Northern Ireland: A Brief History

A great site for the History of the Conflict in Northern Ireland click HERE.

This week I decided to further explore the background and political context of Breakfast on Pluto. I will be discussing brief history of Northern Ireland; and specifically The Troubles. The history of Northern Ireland can be traced back to the 17th Century (When Ireland was essentially a British colony). During this period the English succeeded in putting down a number of rebellions (most notably The Battle of Boyne). After this ,much of the land in the northern part of the island was colonized by Scottish and British Protestants...this setting it apart from the rest of the Island (being predominately Catholic).

During the 1800s the North and South began to experience numerous differences. In the North, industrialization and manufacturing flourished. In the South, however, there was a great inequality in the distribution of land, wealth and resources. Anglican Protestants owned and managed much of the land. There was a low standard of living for Irish Catholics. Catholics had many grievances including not having the right to vote, own land, get an education as well as hold office. These horrible civil rights were due to the Penal Laws. It was during this time a template was set for a long history (a continuation) of animosity and violence between the Irish, Anglo-Irish and British. The mistreatment of Catholics has been an ancient wound for the Irish. So much so that and Catholicism and Protestantism have become a center for a struggle to find identity. For example, Roman Catholicism has become synonymous with what it is to be Irish, subsequently Protestantism is to being British or Anglo-Irsh. The clash between religions is not so much a war between religion, but more so identity.

This suppression of not just the Catholic faith, but of native born Irish that still is an underlining importance to the tensions and conflict of today. The Republicans as well as the Unionists are predominately Catholic because it seems that particular religion has become somewhat part of an identity of being "Irish". The same goes for the scottish, british descended Anglo-Irish and Protestantism. Therefore, when looking deeper behind the original labeling of religious majorities who battle for territory, a war over identity and ownership rights can be seen laying beneath.

Before the Act of Union (1801), Ireland had been in a personal union with Great Britain. The British had essentially colonized Ireland and exploited it for the expansion of its empire. After subduing yet another Irish uprising, the British and Irish parliaments passed the Act of Union, which officially made Ireland a part of the United Kingdom. This really did nothing in appeasing what the Irish had been fighting for for centuries: Independence. It did, however, give Ireland more rights within the Union and later Catholics were given more civil rights (Catholic Emancipation 1840).

There is a division between and with expressions of two political groups: Republicans and Loyalists. To fully understand the conflict and tension in Northern Ireland, one must journey down what would seem to be a an enormously long timeline. A good starting point for considering the history would be shortly after WWII ended.

After WWII, Northern Ireland remained apart of the United Kingdom and did not follow The Republic of Ireland in independence. This is primarily due to the large population of Anglo-Irish that still feel ties to Great Britain. Aside from the long turbulent history of Ireland and the United Kingdom, this creation of a separate N. Ireland only fueled ancient wounds (as well as creating new problems) and made tensions escalate (Troubles p.1).

Like previously stated, Northern Ireland is essentially made up of two communities. The nationalist community consists of people who are more loyal to Ireland, desire a "United Ireland" (where N. Ireland secedes from the United Kingdom), and are predominately Roman Catholic and Republicans. The unionist community consists of people who feel a certain loyalty or connection to the United Kingdom and therefore wish to remain a part of it. This group has many Anglo-Irish Protestants and Loyalists. The tensions between these two groups escalated in a period called The Troubles.

The Troubles lasted primarily between the late 1960's and 1998. During this time, reoccurring acts of intense violence sparked between the loyalists and unionists. Over three decades, around 3,200 people were killed. Much of the violence was incurred by paramilitary group campaigns, such as the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) 1996-1997. The IRA intended to "rid" Ireland of British rule and unify Ireland into one state (Troubles 2).

A key event to the escalation of The Troubles was Bloody Sunday. Bloody Sunday took place on January 30, 1972 in Derry Ireland. During a Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association march, 27 civil rights protestors were shot by the British military. This was important because it was seen by a national and international media. For over thirty years, the IRA carried out numerous paramilitary campaigns in the name of unifying the entire Island. This is due to the belief that the entire Island belongs to what they consider to be a "United Ireland". The heated conflict lasted until 1998, when an uneasy treaty was signed: the Belfast Agreement or "Good Friday Agreement". This agreement solidified N. Ireland as a part of the UK. Much happened constitutionally in both Irelands and England that helped to ease tension.

One of the most important things is that people who are born in Northern Ireland automatically have dual citizenship with Ireland and the UK (or can choose one or the other). The clash between Catholics and Protestants is not merely a battle over religion but rather one of identity. Identity is an issue that still prominent in Northern Ireland today. Despite the cease fires and the disbanding of the IRA (in 2005), political and ethnic tensions still can run high To this day opinions are split as to how the IRA is perceived. To some they are terrorists and to others they are freedom fighters. Even though tensions still are high in Northern Ireland there is hope that a lasting peace as been planted and will grow stronger.