During 1688, England was ruled by King James II. He was a Catholic and turned England back into a Catholic country. As a result of this Protestant nobles got rid of James by rebelling against the king. Then protestant William of Orange was appointed to become the next king of England. He became King William III. However as a result of this, James tried to win back over the English crown by invading Ireland as a base for an invasion over England. At first he proved to be relatively successful, yet upon his arrival in Londonderry, William’s army drove James’s army away.
In 1690, Williams’s army defeated James at the battle of the Boyne. This is still remembered today and is a yearly celebration event for the Protestants against the Catholics. A year later the war was ended by the treaty of limerick. Parades of celebration are conducted every year and murals are also present to wind up the Catholics. This only worsens the conflict to a greater scale. The issue of conflict is therefore linked to power because it was a fight over the English crown, between William of Orange and James II.
Despite the problems of that conflict being 400 years ago, they still happen in Ireland’s society to this day. A reason for this occurrence is the shameful discrimination between Protestants and Catholics in aspects of their everyday lives. There was discrimination in the policing force, because the majority of the police were all Protestants. They had a bad reputation for violence against Catholics and the Royal Ulster Constabulatory (RUC) had six times as many Protestants as it did Catholics were often discouraged from joining the police force by Republicans.
Discrimination also affected the housing system. Catholic led councils discriminated against Protestants, for example, in Catholic-ran Newry; Protestants were given 22 out of 765 council houses. More houses were given to the followers of the religion of the council in each area than to those of the opposite religion. All this suggests that the discrimination in Ireland was closely linked to religion.
The people in Northern Ireland felt strongly about their civil rights, as a lack of them encouraged tension between Protestants and Catholics. As a result of this the Civil Rights Movement was set up, in which NICRA (Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association) began. This was very popular all over the world, especially in USA, where Martin Luther King forced the US Government to pass a Civil Rights Act which outlawed racial discrimination, which was common in America at that time and was a huge problem. With the Irish people seeing the impact that it had abroad, they felt more strongly about discrimination and decided to have marches and rallies taking place all over Northern Ireland. However the cause of Northern Irelands street troubles began here, as the marches and demonstrations became provoking and intimidating. Fighting broke out in 1968 at a Civil Rights rally, as a result of people ignoring a rally ban and trying to get into the city centre of Londonderry to demonstrate. This was bad for both Catholic and Protestant people. During the next few years, fighting broke out at rallies and from ambushes. This is where the troubles were to begin.
There are many different views of what actually happened in the history of Northern Ireland, because both sides believe the other started it. Street history has had a big impact on the Irish people because it angers them, which just causes even more violence and hatred. For this, Irelands past now affects its present. Regardless of what people believe or what is factual, both Catholics and Protestants are too proud to admit defeat and let go of the past.
The fear in Northern Ireland is also a big issue concerning tension. The fear is mainly because of violence, which has been a big problem for the country because of fights in the streets, even at parades and marches, or even when either side least expect it. The fear for each others lives runs high in Northern Ireland as a result of the frequent killings and bomb attacks that occur for both the Protestant people and Catholic. With the USA supporting paramilitaries like the IRA, the fear could only increase. The USA were shipping and supplying the IRA with loaded weapons, which would play a big key part in the worse of the violence. So this now meant that the IRA support increased with the backing of the USA.
Also there is prejudice for jobs, housing, votes and rights causing tension, which comes from the opposing religion. It is there to frighten and warn people and to express people’s anger and feelings. However it is not just about religion but it has transformed into yet more reasons that lead to conflict, such as prejudice, which just deepens the Ireland problem further. The trouble on the street violence could become resolved, murals could be taken down, housing and policing could be mixed, how ever there would always be someone’s ignorance towards fact by wanting to stir up problems and seek revenge. This is down to one person’s personal opinion on the situation.
It was thought that there would be three simple solutions to the hundreds of years of suffering to Northern Ireland. These were; sending in the army, imprisoning all the paramilitaries and sharing the land of Ireland between them. Despite these seeming like good ideas on the surface, these so called solutions just hindered the problem of the lack of peace all the more.
Sending the army meant that more violence would occur instead of preventing it. It would be the English army that was sent, and with them being all pretty much Protestants, this would look biased to many Catholics. Although when they were first sent to Northern Ireland in 1969 when the police had lost control it looked like a good idea and proved well, however it soon changed once the Unionist Government of Northern Ireland sent the army to search a Catholic area, which meant that people could not leave their homes for 35 hours, after four people were murdered. The English army now became the Catholics enemy. This just reduced chances of improving the situation.
Imprisoning the paramilitaries would have sparked a massive crisis, as it would have infuriated them and made them want to seek revenge, guess what leading back to violence, that would just crop up upon the streets of Northern Ireland.
Sharing the land would lead to the Catholics protesting and arguing that they did not have equal amounts, as there was at this time more Protestants than Catholics in the area, so therefore more land would be given to the bigger side.
However partition seemed like a good idea to the British Government at the time because it would mean that there would be less conflict. This would hopefully lead to the goal of hope in achieving peace. Partition meant the division of ire land in separating the sides for good. This would be that with the majority of Protestants being in Northern Ireland would take that side, and where there being mainly Catholics in the Republic they would stay there. Nationalists disliked this idea because it mean that there would still be Protestants living near them, where Unionists also disliked this as it meant there would still be Catholics living near them. All these simple ideas caused hatred to spur out and just infuriated each side more, leaving these ideas in a state and deepening the conflict in Northern Ireland.
Over the years, people made several attempts to solve the problems concerning lack of peace in Ireland. It began with the direct rule in 1972, when British Government took over the Government of Northern Ireland to try to solve the violence problems. The idea was to stamp out violence and the direct rule was run by the British Government minister, who was the Northern Ireland secretary. It was a temporary solution, whilst another solution was found which the people of Northern Ireland could accept. This lasted over 25 year, but still other solutions were found which needed to be a more permanent up to enable them to discuss any issues of concern. The idea of the council was to enable them to discuss any issues of concern. The
The next policy that the Government tried was the power sharing executive form, which was between 1973-1974. It was a council linking Belfast, London, and Dublin. It was set to enable them to discuss any issues of concern. The idea of the council was to enable everybody to have a say in how Ireland was run. However, this worried Unionists because they felt that a council of Ireland would be like letting the Government of France interfere with an English country, because it was the Nationalists who were especially happy with the solution.
The next attempt made was the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1985. It meant that there would have to be cross-border co-operations security, legal and political issues. The idea was well received because it would help to promote peace, however Unionists did not like it because they were not consulted about the situation before it was agreed upon, by then Prime Minister MARGERET Thatcher and Irish Taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald. Eventually, the unionist campaign against the agreement ended when the protests were ignored point blank. Sinn Fein would not accept the Agreement because they believed it effectively confirmed the partition of Ireland. Despite the introduction of the Agreement, paramilitaries continued with violence, stirring up more anger once again.
After that, the Downing Street Declaration of 1993 was brought about. It meant that talks took place to decide on a new form of Government for Northern Ireland and only parties which rejected violence could have a say in the talks. In the declaration, the British Government said it was interested in the welfare only of Northern Ireland and it accepted the Irish unity was an issue for the Irish, but said that it should only happen with the consent of those in the north. The Irish Government accepted this, as well as the fact that it might have to drop parts of their constitution claiming the north as part of its territory. The Irish government agreed to set up a forum of peace and reconciliation to promote understanding and trust between traditions which was for violence rejecters only.
Each measure tried was supposed to help stamp out violence but failed due to some peoples unstoppable views and unwillingness to compromise. Northern Irelands future looks troubled on one hand, but on the other hand, due to violence which I believe there will always be some of, but on the other hand there is a small possibility of hope from the Good Friday Agreement, which came about in 1998 when people had simply had enough of new solutions failing every time. They needed some answers, and the Good Friday Agreement, which seemed like the best bet to go by.
Over the years, it has not always been Government, religious groups or well established associations which have made worthy contributions to promoting peace in Northern Ireland. Ordinary Irish people have helped along the way. Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan raised money for numerous community projects and were awarded the Nobel Prize for beginning the peace People movement, in which 20000 people took part in a peace rally in Belfast in August 1976, and 20000 people took part in a peace march in a loyalist area. Also, there was a peace in Londonderry which 25000 took part in for the peace people. Along the way, Protestants and Catholics spoke civilly with each other to help bring peace into the society.
The Good Friday Agreement was seen as a chance for peace for the people of Northern Ireland. It is and agreement about Northern Ireland’s future, to ensure it is non violent and peaceful. The principle behind it is that all the communities involved in it had to agree to ensure that each of their say must be taken into account before any decisions affecting the people are made. There is a leader from both sides, in a North-South Assembly. The Irish republic agreed to end its claim to Northern Ireland when the Agreement was made. Other parts of it were that the policing system was reviewed and had to be anti-biased, and the British Government promised release for the paramilitary prisoners.
The Good Friday Agreement was popular with the people of Northern Ireland because the vast majority of people agreed with it and saw it as a fresh start and a chance for their generation and for the future generations to see peace. The agreement was made by the British and Irish Governments and the majority of Irish people also agreed upon it. The statistics revealed were that when asked if they agreed with it, 94% of the people of the republic of Ireland and 71% of the people of northern Ireland said ‘yes’. Politicians in Northern Ireland also joined in on the agreement to end violence. Between then and now, Northern Ireland has become a much more peaceful place.
Although the Good Friday Agreement still exists today and has helped an enormous amount of people, some key factors are still preventing the complete success of the Agreement. These obstacles are causing the agreement to be severely tested even at this present time.
Violence still exists, although not to the extreme that it did, and some paramilitaries on both sides did not support the agreement because they disliked the terms of it. The loyalist and IRA paramilitaries were still angry about their past and the agreement, agreed on Good Friday, which means Easter is an important time of the year for the Good Friday Agreement, meant that they still weren’t getting what they wanted had fought for, for so long, which was satisfactory revenge. Although the paramilitaries had given up most of their weapons, they did not want to loose face after all of that time and so kept some of their weapons. It was an obstacle because it meant that there was still a chance of bombings or random attacks from the paramilitary groups.
Also the Orange Marches are a current problem in Northern Ireland because they celebrate how William of Orange defeated James II at the battle of the Boyne in 1690, on a yearly basis. The celebrations still take place after all these years but are not exactly the ultimate spreader of peace, because it is a reminder of something which happened more than n 300 years ago and winds people up because they fell like their noses are being rubbed in it.
I believe that Northern Irelands problems are the result of its past and that’s where the real problems lie Irelands past has made its present into what it is today, and the present will determine the countries future.
Attitudes have changed in recent years, because people who used to be violent or even terrorists have now realised that violence is not necessarily the right answer, for the simple reason that it wasn’t achieving what they wanted, but it was only making what they wanted more out of reach. I also think that people began to grow sick of seeing and hearing about everything around them getting constantly destroyed.
All of the opposition, whatever the topic, be it religion, power, land, money or politics, need to come together in agreement in a calm discussion, whenever things feel like they are getting out of hand and that the Good Friday Agreement terms are slipping away.
Although the Good Friday Agreement is being severely tested, I think that so long as people stick to the Good Friday Agreement and actually try as much as possible to spread the peace and to not be violent, problems should not worsen. Although this is all very well saying, could it actually work however?
In answer to the essay question, there is trouble in Northern Ireland because of issues which date back hundreds of years, religion, power, politics, land and money. There is still conflict today because the past haunts each side and winds each other up, leading to dispute as constantly said through out this essay.
In my opinion I believe there will always be trouble affecting Northern Ireland and it is a result of its own past and religious areas. The trouble still happens today because the past haunts some people to the extent in which they are unable to let go of the prejudice or discrimination which they or their families or ancestors have suffered in the past.
It will definitely take more than a scrap of paper to reconcile two angered separate groups, and the best hope I think is teaching the younger generations and retaining their attitudes to start fresh, a clean Ireland, a new Ireland.
