Catholic discrimination in Northern Ireland in terms of Housing and Employment
There has been a long history of violence, prejudice, and discrimination between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, particularly highlighted throughout the 1960s, when Catholics were discriminated against by the Protestant Stormont Government in both employment and housing. Hence, in order to understand in what ways and how much it occurred, both these areas must be investigated. Firstly, one must look at how the Catholics were discriminated against in terms of employment, and to what extent this occurred. In the public sector, Catholics suffered great difficulties being employed, as there appears to have been some bias towards employing Protestants, especially in senior levels of the civil service. For example, in a report by the Cameron Commission in 1969, it is stated, "[As of October 1968] In County Fermanagh, no senior council posts, (and relatively few others) were held by Catholics" and according to the Sunday Times, in the same county, in 1961 "322 of the [370] posts, including the top ones, were filled with Protestants. This shows how during the 1960s, the Catholics in Fermanagh did not have many jobs at a high level in the public sector. This is particularly interesting because the majority of people in Fermanagh were Catholics, hence highlighting the extent of their discrimination. The Sunday Times also wrote that in Derry "of 177 salaried employees,
What were the consequences of the 1916 Easter rising?
What were the consequences of the 1916 Easter rising? In this essay I will outline the consequences of the 1916 Easter rising all short term long term and immediate. The rising was a symptom of the failure of Home Rule. This led to increased support for militant nationalism. Sinn Fein gained a rise in support. The Dail Eireann was set up and the war of independence was an indirect consequence to the rising. The British government proposed the 26 county free state and it was accepted. There became a nationalist minority in Ulster. The Easter rising left a legacy of anti British feeling. This encouraged generations to continue the fight against British occupation. The big immediate consequence of the Easter rising was the execution of the leaders. This had a huge impact in Ireland. Within four days of the rising Thomas Clarke, Padraig Pearse and Thomas Mc Donagh were executed by firing squad on May the third. Then up to May the twelfth a further twelve leaders were shot including James Connolly. The last rebel to be executed was Roger Casement by hanging on August the third. Overall seventy-five were sentenced to death, and two thousand to imprisonment. This turned public opinion in Ireland against the British government. This created a new wave of anti-British feeling. Nationalist opinion in Ireland was radically changing. Militant Nationalists began to attract sympathy.
Why Were The British Troops Sent Into Northern Ireland In 1969?
Why Were The British Troops Sent Into Northern Ireland In 1969? The violent events of 1969 started mainly because of the Civil Rights marches (which started in 1968), that often ended up in violence, one particular event was at Burntollet Bridge on a march from Belfast to Londonderry. The Catholics were fed up of being treated badly by the Protestants and having unfair rights. Due to the violent events the Republic's Prime Minister, Jack Lynch, threatened to send troops into Northern Ireland to stop the violence. But the British saw this as an invasion of part of their country, so they decided to send in their own troops to control the violence. This measure can be linked back to some long-term courses, as well as some more recent causes. A combination of these causes led to the violent events of 1969 and then to the British troops being sent into Northern Ireland. In 1916 the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) took over the General Post Office (GPO) in Dublin. This event was led be Padraig Pearce, and James Connolly, they decided that they no longer wanted to be ruled by the British and wanted Ireland to become its own nation. British troops quickly suppressed the rebels and gained control again. This event became known as the Easter Rising. It was a major turning point in Irish history, even though it failed, as it gathered more support for Home Rule, partly because of how
Ireland and World War 1
Ireland and World War 1 By 1912 different Irish groups were still fighting over the matter of Home Rule. Unionists, lead by Edward Carson and James Craig, wanted to stay loyal to Britain and remain under British rule, they said that if Home Rule did come about, that Ulster should be treated separately. John Redmond, leader of the Irish Nationalists, wanted some power given to Ireland but they said that they would still remain loyal to Britain and the monarchy. Padraig Pearse and the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood), who were Irish Republicans, wanted more than Home Rule, they wanted total separation from Britain and they wanted a free Ireland. In Westminster, Conservatives (supported by Unionists) and Liberals (supported by Nationalists) were fighting over the Third Home Rule Bill in 1912, Herbert Asquith (leader of the Liberals) who was Prime Minister at the time, was in favour of Home Rule because he needed the support of Redmond and the Home Rule Party or the IPP (Irish Parliamentary Party). But the Home Rule Bill was never passed because Conservatives took power (with Bonar Law) and they were opposed to Home Rule. With both, Unionists and Nationalists, having militant organisations (the UVF & Irish Volunteers), the race for arming was frantic in Larne and Howth. Ireland was heading towards a civil war between Ulster Unionists and Irish Nationalists/Republicans BUT
"In the years 1865-1868 the Fenians did not pose a serious threat to British Rule in Ireland" To what extent do the extracts support this view?
"In the years 1865-1868 the Fenians did not pose a serious threat to British Rule in Ireland" To what extent do the extracts support this view? (16 marks) It is agreeable that to a certain extent "in the years 1865-1868 the Fenians did not pose a threat to British Rule in Ireland". This is because the Fenian movement did not achieve its aims, which were to overthrow British power and gain independence in Ireland by creating a mass uprising. However it was still significant in the long term, because it gained a lot of publicity, which as a result caused the British Government to discuss Irish issues and served as inspiration for future organisations. The Fenian movement was a secret revolutionary organisation established in Ireland and the United States in 1858. They gained a fair amount of support in the 1860's and even had their own newspaper 'The Irish People' run by the Irish founder and leader James Stephens. The society had been introduced as a result of the 1865 Potato Famine, which had caused a poor economic situation in Ireland. Throughout these desperate times the British government had not given any help to the Irish and so the Irish felt extremely resentful towards them. The peaceful methods that had originally been used by various groups (i.e. mass meetings and campaigns) had been unsuccessful in achieving the aims of the Irish; therefore the Fenian's
Choose Two Events in the Last 100 Years Which Are Particularly Important in Shaping the Views of Today's A) Loyalists / Unionists / Protestants and B) Republicans / Nationalists / Catholics.
09/04/2003 Choose Two Events in the Last 100 Years Which Are Particularly Important in Shaping the Views of Today's A) Loyalists/Unionists/Protestants and B) Republicans/Nationalists/Catholics. Resistance to home rule 1912 - 14 Charles Parnell tried helping the Nationalist's to get 'Home Rule' 1886 but the idea was turned down. So he tried to get it again in 1893 it was turned down once more. However, in 1912 Home Rule was being considered and it seemed likely that Ireland would have it's own government governed by Dublin. In Belfast, tensions were so high over the Bill that spontaneous rioting kept breaking out between the Catholic and Protestant residents of the City. On September 28th 1912, a large crowd consisting of nearly 500,000 protestants converged on the new Belfast City Hall to sign the Solemn League and Covenant in which they pledged themselves to use 'any means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a Home Rule Parliament in Ireland. And in the event of such a Parliament being forced upon us we further solemnly and mutually pledge ourselves to refuse to recognise its authority'. Similar scenes were seen in towns and villages throughout Ulster and even among Ulster exiles in Dublin and Edinburgh. Sir Edward Carson (the leader of the nationalists) was unsure what the people meant when they said they would resist, he did
Why did violence increase between the arrival of the British Troops in August 1969 & the imposition of Direct Rule in March 1972?
Why did violence increase between the arrival of the British Troops in August 1969 & the imposition of Direct Rule in March 1972? British troops were introduced to Northern Ireland due to the increasing violence and unfairness to the minority of Catholics. Protestants were increasing their control over the Catholics, in many ways such as Gerrymandering meaning Catholics had the minority vote in local elections and Protestants came into power. The IRA were rearmed and began collecting support and were getting ready for more terrorist attacks and countering the Protestant parties. Riots started to break out and the Northern Ireland police lost control, this was because from the beginning, Catholics in Northern Ireland were a disadvantaged minority in matters of employment, housing, education, cultural and political participation. In 1968 a civil rights movement emerged to protest against this discrimination, often provoking violent reactions within the Protestant community, known as the NICRA. When the British Troops arrived they found themselves in the middle of a conflict, the Protestants did not want the troops increasing fairness for the Catholics and the Catholics did not want help from the British. Tension was mounting and the British were the "Piggy in the Middle". The British Troops were at the disposal of Stormont (Northern Ireland government mainly composed of
The events that occurred in Derry on 30th January 1979 became known as Bloody Sunday. Why have these events produced such different historical interpretations?
The events that occurred in Derry on 30th January 1979 became known as Bloody Sunday. Why have these events produced such different historical interpretations? On January 30th 1972, civil rights activists were involved in a protest march against internment through Londonderry. British paratroopers, who were deployed on the streets, shot and killed 13 of the marchers and wounded others. Many people have different views on what happened and why. The main conflicting views are those of the paratroopers and their supporters and the views of the marchers and the friends and family of those killed. Source A is a newspaper report form the Daily Mail in September 1999. It is a report on new evidence released from the second enquiry into Bloody Sunday, led by Lord Saville. The headline reads "PARAS IN BLOODY SUNDAY EVIDENCE STORM". This headline states the situation that the report is based on. The report includes the opinions of different people on the new evidence. The new evidence suggests that the original tests, which confirmed that some of the protesters shot had been handling firearms or explosives, may have been contaminated. It concluded that, "there is no credible evidence that any of the 14 people killed by the army in Londonderry in January 1972 had been handling firearms." The premature release of this evidence "incensed" the paratroopers and their supporters.
What Obstacles are standing in the way of peace in Northern Ireland?
IRELAND What Obstacles are standing in the way of peace in Northern Ireland? In this essay, I am going to explain how a feud between the Protestants and Catholics, is still kept alive today. Also how politicians from Britain, Ireland and the USA are trying to make peace, although there has been some success rate peace has not yet been restored. The reason there can never be peace in Northern Ireland is because the citizens of Northern Ireland look back as past events with hostility. There were several periods of famine in the first part of the nineteenth century, but the most terrible was the potato famine of 1845-9, as a Southern reporter explained in October 1845, "The potato is apparently sound when dug, but on examination small, round spots are found running round the tuber and having each the appearance sore or cancer. The potato in this state... will within a few days be completely destroyed, necessitating a method of turning it to food as quickly as possible" When the potato crops became infected with blight, the Irish catholic farmers could not pay their rent to their wealthy Protestant landlords. Both the landlords and the British Government refused to help the farmers. Many of the farmers were evicted from their farms, 1 million people died and 1 million people emigrated to escape the death and suffering. Hatred of the British Government and Protestant
Friars Bush -Using the sight and supplied sources (K-Y), suggest reasons for this growth
Question 2A There is evidence of growing sectarianism in Belfast during the 19th century. A) Using the sight and supplied sources (K-Y), suggest reasons for this growth. In the 18th century, Belfast's extremism between catholic and protestant was seemed amicable. According to source A, St. Marys Catholic Church was built in 1784 and was built by generous donations from Belfast's Protestants and volunteers. Although we can still see in source K that in 1782 was only 1,092 catholic's to the protestant 13,100 living in Belfast. By 1841 the catholic population had dramatically risen to 24,000 to the 75,300 Protestants. This number and date also corresponds with the first major outbreak of sectarianism rioting in 1857 which lead to development of segregated housing. Protestant preachers were influencing Protestant's on their ideas and feeling on Catholic people. Preachers such as Dr. Henry Cooke were completely against the Catholic people living in Belfast and they would preach to people about this. 'Which led to increasing polarisation between the communities' was reflected by the drift into religious areas, this process was nearly complete in the 1850s. Despite the continuous rioting, Belfast's catholic businessmen continued to prosper. Businessmen such as Andrew Joseph McKenna, a news paper editor who launched his own newspaper in 1868 is an example a of catholic