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The Troubles in Northern Ireland: Causes, Consequences, and the Long Road to Peace, Study notes of History

An in-depth analysis of the 'troubles' in northern ireland, exploring the causes of the 30-year conflict, its impact on the population, and the events that led to the good friday peace agreement in 1998. The document also touches upon the historical background, religious and national identity issues, and the role of civil rights movements.

What you will learn

  • What were the causes of the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland?
  • What was the impact of the Good Friday Agreement on Northern Ireland?
  • Why did the 'Troubles' last for 30 years?

Typology: Study notes

2017/2018

Uploaded on 12/13/2018

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W10 L19- The ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland
1998 Good Friday peace agreement with Northern Ireland
Nationalists brought in
Brought in a role for Southern Ireland (as and independent
representative)
Made political system represent more diverse views
Ideas of peaceful coexistence
Why did the troubles start? (30 years of armed conflict – many dead), why did
it go on for so long? Why did it end?
To understand the troubles you cannot start in 1968/9 – you have to look back
to the 1920s (or some say even further back)
Britishness/ Irishness
How did the civil rights movement turn into armed conflict?
1968-98- ‘the long war’
Many horrible events occurred on both sides
E.g. Bombings and murders
Bloody Sunday
Peace? No armed conflict, but the issues had not gone away
All happening in what is legally a part of the U.K.
Some think there seems to be different rule in Northern Ireland to the
rest of the U.K.
= A nationalist grievance
About religion?
Religion and idenitiy
Division based on religious lines
But not based on ideological difference
Because the theological differences between protestants and Catholics
are not too great
Based on ethical and national identity
Most Catholics were nationalists
Most Protestants were loyalists/ unionists- wanted to stay a part of the
U.K.
Good Friday agreement – tries to accommodate both sides of the debate – as
well as many other things
Nationalists keep their Irish identity
But they stay a part of the U.K.
Final stage in working out the ‘Irish question’
Long history to the issue – based in the colonisation f Ireland by Britain in
Norman times
The two Irelands:
Government of Ireland Act 1920
Irish Free state: Catholic and Gaelic
Northern Ireland: a ‘protestant Parliament and Protestant State’- Sir
James Craig 1934
The factory of grievances
WWII
Plato’s cave
6 counties in Northern Ireland, 26 in southern Ireland
Government of Ireland Act 1920
Still the legal basis of government in Northern Ireland
Two states going different ways:
Gaelic and Catholic – Irish free state
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W10 L19- The ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland

  • 1998 Good Friday peace agreement with Northern Ireland
    • Nationalists brought in
    • Brought in a role for Southern Ireland (as and independent representative)
    • Made political system represent more diverse views
  • Ideas of peaceful coexistence
  • Why did the troubles start? (30 years of armed conflict – many dead), why did it go on for so long? Why did it end?
  • To understand the troubles you cannot start in 1968/9 – you have to look back to the 1920s (or some say even further back)
  • Britishness/ Irishness
  • How did the civil rights movement turn into armed conflict?
  • 1968-98- ‘the long war’
    • Many horrible events occurred on both sides
    • E.g. Bombings and murders Bloody Sunday
  • Peace? No armed conflict, but the issues had not gone away
  • All happening in what is legally a part of the U.K.
    • Some think there seems to be different rule in Northern Ireland to the rest of the U.K. = A nationalist grievance
  • About religion?
    • Religion and idenitiy
    • Division based on religious lines
    • But not based on ideological difference
    • Because the theological differences between protestants and Catholics are not too great
    • Based on ethical and national identity
    • Most Catholics were nationalists
    • Most Protestants were loyalists/ unionists- wanted to stay a part of the U.K.
  • Good Friday agreement – tries to accommodate both sides of the debate – as well as many other things - Nationalists keep their Irish identity - But they stay a part of the U.K.
  • Final stage in working out the ‘Irish question’
  • Long history to the issue – based in the colonisation f Ireland by Britain in Norman times
  • The two Irelands:
    • Government of Ireland Act 1920
    • Irish Free state: Catholic and Gaelic
    • Northern Ireland: a ‘protestant Parliament and Protestant State’- Sir James Craig 1934
    • The factory of grievances
    • WWII
    • Plato’s cave
  • 6 counties in Northern Ireland, 26 in southern Ireland
    • Government of Ireland Act 1920
    • Still the legal basis of government in Northern Ireland
  • Two states going different ways:
    • Gaelic and Catholic – Irish free state
  • Protestant parliament and protestant state – Northern Ireland
  • Northern Ireland
  • 2/3 of the population was protestant and 1/3 was catholic (approximately)
  • (^) Did not make a sustained effort to accommodate Catholics
  • Emphasis on Northern Ireland as a part of the U.K. and protestant England
  • Alienating Catholics from the state in northern Ireland
  • WWII
  • Ireland actively involved
  • Consolidating the difference between Northern and Southern Ireland
  • North active (sending troops), South neutral
  • Northern Ireland saying they had fought in WWII for the U.K. and this had formed part of their identity
  • (^) Their identity was constructed in relation to britishness
  • Consolidation of identities (northern as protestant and southern as Catholic)
  • Civil rights
  • Global civil rights
  • A huge issue for many groups who had seen themselves as powerless
  • Housing/Gerrymandering
  • In Northern Ireland, Catholics embraces this movement
  • Based on allocation of public services and especially housing
  • Legitimate concern as protestants were getting houses over Catholics
  • (^) Gerrymandering: fixing the political boundaries of constituencies so that national politicians would nor be elected (they did not go to Westminster)
  • ‘One man, one vote’- they want fairness, and no discrimination against Catholics
  • 1966- 50 anniversary celebration (of the Easter Rising) in Southern Ireland
  • Bringing up memories of the power of militant movements
  • 1967 – Northern Ireland Civil Rights association
  • 24 th^ August 1968 – first civil rights march
  • Drawing huge public attention
  • Police (protestant force) attacked marchers
  • Attempts to suppress the civil rights movement
  • Violence etc.
  • Feeds unto sense felt by Northern Irish Catholics that the state is against them
  • 5 th^ October 1989 – Civil rights march
  • People’s democratic society at Queens University Belfast – their protest ended in the same way
  • Buntollet 4th^ January 1969
  • Leading to widespread violence
  • Attacked by onlookers – but many of the attackers turned out to be police
  • System where civil rights movements were met with oppression
  • 30th^ April 1969- PM (Terence O’Neill) in Northern Ireland resigns because he cannot align with and agree with civil rights movements and not anger unionists and loyalists
  • Bernadette Devlin elected MP
  • 13th^ July 1969- Death of Francis McCloskey due to police violence
  • Think the government in Ireland cannot handle the situation so will be government from London
  • Now Northern Irish issue being put in a wider British context
  • 1972- Bloody Friday
  • 21 st^ July 1972
  • 11 people dies due to IRA bombs
  • Organised nature
  • 21 bombs planted around the city
  • 1974
  • IRA bombing campaigns in England
  • Birmingham and Guilford
  • (^) Bringing Northern Irish conflict to the streets of Britain
  • “1 bomb in London is worth 100 bombs in Belfast”
  • Sunningdale Agreement
  • Attempts for power sharing of nationalists and unionists collapses
  • Ulster workers’ council
  • Northern Ireland
  • ‘Dirty war’
  • Collusion between security forces and loyalists
  • Whole set of terrible actions on both sides
  • Targeting civilians even if you work as a contracted building bases
  • (^) 1980s Hunger strikes of republicans
  • Not recognising them as political prisoners, just ordinary prisoners/ criminals
  • 10 prisoners died including Bobby Sands
  • 1987- Enniskillen bombing
  • Path to peace
  • First IRA ceasefire (31 August 1994)
  • Loyalist ceasefire (Oct. 1994)
  • Sinn Fein-British gov. talks
  • 1996: IRA bombs in London, Manchester
  • (^) Tony Blair
  • Multi-party talks
  • John Hume, David Trimble, Gerry Adams, Nobel Peace Prize
  • Stalemate emerges
  • Sinn Fein – a lot of emphasis on political strategies
  • 1994 ceasefires
  • Tony Blair
  • Important role
  • Series of talks bringing together people across the political spectrum
  • (^) Negotiate a settlement – established a political system in Northern Ireland which encompasses the diversity of the spectrum
  • = Good Friday agreement
  • High civilian toll = huge impact of the troubles in Northern Ireland
  • Deaths 3500+ (50% civilians, 32 % police/army; 18% paramilitaries)
  • Injured: c.47,
  • 30 years
  • Why 30 years long?
  • Many missed opportunities (e.g. sunningdale and before)
  • London mentality changing – we have to talk to the people
  • (^) Legacy – Irish boarder – due to brexit
  • Putting a physical boarder would make things worse