Protestants also had fears, they would have to share the economy with the rest of Ireland and the Roman Catholic Church would interfere in the running of the country. Also they may be threatened with violence by the IRA to become a part of the Republic of Ireland.
If we delve deeper, we come to partition in 1920, Protestants remained part of the UK and the Roman Catholics, who wanted independence.
In Northern Ireland, 66% of the republicans were Protestants and 34% were Roman Catholics. This partition, which introduced Protestants settlers from England and Scotland into an over whelming Roman Catholic country, establishing a Protestants control over the settlers and the native population in politics and society.
The long term causes of the problems between the Catholics and the Protestants of Northern Ireland are rooted in the histories of England and Ireland. Since the 12th century and the invasion of HenryII in Ireland. Where English settlers were given land that belonged to conquered Irish. These settlers had more power and privileges then native Irish. From this time until the act of union until the 1800, England and Ireland were frequently at war with one another. Further confiscations of land took place by James 1st in 1601 and then by Oliver Cromwell in 1640’s making the Irish very angry and anti-British.
The religious side to the conflict started in 1543 when Henry 8th broke away from the pope and set up a new Church of England, but the Irish wished to remain Roman Catholic and didn’t want to be forced to swear loyalty to Henry.
He also passed laws where by every person should use the English tongue and language. Further more houses should be kept “according to English order condition and manner”. In 1534 he announced that he was also king of Ireland, undoubtedly causing additional bad feelings towards the English.
Another reason to cause problems in Northern Ireland was the act of union, this meant that Irelands parliament was closed and England had control over Irelands law, which were passed in Westminster in London. For example, there were certain restrictions on the jobs that Roman Catholics could do under English law.
The great famine in 1846 was to cause even more bitterness, after England failed to organise sufficient help to the starving. The Irish had had enough after this period of time two movements emerged. One wanted Ireland to become a republic completely separate from Britain and the other was formed seeking Northern Ireland being a part of Britain. The Irish had independence from the UK. They had their own political party and terrorist group and were willing to take their lives for it. The British government did, after the war give some independence, but not enough and civil war broke out, ending with a partition.