Background information
What is Northern Ireland like today?
Northern Ireland is a small place, no larger than Yorkshire, and with a population of around about 1.5 million, less than a city like Birmingham or Glasgow.
At present Ireland is divided into 2 parts:
The North-
Sometimes called Ulster is part of the United Kingdom. This means that it is ruled by the British Parliament in London, the Queen is the head of state.
The south-
It’s an independent country with its own Government and Parliament in Dublin. A president is head of state. It is known as ‘The Republic of Ireland’.
The communities are represented by a large number of different organisations. The fact that there are so many different organisations shows that people in Northern Ireland have a wide range of political opinions.
The people of Northern Ireland disagree about the future of Ireland. One side wants to stay part of the UK. They are called Unionists. Hard line Unionists are known as Loyalists. Most of the Unionists are members of the Protestant community.
Nationalist/Catholic groups include:
SDLP- Social Democratic and Labour party: Founded in 1970, it’s the main vice of peaceful (fiercely non-violent) nationalism (unlike the IRA) in Northern Ireland. It has influence with the Government in Dublin and the US Government.
IRA- Irish Republican Army: Originally established in 1919, this organisation has been used violence, force and bloodshed to oppose the British presence in Ireland. The IRA is illegal in both the UK and The Republic of Ireland.
The other side of Northern Ireland want to join the south and become part of the Irish Republic. They are called Nationalists. Hard line Nationalists are also known as Republicans. They are mostly members of the Catholic community.
Unionists/Protestants groups include:
UUP-Ulster/ official Unionist Party: Was established in the late 19th century to defend the interests of Northern Protestants. It ruled Ireland in 1920-1971.
DUP- The Democratic Unionist Party: The second most powerful party, founded by Ian Paisley. It has taken a tough and uncompromising view and has called fro the destruction of the IRA.
The Orange Order: Established in 1975 and named after Protestant king William of Orange, it’s the largest Protestant organisation in Northern Ireland, to protect and help Protestants e.g. by regular community marches.
UDA/UVF-The Ulster Defence Association and the Ulster Volunteer Force: They are the main loyalist groups, was established in 1970, to fight the IRA (they use violence). They are both illegal, it does reprisal for IRA work.
The two groups are very suspicious of each other. Although most Irish people do not support the use of violence, both sides have private armies that are willing to use the bullet rather than the ballot to solve the problem, to depict their strong views. They are preventing a peaceful solution to the conflict.
The Governments of the UK and the Irish Republic have often disagreed about Northern Ireland. Their exact attitude varies depending on the political party in power, but since 1969 they have stuck to the same general idea. The Government in Dublin has always wanted a united Ireland. The British Government has often said that it will not withdraw from Northern Ireland as long as a majority of people of Northern Ireland wish to stay British.
The brief description of the main ideas of Ireland’s history is below.
