There are clear differences between Unionists and Nationalists in Northern Ireland. Nationalists are nearly all catholic whereas unionists are nearly all protestant, which divides the two groups even more. Unionists want the union between Northern
Ireland and Britain to remain because the feel it would be the best ay for Northern Ireland to be whether it’s for historical or economical factors. Nationalists on the other hand want Northern Ireland to become part of Eire to bring about a united Ireland. The main Nationalist arties are the SDLP and Sinn Fein, the SDLP (Social Democratic Labour Party) are committed to democratic paths and have no violent connections whereas the IRA have a close connection to the IRA. The main Unionist parties are the UUP (Ulster Unionist Party) and the DUP (Democratic Unionist Party). The UUP are another party which only use democratic paths, the DUP does this also but is a more hardline party. The paramilitaries of the two sides were also different. The Nationalist paramilitaries such as the IRA and the provisional IRA were formed to protect the catholic areas of NI but eventually became the aggressors. ‘In the early years of the conflict loyalist paramilitaries simply reacted to the violence of the IRA.’ (Walsh 2000 p. 94) That quote tells me that the loyalist paramilitaries were more like a knee jerk reaction of the unionist community.
In the weeks and months after Bloody Sunday many Unionists believed what was told in the Widgery report. They believed that the nationalists were the aggressors at Bloody Sunday so in effect got what they deserve and are now causing a fuss over something they started. The view of the British troops as being on their side possibly influenced this reaction, as they wanted to believe that their side was in the right and the nationalists were wrong.
In the weeks and months after the events of 30 January 1972 most Nationalists believed that the army had murdered 14 people and had gotten away with it scot free apart from the damaged pr. They believed the Widgery report was a complete white wash and some even believed that the British Government had ordered the army to fire upon the protestors. ‘As far as I’m concerned the British army got away with murder on Bloody Sunday and they are presently trying to get away with murder at the tribunal’ (Martin McGuinness on the Saville Inquiry). The republicans gained much support after this event and stepped up their offensive against the unionists, RUC and the Army.
Nearly thirty years after Bloody Sunday, opinions about the day are still divided. Unionists now have realized that nearly all of the protestors were unarmed and the only shots fired were by the army. However they believe the soldiers on the day would not just fire for no reason and that the protestors had to have provoked them. Also these sane soldiers had been getting missiles thrown at them day in day out for weeks which must have cause them great frustration and sometimes injury. So that Unionists believed the actions of the soldiers were in looking at the whole picture justified and inevitable. Also they feel they can never say they were wrong as this would just another surrender to nationalist pressure. ‘There are a great many people on the unionist side who feel such a gesture would be little more then a surrender to nationalist pressure at the moment, and one more affront to the Unionist community,’- (Bernard Purcell of the Irish Independent). The Nationalists now however still maintain the same view as they did then. Apart from one difference. They mostly no longer believe that the orders to fire came from the British government. ‘After much research, I do not believe the ‘conspiracy’ theory to be true. ‘Bloody Sunday’ was a dreadful mistake and should never have happened, but there were no orders or directives from on high instructing the paratroopers to do what they did.’ (Extract from Provos by Peter Taylor cited in Walsh 2000 p. 93) They still however think of the soldiers who were their as murderers and hold those who died as martyrs to carry on the cause.
I understand that people in Northern Ireland are still divided over Bloody Sunday because they want to believe their relative sides. The nationalists have to believe the soldiers were completely in the wrong because they see the soldiers as an invading force anyway so this just distorts their view on Bloody Sunday. The Unionists have to stay on the soldiers’ side because they see the soldiers as on their side their guardians if you will.
An even bigger reason however is that the nationalists are so adamant that the soldiers are the cold-hearted murderers and fired without provocation. These two sides have to support the opposite sides they cannot admit they are wrong or give any leeway. So in summary I feel the nationalists and the unionists are divided over bloody Sunday because they cannot be any other way. It is built within them that whatever the other faction has said it must be wrong and especially about incidents like Bloody Sunday.
