The Irish
Conflict in Northern Ireland
Until 1921 Ireland
was a single political unit governed as a colony of Britain. In Ireland was
partitioned into the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland. In the Republic
of Ireland was
proclaimed. In Northern Ireland Catholics supported by the IRA wanted to
reunite their land to republic. Ira started a terrorist campaign which stalled
in because of lack of weapons. In Catholics launched a campaign to ht
discrimination and obtain Civil Rights. The following period of violence in Northern Ireland
is knows as the troubles. Towns were divided into Protestant and Catholic
areas.
: British troops are sent to restore
order in Northern Ireland.
: London introduces internment of suspects
without trial in order to stop IRA attacks
: Bloody Sunday 13 unarmed protester are killed by British troops. The parliament is
suspended and the country is ruled from London.
Republican prisoners begin to hunger strike and the IRA launch attacks which opposing
forces.
: The proposal for a power sharing
formed by Protestants and Catholics fails.
: A member of the Royal family is
killed by the IRA.
: Republican prisoners go on hunger
strike. Bobby Sands dies.
Terrorist attacks continue to kill
people.
The Irish
Peace Process is set in motion in 1994 when the IRA proclaims a ceasefire.
After several interruptions the talks lead in 1998 to the Good Friday Agreement
on a political settlement. Decommissioning of terrorist
weapons both by the IRA and Protestant loyalist paramilitary forces. In
October 2001 the IRA begins to hand over its weapons.
Ireland and Great Britain up to
From the 15th
century the kings of England
started to tighten their control over Ireland. In the 18th
century the Protestant King William of Orange
passed a number of laws aiming to keep the Catholics in subjection. In the 1840s Ireland
was one of the most populated countries in Europe,
but the population was poor and depended on potatoes for their primary source
of food. In 1845 the potato crop failed and the island fell
prey to the famine. A million people dead and the others emigrated
to the US.
The Catholics believed they would never achieve justice or independence through
riots and rebellions. Home Rule was necessary to the island. Ireland would have control over its internal
affairs would be managed by London.
In Catholics founded the Republican party
of Sinn Fein and in created the Irish
Volunteers as a response to the Protestant Ulster Volunteer force which had
been formed a few month later. In Home Rule was passed but suspended because of
World War I- Rebellion In Dublin on Easter Monday . The rebellion failed. The rebels were regarded
as heroes. In Ireland
was split into two entities: the Irish Free State, a self governing dominion of
the Commonwealth and Northem Ireland ruled by Britain. In the Irish Free State became the Republic of Ireland.
