Northern Ireland Course work
Question 1
In Northern Ireland today there is a conflict being fought. Ireland was divided in 1921 it had previously been completely under British rule, Northern Ireland or Ulster remained under British rule and southern Ireland or Eire was created as a free state. The catholic people in Ireland had always wanted independence and most of them had it. In the North of Ireland many people are protestant and feel firmly British and want to remain in the U.K. Some people are Catholic and want independence as well as a united Ireland. Some Catholics in Ulster began to think, in 1969-70 that political means would not get them a united Ireland, so they turned to terrorism and became involved with the I.R.A. These people are Republicans. Some Protestants saw the violence and formed their own militant groups to get back at Catholic terrorists, these people are loyalists. Later on both Catholics and Protestants saw the need for political parties. Catholics who try to achieve their goals politically are called nationalists. Members of protestant political parties are called unionists. Recently the I.R.A. has called cease-fires, this has prompted some members to form splinter groups such as the continuity I.R.A. and the real I.R.A. these groups are still actively violent.
The following factors are all equally important reasons for the continuing conflicts between Unionists and Nationalists in Northern Ireland.
a) Battle of the Boyne 1690
b) Creation of an Irish free state in 1922
c) Bloody Sunday in 1972
d) Republican violence 1968 to present day
e) Orange Order marches 1996 to present
Do you agree with this statement?
I think the most important reason for the continuing conflict today is Republican violence since 1968. The battle of the Boyne was the beginning of all troubles in Northern Ireland but that was over 300 years ago, events that long ago hardly affect people's attitudes today, we can see this in other conflicts. England 100 year war with France caused much hatred between the two nations, however to day we are allies. We do know that Catholic Irish people were never happy with British rule but that does not mean they hated Protestants, they simply wanted Independence. They rebelled in 1916 because the felt they were being treated unfairly, by the British Government, the subsequent war led to the creation of the Irish Free State, however Ulster remained under British rule. The war with England also created hatred because the ringleaders of the original rebellion in 1916, when the I.R.B. took control of the general post office, were put to death. This harsh treatment of rebels led to more people joining the fight for independence. The Republican violence from 1968 to the present started the cycle of violence that still continues today. Some Catholics in Northern Ireland decided that political means of creating a united Ireland were not working and that terrorist action was the only choice left. Republican attacks on protestant people and targets in Britain led to some Protestants becoming violent to protect their interests and get revenge. It is hate that keeps the conflict alive and the hate is caused by the violence, and the violence is caused by the hate... and so on. Bloody Sunday added fuel for the Catholic fire of hate but was not the sole cause of it. It happened when the British army fired upon Catholic human rights protesters. The Catholics had planned the demonstration to protest about internment, this is when terrorists are imprisoned without a trial. The protest was banned but it went ahead regardless, barricades were set up to stop the march. Stones were thrown at the security forces, the first paratrooper infantry regiment was ordered to control the crowd of protesters, some say the I.R.A. fired the first shots others say it was the British Army, we're still not sure. What is certain is that the Army fired upon the protesters; they killed thirteen and injured 13 more. The whole incident was caused by the unfair treatment of Catholics by the British Government. And the unfair treatment was caused by the terrorism; we could argue that this means that the Catholic paramilitaries have caused mot of the problems in Northern Ireland. The orange order marches are another factor in the continuing conflict in Northern Ireland, however I do not fell they are as important as the republican violence. The orange order was founded in 1795 to keep the protestant religion alive in Northern Ireland; they march every July to celebrate the victory of William of Orange over the Irish at the battle of the Boyne. The routs of the marches sometimes take them through catholic areas, the Catholics do not like this and fell they are being insulted. I do not fell this is as important because if the marches were the only source of tension in Northern Ireland then I don't think there would be as much violence, it is one thing to be insulted it is another to have your family shot, bombed and or killed.
Question 1
In Northern Ireland today there is a conflict being fought. Ireland was divided in 1921 it had previously been completely under British rule, Northern Ireland or Ulster remained under British rule and southern Ireland or Eire was created as a free state. The catholic people in Ireland had always wanted independence and most of them had it. In the North of Ireland many people are protestant and feel firmly British and want to remain in the U.K. Some people are Catholic and want independence as well as a united Ireland. Some Catholics in Ulster began to think, in 1969-70 that political means would not get them a united Ireland, so they turned to terrorism and became involved with the I.R.A. These people are Republicans. Some Protestants saw the violence and formed their own militant groups to get back at Catholic terrorists, these people are loyalists. Later on both Catholics and Protestants saw the need for political parties. Catholics who try to achieve their goals politically are called nationalists. Members of protestant political parties are called unionists. Recently the I.R.A. has called cease-fires, this has prompted some members to form splinter groups such as the continuity I.R.A. and the real I.R.A. these groups are still actively violent.
The following factors are all equally important reasons for the continuing conflicts between Unionists and Nationalists in Northern Ireland.
a) Battle of the Boyne 1690
b) Creation of an Irish free state in 1922
c) Bloody Sunday in 1972
d) Republican violence 1968 to present day
e) Orange Order marches 1996 to present
Do you agree with this statement?
I think the most important reason for the continuing conflict today is Republican violence since 1968. The battle of the Boyne was the beginning of all troubles in Northern Ireland but that was over 300 years ago, events that long ago hardly affect people's attitudes today, we can see this in other conflicts. England 100 year war with France caused much hatred between the two nations, however to day we are allies. We do know that Catholic Irish people were never happy with British rule but that does not mean they hated Protestants, they simply wanted Independence. They rebelled in 1916 because the felt they were being treated unfairly, by the British Government, the subsequent war led to the creation of the Irish Free State, however Ulster remained under British rule. The war with England also created hatred because the ringleaders of the original rebellion in 1916, when the I.R.B. took control of the general post office, were put to death. This harsh treatment of rebels led to more people joining the fight for independence. The Republican violence from 1968 to the present started the cycle of violence that still continues today. Some Catholics in Northern Ireland decided that political means of creating a united Ireland were not working and that terrorist action was the only choice left. Republican attacks on protestant people and targets in Britain led to some Protestants becoming violent to protect their interests and get revenge. It is hate that keeps the conflict alive and the hate is caused by the violence, and the violence is caused by the hate... and so on. Bloody Sunday added fuel for the Catholic fire of hate but was not the sole cause of it. It happened when the British army fired upon Catholic human rights protesters. The Catholics had planned the demonstration to protest about internment, this is when terrorists are imprisoned without a trial. The protest was banned but it went ahead regardless, barricades were set up to stop the march. Stones were thrown at the security forces, the first paratrooper infantry regiment was ordered to control the crowd of protesters, some say the I.R.A. fired the first shots others say it was the British Army, we're still not sure. What is certain is that the Army fired upon the protesters; they killed thirteen and injured 13 more. The whole incident was caused by the unfair treatment of Catholics by the British Government. And the unfair treatment was caused by the terrorism; we could argue that this means that the Catholic paramilitaries have caused mot of the problems in Northern Ireland. The orange order marches are another factor in the continuing conflict in Northern Ireland, however I do not fell they are as important as the republican violence. The orange order was founded in 1795 to keep the protestant religion alive in Northern Ireland; they march every July to celebrate the victory of William of Orange over the Irish at the battle of the Boyne. The routs of the marches sometimes take them through catholic areas, the Catholics do not like this and fell they are being insulted. I do not fell this is as important because if the marches were the only source of tension in Northern Ireland then I don't think there would be as much violence, it is one thing to be insulted it is another to have your family shot, bombed and or killed.
