Do you agree that the Partition of Ireland in 1921 has been the most important event in shaping the present situation in Northern Ireland?

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Do you agree that the Partition of Ireland in 1921 has been the most important event in shaping the present situation in Northern Ireland?

        In this essay I am going to describe the problems which occurred after Ireland was partitioned in 1921 to try and stop the violent conflict which was constantly occurring before 1921 between Protestants (Unionists) and Catholics (Nationalists). This was done by the government of the U.K and the government of the Republic of Ireland (Eire) being able to satisfying both Unionist’s and Nationalist’s terms and conditions, but the partition of Ireland did not create a problem free and tranquil Northern Ireland (Ulster) like it was supposed to. To answer the question, I will firstly explain why I might agree that partition was the most important event in shaping the present situation in Northern Ireland.  After doing so I will then explain why I don’t think that partition was the most important event. By doing this I will be able to see both viewpoints; for and against which will enable me to decide if or not I think that partition was the most important event in shaping the present situation in Northern Ireland.

I might agree that the partition of Ireland in 1921 has been the most important event in shaping the present situation in Northern Ireland because it caused many major problems to occur in which were connected to the constant prejudices and rivalry between Protestants and Catholics. The major problems in Northern Ireland which occurred after partition caused great tension to mount in Northern Ireland during much of the 1920’s and the early parts of the 1930’s. The problems started with violent Irish Republican Army (IRA) campaigns against Protestants in Northern Ireland which was followed by; segregation between Protestants and Catholics, discrimination against Catholics, economic problems occurred when the worldwide economic depression hit Northern Ireland and distrust by Protestants and Catholics because the Protestants felt that the Catholics were trying to undermine them and the nationalists felt that the same was happening to them but the other way around. Boycotts and Election fixing were two other problems caused by the partition of Ireland in 1921 but they were relatively minor problems. The partition of Ireland in 1921 was supposed to eradicate those problems which occurred in Northern Ireland but failed to do so. This meant that something else had to be done; in the form of Bloody Sunday which occurred on 30th of January, 1972. The partition of Ireland in 1921 caused the major problems in Northern Ireland and therefore causing Bloody Sunday which gave the main shape to the present situation in Northern Ireland today.

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        Although the Partition of Ireland in 1921 caused many problems, there were some good factors to come from the partition of Ireland. These were that the partition subdued conflict, prejudice and rivalry between Protestants and Catholics which allowed prosperity to grow in some places of Northern Ireland when World War II (1939-1945) broke out. World War II brought prosperity to Northern Ireland by reducing unemployment in Northern Ireland. Even after World War II had finished the prosperity continued to grow in Northern Ireland with education reforms, better healthcare, new houses being built to provide housing to the homeless and ...

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