Northern Ireland

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History Coursework

Question 1

The question is asking me is there sufficient evidence in sources D to I to explain why the troubles broke out in Northern Ireland in 1969. Also to explain my answer using my own knowledge from my own studies.

 

In 1969 in Northern Ireland discrimination was on the rise against Catholics. This was viewed throughout Northern Ireland during the 60’s and 70’s. Things like Voting were not favoured for Catholics as many people with property, businesses and high status with money and power were entitled to more votes than people with none. This only favoured mainly Protestant as they were tended to be better off, so they could end up with more votes than Catholics, even in places where Catholics were majority. Local Council boundaries were drawn up in favour of the Protestants to ensure that as many

Protestants as possible were elected. Thing like jobs were favoured for Protestants as the majority of Protestants owned big businesses. So therefore they only employed Protestant workers. Also houses were given to Protestants as Local Council built houses in Protestant areas. Important things like justice, which every human being is entitled to was not in favour of Catholics as the way in which groups like the Police Force viewed Catholics. The RUC was largely of Protestant judges and magistrates. They tended to use justice where their own community was concerned. If the RUC needed help, they would call out forces like the ‘B Special’, which were widely known for violence towards Catholics. By 1969 Discrimination and other factors meant that Catholics were twice as likely to be unemployed as Protestants.

Source D tells me Mother Benignus disliked the English as her family has suffered at the hands of the British Forces. She was very keen about Irish Culture. She didn’t hate Protestants, but her view was they weren’t Irish .She learned Irish history and her view was the interpretations were very different from Protestant history books.

Source D does not tell me whether Mother Benignus was Protestant or Catholics. The source also tells me that she is racist towards Protestant people.

What source D needs for it to be more useful is to tell us why her family suffered from the hands of the British Forces and also why she thinks that Protestant people are not Irish.

What I can infer from this source is that it is written for the Catholics. I have come to this conclusion through what Mother Benignus says about the British Forces and that she dislikes the English. Also that she doesn’t hate Protestants, but doesn’t regard them as Irish. This could be seen in favour of the Catholics as they are loyalist, who want home rule of Northern Ireland instead of British rule, which Protestant want.

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Other reasons trouble broke out in Northern Ireland in 1969 was the lack of civil rights to Catholics. In which resulted in student marchers being attacked by a violent mob at Burntollet Bridge near Derry.

Sources D-E tells me that civil rights were the starting point of trouble in Northern Ireland in 1969 and also the lack of it towards Catholics.

The links I could make between sources D-I is that every outburst of trouble that broke out in Northern Ireland in 1969 was all due to the lack of civil rights such as jobs, good ...

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