Britain and the government that comes along with that, and not be affiliated with the Republic of Ireland, while the Catholics from Northern Ireland want to become a part of the Republic of Ireland and disconnect their affiliation with England. Not only has there been religious strife, there has been oppression and inequality too. The past three decades have been full of repression performed by the Protestants unto the Catholics. Protestants routinely had better job opportunities, higher pay, more access to education and many other aspects of their life that were of higher quality than the Catholics. The protestants generally had more civil right than the Protestants too. By controlling the police, they were able to ensure complete control of the society.
2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
In 1921, Ireland was divided into what is known as Ireland, and Northern Ireland. Ireland was a sovereign independent nation, whereas Northern Ireland remained in the control of Britain. The distinguishing factor between the two regions as previously stated was/is religion. Over half of Ireland is Catholic, where as about 60% of Northern Ireland is Protestant. This divide has remained for years now.
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
“The troubles” were a period of time in which the Northern Irish Catholics rose up and began to rebel against the oppression of the Protestants. Ranging from violence in the streets, to semi-militaristic and full scale militaristic missions many Irish, both Catholic and Protestant were killed and these riots soon became routine. According to some, the influence and drive for the uprising was brought upon by people observing the civil rights movement in the United States headed by Martin Luther King Jr. However in the streets of Ireland, very few were attempting to solve the problem peacefully. As previously stated, much violence was involved as well as hostile behavior by everyone involved. This whole period of time was sparked when the prime minister of the Republic of Ireland Sean Lemass met with Viscount Terrance O’neill of northern Ireland. This radical move simultaneously provoked excitement out of the Catholics, as they were excited at the potential of their equality, and made the Protestants very nervous at the thought of losing control. This promoted violence from both sides, and neither side had an issue retaliating. These violent outbursts still occur today.
4. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
The British Army has influenced the struggle in Northern Ireland overall in a negative way. They have been stationed there since the late 1960’s, and as expected made the Catholics very uncomfortable. Their occupation was grounds for more uprising and revolting and violence. The Catholics feel very infiltrated and rightfully so. They were not at all content with the Protestant soldiers and has stirred up more violence and turmoil.
Claire Nassif-
ReplyDelete1. What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
Although there have been many issues plaguing Northern Ireland, the issues have mainly come from the larger problem of the division between Catholics and Protestants. During the past three decades, fighting between Catholics and Protestants has been rampant in Northern Ireland partly because of British rule- the majority of Britain is Protestant. Also, the terrorist organizations including the I.R.A. have been fighting to win independence from British rule in Northern Ireland causing many crimes against humanity such as bombings, kidnapping, and murder. The Catholics fought for the unification of the Republic and Northern Ireland in hopes of acquiring more equal rights- the Republic of Ireland has a much larger Catholic populous. The fighting between the Catholics and Protestants over the years has resulted in a complete division of the two throughout the nation so that violence will ensue if a Catholic is on Protestant territory and vice versa.
2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921?
In 1921, the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed on December 6th allowing the Republic of Ireland to become a free state and for the island of Ireland to be partitioned into two separate entities- the Republic of Ireland, or the Irish Free State, and Northern Ireland. The idea of this treaty was to accommodate all sides in Ireland. This treaty was signed in London between the British and Irish and peace was supposed to result from the treaty, but oppostion from this treaty caused the civil war from 1921-1923.
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
After twenty years in office, the prime minister of Northern Ireland, Viscount Brookeborough, stepped down. During his time in office, Catholics complained of unequal rights in every aspect of life and he failed to address the economic decline in Northern Ireland. This negligence caused the turmoil and sectarian clash between Protestants and Catholics that has come to be known as “the troubles”. This period of time involved a decline in the economy in Northern Ireland as the rest of the world was flourishing and the many dissidents wreaked havoc throughout the nation with open fire and bombings. Brookborough was replaced by a former army officer named Terence O’Neill who immediately tried to improve the economy. He met with the Republic of Ireland’s prime minister and although this gave Catholics new hope, it also provoked the unsettling of the Union. In 1966 violence set in as several Catholics and Protestants were killed between battling terrorist organizations. Even attempts at peaceful protests by the Catholics dissolved into rioting and violence between the two sides. Over the years there were several different leaders of Northern Ireland however none of them were able to make the violence subside as there were multiple horrific events that haunt the nation to this day including “Bloody Friday” and “Bloody Sunday”. The hunger strikes began to escalate and eventually Northern Ireland signed the Anglo-Irish agreement in 1985 which stated that Northern Ireland would remain independent from the Republic.
4. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
ReplyDeleteThe British army’s bias towards Protestants has caused great controversy in Northern Ireland. Because of Britain’s large populous of Protestants, the army has been blamed for favoring the Protestants and the soldiers have become the target for various attacks. The initial objective of the British army was to protect the Catholics from violence. The Protestant leaders have said that the British army’s presence has helped prevent a collapse into a civil war between Catholics and Protestants. A Protestant lawmaker said, “the reason the army came into Northern Ireland in the first place was because we couldn't find a way to live together.” Therefore, many Protestants have found that the army has been a successful aid for peace and they should not be blamed for the problems of Northern Ireland. On the other hand, Catholics have caused many killings and uprisings against the army, which have in result created chaos in the nation.
5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
The Irish Republican Army were a paramilitary organization responsible for many uprisings and terrorist acts throughout Ireland. Their main grievance in Northern Ireland was the mistreatment of Christian Catholics because they believed that the Catholics had unfair rights in Northern Ireland. The I.R.A. also fought for the unification of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Irish Republican Army has been part of many protests and uprisings against Britain’s role in Northern Ireland. However, in 1969 the I.R.A. broke apart into two separate organizations: the Official Irish Republican Army and the Provisional Irish Republican Army. They both fought for civil rights and defended the Catholic community, but the Provisional I.R.A. wanted to defy Britain and use any violence that was needed to proceed.
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
On Bloody Sunday in 1972, up to 10,000 civil rights demonstrators staged a march in Derry, in Northern Ireland, against the policy of internment by the British government. This type of protest was outlawed by the authorities and therefore the British military was sent into end the demonstration. The year before, in 1971, the policy of internment had been put into action so that everyone who was associated with terrorist organizations were imprisoned. On this day, in protest of the incarceration of these people, 14 unarmed men and women were killed and atleast 12 unarmed men and women were wounded by the Parachute Regiment- a part of the British military- as they hastily opened fire. After this horrific event, people in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the United States were outraged and more protests developed. This caused even more animosity towards the British government not only by the terrorist organizations present in Ireland, but people all over the world. This caused the struggle to worsen and Catholics’ became even more angry with the administration.
5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
ReplyDeleteThe I.R.A is the Irish Republican Army and they are fighting against the Protestant soldiers and the general Protestants attempting to oppress the Catholics. The “army” was originally a group of passionate volunteers who wanted to fight for the independence of Northern Ireland from Great Britain. Similar to effective terrorist organizations, they use tactics that all involve their members not being in uniform. This made it very difficult for the Protestant army- they do not have a group in uniform who will line up to fight. They used guerilla warfare in a sense using mobs, ambushes and very un-professional war tactics.
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
On January 30th, 1972 an event now referred to as Bloody Sunday took place. Approximately 15,000 Catholics protested the law that the Protestants had put into place that Catholics could be sentenced without a fair trial. At one point during the massive protest, the participants came in contact with the British army. They protestors began to throw trash, bottles etc. at the soldiers and in retaliation the soldiers shot at the crowd killing fourteen, injured 17 and arresting more than 60.
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
The current political situation in Northern Ireland is that Northern Ireland is no longer technically controlled by Britain under the Good Friday Peace Accord. However as shown in the documentary we watched, the conflict is far from resolved. Many cities have large partitioning walls in them in the middle to separate Protestants and Catholics. This conflict is so old, that many members of the younger generation knows of the existence of a conflict, but does not know the actual cause of it, and could not tell you the differences in the religion. It currently is a conflict of tradition, and should be mediated and stopped.
Works Cited
"Bloody Sunday (1972) - New World Encyclopedia." Info:Main Page - New World Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
History, By Bbc. "BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC - Homepage. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
"History of Ireland 1921 - 1925: The Irish Civil War and Stabilisation of Northern Ireland." Wesley Johnston. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
"Insight on Conflict » Northern Ireland » Conflict Profile." Insight on Conflict. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
MaXimus, By. "Timeline - Northern Ireland - The Troubles." History on the Net Main Page. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWork Cited:
ReplyDelete"The Troubles In Northern Ireland | YourIrish.com." Irish Culture & Customs of Ireland - Irish Traditions & Celtic Culture. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
MaXimus, By. "Timeline - Northern Ireland - The Troubles." History on the Net Main Page. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
History, By Bbc. "BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC - Homepage. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
"1968 and the Struggle in Northern Ireland | SocialistWorker.org." SocialistWorker.org | Daily News and Opinion from the Left. 05 Oct. 2010. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
"Irish Republican Army (IRA)." Federation of American Scientists. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
"Bloody Sunday 1972 | YourIrish.com." Irish Culture & Customs of Ireland - Irish Traditions & Celtic Culture. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
1. What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteThe major issue in Northern Ireland has been the violence, tension, and segregation between Catholics and Protestants. The conflict itself, has shown itself in the form of in the form of drive-by’s and the Molotov-cocktailing of businesses that made the mistake of buying land on the wrong side of the road. However, after years of violence, conflict had become one even deeper than that of religion, and has become so ingrained into the culture, that a person can be discriminated against, or even assaulted or killed, for even talking like a Catholic or protestant.
2. Describe what happened in Ireland in 1921?
1921 was an important year for Ireland because it was the year it won its independence from Brittan formally with the Anglo-Irish Treaty. However this treaty did not entirely separate the nation from Brittan as it stated that six counties in Northern Ireland would remain economically linked to Brittan. This problem, along with several others, sparked the Irish Civil war.
3. Describe to be known as the troubles from 1963 to 1985?
The “troubles” from 1963 to 1985 were those of sectarian violence and civil unrest, that erupted as tensions came to a head. During this chaotic period many organizations gained and lost influence and power in Northern Ireland, such as the NICRA (Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association) and the IRA. During this entire period any move to help improve the situation of one side of the conflict led to the other reacting violently. Events such as Bloody Sunday and the PIRA (provincial IRA) funded Bloody Friday only helped to escalate the violence from both sides of the conflict. Eventually the brutal incursions by the British army and the IRA’s terrorist attacks, came to a uneasy peace with the good Friday agreement.
4. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland affected the struggle?
ReplyDeleteThe British army has had a varying range of effects on the struggle in northern Ireland. For one, they had helped to save lives by stopping many IRA bombings and attacks. However the methods that they used to take done the IRA were brutal, and events like Bloody Sunday, only served to escalate the violence in Northern Ireland.
5. Who are the IRA and what is their main grievance?
The IRA is a group of several separate organizations, all of which are dedicated to protecting Ireland and the more recent of which have had a large grievance with the British and Protestants. However while the IRA shares its name with the Irish republican army of the Irish civil war, the new IRA better resembles a terrorist organization than an army as they were behind countless murders, vandalisms and bombings during the struggle.
6. What happened on bloody Sunday in 1972 and how it affected the struggle?
Bloody Sunday is one of the defining moments of Northern Irelands Struggle. It started with a simple non violent civil rights march in the town of Derry, and turned sour when the British army was called in to break up the crowds but ended up killing 13 and wounding many more. The horror that happened on bloody Sunday defiantly had a negative impact on the struggle in terms of peace, as it lead to countless Irish Catholics becoming more radical and joining radical and sometimes terrorist organizations like the IRA.
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland, and is this fair to both sides?
ReplyDeleteIn Northern Ireland today the political situation has greatly stabilized. The better conditions for the minority Catholics, the disbanding of the highly radical PIRA as well as the Good Friday agreement and all the policies that it implemented, like the cross partisan and cross national group that can help diffuse issues between Ireland, and Northern Ireland, all have done wonders to help fix the political situation in Northern Ireland. While the Catholic minority does not feel that they have all of their rights, this is mostly because the government has been changed radically and has yet to adjust to their power. The new political situation is fair to both sides, and while there may be a few problems, they will soon be smoothed out.
Citations
Donnelly, Michelle. "Irish independence." In Ackermann, Marsha E., Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and Mark F. Whitters, eds.Encyclopedia of World History: Crisis and Achievement, 1900 to 1950, vol. 5. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=WHV127&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 5, 2010).
McCarthy, John P. "Ireland's Troublesome Thirty Years." Ireland: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present, European Nations. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=IRL0008&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 5, 2010).
"BBC NEWS | Special Reports | 2010 | Bloody Sunday." BBC News - Home. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
History, By Bbc. "BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC - Homepage. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteOver the past 30 years, like every other country, Ireland has had its problems. Ireland, however, also like other countries, had (and still has) a huge religious problem. Like the Arab-Israeli conflict and most other religious conflicts, the catholic-protestant conflict was (and still is) a fight for land and freedom. One of the climaxes in this conflict was in the 1970’s when the Catholics made a demand for civil rights to a protestant government and were denied.
Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
In 1921, the British and Irish signed the “Anglo-Irish treaty” after years of fighting. The treaty ensured Ireland as a free state, but there was controversy within Ireland about some of the finer points. Many revolutionaries were opposed to being forced to take an oath to the kings the head of Commonwealth. These and other controversial points led to a small civil war within Ireland which eventually indirectly led to the breaking of protestants and Catholics.
Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
“The troubles” refers to the time between 1963 and 1985 where the Catholics started to rebel against the Protestants. Because of the implementation of the welfare state in 1950, the generation of Catholics during the troubles was the first to be thoroughly educated and because of this started questioning why they had so little while the Protestants had so much. Once the snowball got rolling, this turned into an almost all out civil war between the Protestants and Catholics. Thinking they could help, the British sent in troops to try and subdue the fighting. The Catholics saw the British as just another enemy and sent the IRA after them.
How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
ReplyDeleteThe British army has been involved with the Irish conflict for a good amount of time now. Because the army is mostly Protestant, they are very unfairly bias and only serve to fan the flames of the anger of the Catholic. The British army has actually in effect helped to spur recruits for the IRA and effectively bitten themselves in the butt.
Who are the IRA and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland?
The IRA, or the Irish Republican Army, is an organization that devoted itself to the removal of British forces from Ireland and the reuniting of Northern Ireland and the Irish republic. Although it has been active since the Anglo-Irish treaty, the IRA only started really picking up momentum and getting known in the last 4 decades.
What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972?
On Sunday, January 30, 1972 10,000 civil rights demonstrators marched illegally. The authorities had outlawed such marches and confined the demonstrators to an isolated area. Some of the demonstrators had gotten firearms from the IRA. Claiming they were under fire, the soldiers confining the demonstrators began to fire on the marchers. Fourteen were killed and 12 were wounded. The government later claimed in their report of the incident of the event that it was the soldiers’ fault.
What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
Currently, the utter distrust and hate between the protestants and Catholics is still ever-present, although less apparent because of the decrease in violent action. However, if you just take a closer look, the divide between the two is very obvious from the fact that they never walk on the same side of the street as each other, to the “stone wars” between children at night like the one shown in the honors world history class. Although the Catholics are still treated worse than the Protestants, their treatment has improved greatly since bloody Sunday.
Works Cited:
ReplyDeleteMcCarthy, John P. "Anglo-Irish Treaty." Ireland: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present, European Nations. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE53&iPin=IRL0027&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 5, 2010).
Tompson, Richard S. "Anglo-Irish Treaty." Great Britain: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE53&iPin=GB0030&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 5, 2010).
Kellett, Andrew. "Irish Republican Army (IRA)." In Ackermann, Marsha E., Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and Mark F. Whitters, eds. Encyclopedia of World History: The Contemporary World, 1950 to the Present, vol. 6. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE53&iPin=WHVI169&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 5, 2010).
McCarthy, John P. "Irish Bloody Sunday, 1972." Ireland: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present, European Nations. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE53&iPin=IRL0086&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 5, 2010).
"BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC - Homepage. 02 Jan. 2007. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
"Irish History Timeline." Irish History Links. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. .
1. A major issue in Northern Ireland during the past three decades is the tension between the Irish Catholics and the Irish Protestants. All Catholics in Northern Ireland were discriminated against, they were treated unfairly, given unequal job opportunities, and even the election was rigged so the Protestants would win. If a Catholic family was in need of a home, it was more likely that a single Protestant girl would get a home before they did. Often Catholic people could not feed their families and many children died of malnutrition.
ReplyDelete2. The Anglo-Irish treaty was signed December 6, 1921 Between Great Britain and The Republic of Ireland ending Ireland’s war of independence. Ireland had to give up 1/5 of their land to Britain, but the British were to take their soldiers out of the rest of Ireland.
3. In 1969 the “provisional” IRA (PIRA) broke away from the “original” IRA. At the same time, loyalist paramilitaries were also organizing. The Ulster Defense Association, created in 1971, which rapidly expanded to a membership of tens of thousands, but somehow avoided being banned, joined the UVF. In the middle was the British Army. Its various attempts to control the PIRA, such as house-to-house searches and the imposition of a limited curfew, only served to drive more recruits into the ranks of the paramilitaries.
4. The British Army has influenced the struggle because they are trying to control the PIRA but are only making more people join because of the house searches and curfews and separated communities.
5. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) was established in 1913 in order to fight British control in Ireland. They organized the Easter Rising in 1919, after they became a guerrilla campaign against the British. They later signed the Anglo-Irish treaty and split into two groups and thus began the Irish Civil War.
6. On Bloody Sunday 1972 civil rights protesters began a march at 2:50 PM. They walked through Derry, Northern Ireland. The British had a few blockades set in order to stop the protesters. A section of the crowd threw stones and other missiles at the Army, the British responded with tear gas. The British then began to arrest any remaining protesters on the street. Marchers began to flee towards Free Derry Corner; the British began to shoot suspected bombers. Thirteen people were killed and 13 were further injured.
7. In 1998 The Good Friday Agreement ended the “war” between the PIRA and Great Britain. The GFA established a power-sharing executive and assembly to serve as the local government of Northern Ireland. The GFA provided a blueprint for "normalization," to include reduction in the numbers and role of armed forces, devolution of police and justice authorities, and guarantees of human rights and equal opportunity for all individuals. The agreement was approved in a 1998 referendum by 71% of Northern Ireland voters and 95% of Irish voters.
Works Cited
Allen, Paddy. Scruton, Paul. “Bloody Sunday: Interactive Map”. 6/15/10 10/4/10.
“Background Note: Ireland”. 8/20/10 < http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3180.htm> 10/4/10.
“Easter Monday April 24, 1916”. 10/4/10.
“Northern Ireland: The Troubles”. 1/2/07 10/4/10.
1. A major issue in Northern Ireland during the past three decades is the tension between the Irish Catholics and the Irish Protestants. All Catholics in Northern Ireland were discriminated against, they were treated unfairly, given unequal job opportunities, and even the election was rigged so the Protestants would win. If a Catholic family was in need of a home, it was more likely that a single Protestant girl would get a home before they did. Often Catholic people could not feed their families and many children died of malnutrition.
ReplyDelete2. The Anglo-Irish treaty was signed December 6, 1921 Between Great Britain and The Republic of Ireland ending Ireland’s war of independence. Ireland had to give up 1/5 of their land to Britain, but the British were to take their soldiers out of the rest of Ireland.
3. In 1969 the “provisional” IRA (PIRA) broke away from the “original” IRA. At the same time, loyalist paramilitaries were also organizing. The Ulster Defense Association, created in 1971, which rapidly expanded to a membership of tens of thousands, but somehow avoided being banned, joined the UVF. In the middle was the British Army. Its various attempts to control the PIRA, such as house-to-house searches and the imposition of a limited curfew, only served to drive more recruits into the ranks of the paramilitaries.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete4. How has the British army and its presence in Northern Ireland influenced the struggle?
ReplyDeleteThe presence of the British army in Northern Ireland has only outraged the Catholic communities. Rather than sustaining peace in Northern Ireland, the British army frustrated those that did not wish to be under the control of Great Britain. Their presencesonly led to more civil unrest and violence within the country and their tendency to side with the abusive Protestants and evens such as Bloody Sunday angered the Provisional IRA even more resulting in further violence. Their attempt to create peace through reforms during “the troubles” angered the loyalists and caused the destruction of Catholic property. Since British intervention, the Catholics have become more passionate about their fight for human rights (if successful: they defeat both Protestants and Britain).
5. Who are the I.R.A. and what was their main grievance in Northern Ireland? In other words, what were they fighting for?
The I.R.A stands for the Irish Republican Army. The I.R.A is supported by North Ireland’s Catholic population, and fights for equal rights for the Catholic population. It is devoted to the removal of the British armies in Northern Ireland and the ending of the partition of the island. In 1970, the Irish Republican Army split and the Provisional Irish Republican Army was made. The P.I.R.A. took a more extreme turn and focused on uniting Ireland through terrorist activity. (In 2005, they announced the end of its armed campaigns)
6. What happened on Bloody Sunday in 1972? Describe how this incident affected the struggle.
On January 30, 1972 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, thirteen unarmed Catholic protesters were shot and killed by British soldiers. The protest by the IRA was deemed illegal by British authorities as they marched. British army troops were sent out to suppress riots and protests and did not hesitate to fire rounds of bullets at the enraged demonstrators. After Bloody Sunday, the battle fought between the Catholics and the IRA against the loyal Protestants and Great Britain turned into a struggle for revenge and liberty.
7. What is the current political situation in Northern Ireland? Is this fair to both sides?
Today, the conflict between the Protests and the Catholics continues under extremely ‘calmer,’ ‘compromised,’ circumstances. In Belfast, Northern Ireland giant walls, called peace lines, have been and are still being built to prevent unnecessary interaction between the Protestants and Catholics. In the city, the Protestants walk and do business on one side of the road or street while the Catholics one the other. In 2010, Britain, the Catholics and the Protestants signed the Hillsborough Castle Agreement. The treaty called for Britain to hand over the control of the police and justice system to Northern Ireland. Fortunately, the representation and treatment of the Catholics has improved as a result of numerous peace talks and negotiations. Catholic communities still have rough, poorer lives due to the demands of large families and current unemployment rates.
Work Cited
ReplyDeleteAbbot, Patrick. "The Ireland Story - Irish History, Maps of Ireland." Wesley Johnston. Web. 04 Oct. 2010.
"The Bloody Sunday Inquiry: Long Time Coming | The Economist." The Economist - World News, Politics, Economics, Business & Finance. The Economist, 17 June 2010. Web. 02 Oct. 2010.
History, BBC. "BBC - History - The Troubles, 1963 to 1985." BBC - Homepage. Web. 04 Oct. 2010.
Kellett, Andrew. "Irish Republican Army (IRA)." In Ackermann, Marsha E., Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and Mark F. Whitters, eds.Encyclopedia of World History: The Contemporary World, 1950 to the Present, vol. 6. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE53&iPin=WHVI169&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 5, 2010).
Paseta, Senia. "Northern Ireland: A Divided Community 1921-1972." Reference Books, Newspaper Archives, Historical Research, E-Reference Books. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. http://gale.cengage.co.uk/product-highlights/history/northern-ireland-a-divided-community-19211972.aspx
"The Road to Northern Ireland, 1167 to 1921." BBC - Homepage. 02 Jan. 2007. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .
"Timeline: Northern Ireland's Road to Peace." BBC - Homepage. 27 Jan. 2006. Web. 03 Oct. 2010.
"YouTube- No Peace on the Streets - Northern Ireland." No Peace on the Streets- Northern Ireland. YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 02 Oct. 2010.
4. The British Army has influenced the struggle because they are trying to control the PIRA but are only making more people join because of the house searches and curfews and separated communities.
ReplyDelete5. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) was established in 1913 in order to fight British control in Ireland. They organized the Easter Rising in 1919, after they became a guerrilla campaign against the British. They later signed the Anglo-Irish treaty and split into two groups and thus began the Irish Civil War.
6. On Bloody Sunday 1972 civil rights protesters began a march at 2:50 PM. They walked through Derry, Northern Ireland. The British had a few blockades set in order to stop the protesters. A section of the crowd threw stones and other missiles at the Army, the British responded with tear gas. The British then began to arrest any remaining protesters on the street. Marchers began to flee towards Free Derry Corner; the British began to shoot suspected bombers. Thirteen people were killed and 13 were further injured.
7. In 1998 The Good Friday Agreement ended the “war” between the PIRA and Great Britain. The GFA established a power-sharing executive and assembly to serve as the local government of Northern Ireland. The GFA provided a blueprint for "normalization," to include reduction in the numbers and role of armed forces, devolution of police and justice authorities, and guarantees of human rights and equal opportunity for all individuals. The agreement was approved in a 1998 referendum by 71% of Northern Ireland voters and 95% of Irish voters.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
ReplyDeleteAllen, Paddy. Scruton, Paul. “Bloody Sunday: Interactive Map”. 6/15/10 10/4/10.
“Background Note: Ireland”. 8/20/10 < http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3180.htm> 10/4/10.
“Easter Monday April 24, 1916”. 10/4/10.
“Northern Ireland: The Troubles”. 1/2/07 10/4/10.
1. What has been the major issue in Northern Ireland during the last 3 decades?
ReplyDeleteFor the past three decades, Northern Ireland has been wretched with a socioeconomic problem between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. In 1921, Ireland became a country split by two religions: Protestantism and Catholicism. The majority of those in Northern Ireland are Protestant and arguably “power hungry,” while the remaining minorities or Catholics reside in [southern: Republic of] Ireland. Protestants to the Catholics are known as ‘loyalists to the British crown’ and retain the most power, superiority, and money. Protestants are not only favored by the British military, but also own the greater part of local businesses and will not hire Catholics for work; thus high unemployment rates and low production ultimately hurt Ireland’s economy. The Catholics’ fight for equal human rights has embedded a deep ethnic segregation in the near ‘civil war’ that has brought the country eminent violence. New, non-religious generations are born and branded by name as: “Catholic” or “Protestant” and initially want no part of this battle, yet naturally end up fighting in it. Although, the IRA plays a role in attempting to maintain peace, over the past few decades the issue in Northern Ireland has really transformed from a religious conflict to an ethnic and cultural one.
2. Describe what happened to Ireland in 1921.
In 1921, the Anglo-Irish peace treaty was signed between Britain and Ireland to end the Irish War of Independence. The treaty partitioned Northern Ireland from the rest of Ireland. It called for twenty-six predominantly Catholic countries known as Ireland and six predominantly Protestant countries known as Northern Ireland to be established as separate entities. This, however, did not split the Catholics from the Protestants completely, thus the battle continued in ‘mixed’ regions in Northern Ireland.
3. Describe what came to be known as “the troubles” from 1963-1985.
“The Troubles” from 1963-1985 is known as a violent time period in which turmoil was brought onto Northern Ireland between members of Catholic and Protestant communities. In the late 1960's, the struggle for civil rights turned violent, triggering the beginning of Ireland’s “troublesome 30 years”. In efforts to restore order to the massive protests and riots in Northern Ireland started by rebel Catholics, the British sent troops who consequently ended up clashing with the IRA (sided with Catholics). Violent events continued, such as Bloody Sunday in 1972 and loyalist bombings in 1974. Essentially, this period was a time of civil unrest and shocking violence. In 1985, the troubles official ended the Anglo-Irish Agreement confirmed that Northern Ireland would remain independent of the Republic of Ireland.
1. One of the biggest issues in Northern Ireland is the segregation of Protestants and Catholics, which is very violent and unforgiving. As well, there is much political difference between people: many people wish Northern Ireland to unite with the rest of the island, while many loyalists want to have Northern Ireland remain under the United Kingdom. The conflict between the Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland has been a violent one and bloody one. 99.9% of the police in Northern Ireland are protestant and would beat the Catholics for no reason other than their religion. The most important event of the segregation is the event Bloody Sunday. Bano from U2 even wrote a song about it because it was such a shocking event. On January 30, 1972, 14 people were killed and several more were injured from being shot upon by the British's elite First Parachute Regiment.
ReplyDelete2. The IRA members of Ireland signed a treaty with Great Britain in 1921, dividing Ireland into North and South. South Ireland mainly consists of Catholics, while the North was mostly Protestants, and true division started at this time. With the Unionists (mostly Catholics) wishing to have Ireland united and independent from The UK, they were enraged to have Ireland split. The loyalists (mostly Protestants), however, wanted to remain a part of the UK and were happy with the split.
3. The "Troubles" were the time of Catholic oppression by the Protestants. During this time, the Catholics were the one third majority of Northern Ireland, as well as facing much more suppression such as limiting votes to the "ratepayers" which favored the Protestants, who could make a maximum of six votes. During the political campaigns as well, there were many less houses with Catholics than there were Protestants in them. This led to having Catholics receive less governmental investment while the Protestants were given much more. During this time tough time, however, the children of the 1950's got educational benefits that allowed them to think equally for the first time. This generation would turn out to be one of revolts against the unequal bias. During the Troubles as well, the IRA committed acts of terrorism such as bombing.
4. The British army in Northern Ireland is actually making many of the already bad issues worse. With the British police force being 99.9% Protestant and violent toward the Catholics in Northern Ireland, the number of innocent Catholic beatings skyrocketed. Because of the biased police force sent by the British, the Catholics became even more upset and started to protest. When there was too much protesting, the police force open fired on many Catholics on January 30, 1972, injuring many and killing 14. This event came to be known as Bloody Sunday and is a large reason for the still segregated religious groups.
ReplyDelete5. The IRA in Northern Ireland is the Irish Republican Army who used guerrilla warfare to attack the British forces attempting to suppress the IRA. When the British would not give in to the IRA's demands, the IRA continued its bombings and assassinations. In 1994, the IRA had declared a peace resolution, starting to disarm. When numerous incidents in 2002 occurred, it was apparent that the IRA had not given up their weapons. The IRA recently has been known for several crimes suck as bank robbery and counterfeiting, but a public announcement by the leader Sinn Féin in 2005 stated the the IRA would be ending its armed acts. A later independent report in 2005 confirmed that this was true, and relieved the Irish government as well as the British government. This choice of plan, however, was not accepted by many extreme unionists in Northern Ireland.
6. In 1972, 14 people were killed in Ireland from the British's elite First Parachute Regime with 14 more injured. One day in Ireland, the paratroopers came in and started firing upon mostly unarmed Catholic civilians. After this day, the Catholics have been even more enraged with the British government as well as the Protestants for attacking them. With the British paratroopers attacking unarmed demonstrators, the IRA had many more new recruits to join the group. The British Embassy in Dublin, Northern Ireland was burned to the ground shortly after this tragic incident.
7. The political situation is clearly unfair in Northern Ireland: the ratio of Catholics to Protestants is far less than even. Despite this obvious difference in numbers, the Catholics are being suppressed by the government which fails to give Catholics a fair chance in voting. The government in Northern Ireland is heavily Protestant and allows Protestants up to six votes per person while the Catholics can vote only once if at all. Because of this suppression of the Catholics, it is almost impossible for the Catholics to help resolve this issue of injustice and oppression.
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ReplyDelete