Nanyang Girls’ High School – Integrated Humanities-1-1 (4)

7/27/2019 Nanyang Girls High School Integrated Humanities-1-1 (4)

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Nanyang Girls High School Integrated Humanities Sec 3 2013

Chapter 3: Conflict Northern Ireland 1

CHAPTER THREE

Conflict

N o r t h er n I r el a n d

WHY STUDY THIS & NORTHERN

IRELAND?

When conflict within a country erupts, there

is also a breakdown of the security andstability of society. To prevent such

breakdown, equality and non-discrimination

policies become crucial. Northern Ireland

also provided lessons on how important it is

to achieve a common ground or

understanding in order to minimise any

potential for conflict. It is also generally

understood that human rights abuses fuelled

the conflict in Northern Ireland and brought

about terrorism.

Key questions to ask:

What is conflict?

What form does it take?

Why do people fight?

What would make people feel threatened?

How does change lead to conflict and how

does conflict lead to change? What problem-solving strategies can

people or countries use to manage conflict

and change?

How does an individuals or groups point

of view affect conflict and the way they

deal with it?

How does conflict influence an individuals

decisions and actions?

How are people transformed through their

relationships with others?

Can there ever be peace or resolution if a

conflict has gone on for a long time?

What does it take to right a wrong?

What is forgiveness and what does it

demand of an individual?

At what point does a conflict appear

insolvable?

Key Terms & Concepts

Authority, Boundaries, Conflict, Cooperation,

Discrimination, Empathy, Ethnicity,

Exploitation, Government, Group, Harmony,

Historical Change & Continuity, Identity,

Interests, Nationalism, Organisation,

Persecution, Power, Prejudice, Racism,

Religion, Resolution & Management,Sectarianism, Sovereignty, Stability,

Terrorism, Universal Human Rights


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Outline

A. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

1. Where is Northern Ireland?2. In a NutshellB. CAUSES

1. Historical Memory2. Divided Loyalties

3. Segregation3.1 Education

3.2 Separate Housing Estates: Peace

Walls3.3 Employment

4. Discrimination

4.1 Voting & Political Representation

4.2 Employment

4.3 Housing

C. THE CONFLICT THE

TROUBLES

1. Civil Rights Movement: The Rise of

NICRA

2. Onward to The Troubles

2.1 Violence:

The British Army Is Sent In

2.2 Internment & Bloody Sunday

2.3 Direct Rule

2.4 Paramilitary Groups

D. EFFECTS OF THE TROUBLES

E. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

A. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

1. Where Is Northern Ireland?

Some terms to remember:

1. United Kingdom: union of Great

Britain and Northern Ireland

2. Great Britain: made up of England,

Scotland & Wales

3. Republic of Ireland: independent

nation-state today

4. Ireland: Northern Ireland and the

Republic of Ireland together were

known as Ireland from the 12thcentury till 1921.


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2. The Conflict in Northern Ireland

I n a N u t s h el l

The period 1963-1985 saw rising hostilities

between the two groups breaking out into

violence and terrorism. This period is known

as The Troubles and many thousands have

died.

The period was declared to be over only in

1994. This period is the main focus of our

study of Northern Ireland.

To understand why the conflict existed then

and still exists in some form today, one has to

look at political and religious roots that arecenturies old.

A. CAUSES

1. HISTORICAL MEMORY

In the 12th century, Ireland was colonised by

England. But it was only from the 16th

century that tighter control began to be

established over Ireland. England had broken

away from the Catholic Church and become

Protestant. From this point on, military

conquest involved the suppression of the

Catholic faith. New colonies of settlers in

Ireland were now mainly Protestant.

Protestant settlers who came spoke adifferent language and represented a

different culture and religion to that of the

native Irish (who were mainly Catholics).

Conflict over land also meant that the Irish

and Protestants were mutually hostile to each

other. In the first half of the 1600s, religious,

social and economic tensions exploded into a

conflict where many Protestants were killed.

The English regime responded with harsh

measures and a massacre of thousands of

Catholics. Catholic land was confiscated on alarge scale so that Catholics who were once

the major land owners now held about 10%

by the end of the 1600s.

Later, when Catholics managed to put a

Catholic king on the English throne, strong

resistance by Protestants led King James II to

flee to Northern Ireland and he tried to defeat

the local Protestants. King William III ofOrange (he was head of Holland), seen as a

champion of the Protestant faith, came and

defeated King James in the Battle of the

Boyne.

The Battle of the Boyne became a Protestant

icon - this was mainly due to the presence of

both kings on the battlefield. The Orange

Order, founded in the 1790s, made the

celebration of the battle the central event of

its calendar and is highly divisive andsectarian in character (see Divided

Loyalties).

After the Battle of the Boyne, even more laws

were passed to restrict the power of the

Catholics. Catholics were excluded from

political power. Power was confined to the

Protestant ruling class. The percentage of

Catholic-owned land fell to around 5%. This

was due to how many Catholics converted to

Protestantism as the new laws prevented

Catholic-owned land from being passed intact

to an heir.

All these events became part of the historical

memory of both Catholics and Protestants in

Ireland as their versions are passed from


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generation to generation. Each side would

receive a graphic image of the true nature of

their enemy and fuelling a mutual fear,

hatred, resentment and distrust.

2. DIVIDED LOYALTIES

In the 20th century, as a result of Irish

resistance, Ireland was split. Consequently,

tension and violence broke out over how it

was partitioned. Study the timeline below:

Year Event

1921 Ireland was divided based onreligion:

Northern Ireland:

predominantly Protestant

Irish Free State:

predominantly Catholic

1949 Irish Free State became Republic

of Ireland independent of

British rule

But Northern Ireland remains

part of the United Kingdom

Protestants regard themselves as

British

Most Protestants are descendants of settlers

who emigrated from England and Scotland inthe 16th and 17th centuries. In the lead up to

The Troubles, most also voted Unionist and

wanted Northern Ireland to continue being

part of the UK.

After the creation of Northern Ireland,

Protestants still felt politically insecure. They

feared British policy would favour a united

Ireland eventually. They feared that if

Northern Ireland were reunited with the

Republic of Ireland, their position as amajority would be lost and they would

become a minority, subject to the will of the

Catholics. As a result, many Protestants

(mainly the Unionists) remained deeply

suspicious of the Catholics in Northern

Ireland who fought for reunification.

As an attempt to undermine the Catholics

and as an expression of their hostility,

Unionists carried out Orange Parades

annually where they paraded throughCatholic areas to celebrate Protestant victory

in the Battle of the Boyne. This would in turn

provoke Catholic anger. This was particularly

explosive during The Troubles. These

marches continue today.

How would Catholics inNorthern Ireland have felt in

1921 and 1949?

Ponder

Does Northern Irelands

historical memory mean that

conflict was inevitable?

Ponder


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O r a n g e Or d e r m a r ch er s

copyright Kathryn Conrad

Source: http://people.ku.edu/~kconrad/oraorm.html

Catholics see themselves as Irish and

would like union with Ireland

Because of the historical memory, Catholics

before and during The Troubles resented the

English conquest of the twelfth century and

remembered the massacre, harsh rule and

treatment that their people had received.

During the time of The Troubles, when

policies were particularly discriminatory

towards the Catholics, these memories

became even more vivid.

As such, Catholics (mainly the Nationalists or

Republicans) regarded Northern Ireland as

an illegitimate state and felt trapped in new

state of Northern Ireland, cut off from their

co-religionists in the southern part of Ireland.

Prior to The Troubles, Catholics formed the

Irish Republican Army (IRA) after World

War I to drive the British out through violent

campaigns. In 1970, the IRA was mobilised

again to fight against British rule.

NATIONALISTS / REPUBLICANS UNIONISTS / LOYALISTS

Generally Catholic Generally Protestant

See themselves as Irish See themselves as British

Felt Unionists wanted to exclude them from

power

Felt Nationalists were not loyal to the new state

of Northern Ireland, suspicious of them because

of the IRA

See Ireland as one country:

want the reunification of Northern Ireland and

the Republic of Ireland as one state

See Northern Ireland as part of the United

Kingdom:

should stay with Great Britain for political and

economic reasons

Not all believe in use of violence

Those who believed in use of violence were:

Irish Republican Army (IRA)

Those who believed in use of violence were:

Ulster Defence Association (UDA), Ulster

Volunteer Force (UVF)
http://people.ku.edu/~kconrad/oraorm.htmlhttp://people.ku.edu/~kconrad/oraorm.html


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3. SEGREGATION

3.1 Education

Primary and secondary school education in

Northern Ireland has been segregated(separated) since 1921. In 1921, Northern

Irelands first Minister of Education Lord

Londonderry had wanted to set up an

integrated primary school system. But both

the Protestant and Catholic churches

campaigned vigorously for segregated

education. The Catholic Church viewed state-

run schools with great suspicion. Catholic

parents feared that their children would be

taught by Protestant teachers who they

believed would teach them the wrong values

and the Protestant version of the Irish

experience. Likewise, Protestant parents

feared the same if their children were taught

by Catholics.

Since 1921, Protestants largely attend state

schools. Over 90% of the pupil makeup is

Protestant. These schools are fully funded by

the government. On the other hand, over

90% of the children who attend Catholic

schools are Catholics. These schools are

operated by the Catholic Church, although

they do receive funding from the state as well.

Thus, while there are integrated schools,

these are not popular.

Until 19901, another difference in the

education system was in the curriculum. For

the most part, children take different

subjects, learn different religions, read

different books, and most importantly learnt

different histories.

1 This was when a common (though voluntary)curriculum was introduced, although many biases inhistory have been addressed since the 1970s. However,this curriculum avoids a chronological history ofIreland & Northern Ireland.

For decades, Catholic children were taught

Irish history, with obvious political meanings

and messages. In many history books, there

was an obsession with the conflict between

the English and the Irish and the oppression

by the English rulers. Some even justified theNationalist or Republican cause and lacked

objectivity. Protestant children, on the other

hand, were rarely taught about Irish history,

except when it related to British history.

Their own history curriculum tended to be

pro-British (Hayes, McAllister and Dowds,

2007). Furthermore, as teachers have been

employed based on denomination, they

themselves may spread their own prejudices

in their lessons with ideas of how superior

one group is over the other.

Even school events have played a role.

Assemblies in Protestant schools often

involve singing traditional Protestant hymns

and wreaths are laid in Remembrance Day

services. Catholic schools have concentrated

on Irish commemorations and Catholic

religious rituals (Hayes, McAllister and

Dowds, 2007).

Segregation and the different curricula thusdid not provide a platform for a common

understanding. Negative and prejudicial

stereotypes were reinforced along with

tension, distrust and hatred. There was no

opportunity to form cross-community

relations. The lack of integration and the

fierce segregation also meant that the history

curriculum could not focus on building a

common or national identity.


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3.2Separate Housing Estates:

Peace W a l l s

From 1969, sectarian violence and sporadic

killings were common, forcing Catholics and

Protestants to live in segregatedcommunities. Following the outbreak of riots

in 1969, the first barrier or peace lines (also

known as Peace Wall) was built. These

were large stone and stee l

constructions designed to physically cut

off Protestant housing estates from Catholic

ones in an attempt to reduce violence and

killings and retain a sense of peace and

security. These walls eventually were covered

in murals promoting sectarianism and

propaganda against each side.

Source: http://blog.jrn.columbia.edu/

As The Troubles progressed, substantial

numbers of people started to move from

mixed areas into areas with predominantly

one denomination, thus increasing the degree

of division and segregation. In 1969, 69 per

cent of Protestants and 56 per cent ofCatholics lived in streets where they were in

their own majority; as the result of large-scale

flight from mixed areas between 1969 and

1971 following outbreaks of violence, the

respective proportions had by 1972 increased

to 99 per cent of Protestants and 75 per cent

of Catholics (Wright, 1988).

(Read the portion, The Troubles, to

understand this mural).Source: http://people.ku.edu/~kconrad/oraorm.html

While the line or walls were meant to reduce

occurrences of violence, the reality was that

physical violence and conflict were strongly

concentrated in the highly segregated parts of

the city: conflict between the two religious

groups tended to take place at the boundaries

where segregated Catholic and Protestant

areas adjoin. Conflict between either religious

group and the security forces usually

occurred in the heartland of a segregated area

occupied by the civilian group involved.

Furthermore, social integration between the

two religious groups has been made

extremely difficult by the lack of residential

mixing which would provide at least one

opportunity for people from the two sides of

the religious fence to meet and interact in a

non-violent way. Without such residential

and social mixing, there has been little

contact between the two religious groups.

What remained was a high level of contactwithin each group, thus strengthening each

groups bond, and emphasising the

differences, both actual and perceived,

between the two groups (Poole and Boal,

1973).


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5.5 m high peace wall through one of the residential areas in Belfast

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segregation_in_Northern_Ireland


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3.3Employment

Even the workplace was exclusively Catholic or Protestant. (See notes on Employment under

discrimination).

* * * *

4. DISCRIMINATION

4.1Voting & Political Representation

GOVERNMENT SYSTEM (1920s-1960s)

After the split in 1921, Protestants wanted to

ensure that their power remained undiluted

and permanent. They thus changed the voting

system and local council boundaries and in

1922, proportional representation2

wasabolished.

Catholics (also known as Nationalists) lost

whatever majority they had. In the late 1930s,

the Unionist government introduced

gerrymandering or manipulation of voting

boundaries. This ensured that a Protestant

would usually win enough votes to be

returned to the government.

Besides the government, Protestants also

controlled justice and law and order. Judges

and magistrates were almost all Protestants.

The Royal Ulster Constabulary (police)

comprised of more than 90% Protestant. In

fact, the B-specials (heavily armed auxiliary

police force) were exclusively Protestant.

VOTING RIGHTS: Before 1968

Each household was entitled to 2 votes and

only ratepayers and their spouses could vote.

The law excluded subtenants, lodgers or

people living with their parents from voting.

Bigger companies were entitled to more votes

which made the Catholics unhappy as most

2 Representation of parties in the government inproportion to the votes they win.

big companies were owned by the richer

Protestants.

As a result of gerrymandering, voting districts

had a larger Protestant population. The

situation gave rise to one-man, one-vote

campaign during the Civil Rights Movement

by the Catholics.

All this linked the political, legal and policing

arms tightly together. Essentially, one

community governed, judged and policed the

other.

From 1968 onwards

The system was changed to a One man-one

vote system. Voting districts were redrawn

to allow for fairness. After 1968, voting no

longer posed a problem.

4.2Employment

Catholic employment in the public sector

(aside from the police and judiciary) averaged

at about 30 per cent, a figure almost

proportional to their percentage of the overall

population. However, although Catholics

made up about 40 per cent of manual

labourers, they held only 11 per cent of senior

positions in 1951. This figure dropped to 6 per

cent by 1959 (Whyte, 1980). A government-led investigation of local authorities (who

tended to be Protestant) found that they had

used their power to discriminate against

Catholics in the hiring process (Rowthorn

and Wayne, 1988).


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How would the way housing

was allocated impact voting

and Catholic representation inthe government?

Ponder

In the public sector, the civil service was

predominantly Protestant. There were fewer

Catholic civil servants in middle-ranking

posts. Usually there were no Catholics among

the cabinet, the top ranks of the Royal Ulster

Constabulary or other important publicbodies.

In the private sector, Catholics faced two

problems: the level of unemployment and the

type of employment. Catholic employment

tended toward the lower end of the job

market. Catholics were employed

predominantly in unskilled and lower-paying

jobs, such as clothing manufacture and

textiles. Protestants, on the other hand,

dominated the relatively higher-paid areas ofshipbuilding and engineering.

In each profession, Catholics also tended to

occupy the lower ranks. Thus, in white-collar

sectors, Catholics would be far more likely to

have clerical than managerial positions.

Catholics also tended to work in industries

(e.g., construction) that were more sensitive

to economic downturns and, therefore, more

likely to lay off workers during periods of

economic recession.

In addition, trade unions often acted as

employment representatives; thus, since the

unions were sectarian in nature, Catholics

were effectively banned from employment in

many instances. When word spread among

the Catholic community that a company

would hire only Protestants, most often

Catholics would simply stop applying.

All this was even more significant as the

economy in Northern Ireland in the 1960s

had major weaknesses. Its industries were old

and they were expensive to run. As such they

could not compete with other new industries

developing in Europe and Asia. Many

industries, especially the shipyards, had to

close down. All these closures led to job

losses. The rate of unemployment was over

three times the UK national average. Hitting

both Catholics and Protestants, it became a

sensitive issue in the middle of the tension.

4.3Housing

In Northern Ireland, the construction of

public housing had been regulated by the

Unionist-controlled parliament and local

councils. Subsidised housing was controlled

by local councils that were appointed by the

elected councils.3 Generally, Unionist-

controlled councils used their power to deny

housing to Catholics, and occasionally

Protestants, if the councils thought that

Catholics could demand equal housing in the

same districts. The main reason behind a

council's willingness to deny housing to

Catholics was to ensure Protestant political

domination in those districts where their

electoral majority was slim (Rowthorn and

Wayne, 1988). By denying housing to

Catholics, the councils effectively limited the

number of Catholic ratepayers, ensuringProtestant electoral majorities.

3The gerrymandering of districts had effectively given

the Unionists control over the selection of local councilmembers.


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In addition, Unionist-controlled local

councils tended to build standard three-

bedroom units, without regard to larger-sized

Catholic families. It was also reported that

Unionist local councils were granting

subsidised housing to bachelors or to marriedcouples without children even though there

were large, Catholic families who were

desperately in need of housing (Compton,

1991). In the County of Fermanagh, despite

the fact that they constituted a majority

(albeit a slim one) of the population,

Catholics were awarded only one-third of the

1,500 housing units built in the post-war

period (Whyte, 1980).

There are, however, indicators that the few

Nationalist-controlled councils practised

discrimination as effectively as did theUnionist-controlled councils. Overall, due to

the larger number of poor Catholics, the

proportion of Catholics in public housing was

slightly higher than Protestants. That there

was a greater proportion of Catholics

receiving public housing does not necessarily

indicate a lack of discrimination in this area.

C. THE CONFLICT THE TROUBLES

Open street fighting, clashes with security forces, shootings, bombings, terrorism, and intimidation

characterize The Troubles. It has resulted in thousands of deaths and millions of pounds of

damage.

1. CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT - THE

RISE OF NICRA

In the late 1960s, Catholics gathered togetherto form the Northern Ireland Civil Rights

Association (NICRA). NICRA set out to

change the plight of the Catholics through the

dissemination of information, street protests,

and later the use of civil disobedience

campaigns. These aimed to abolish the

discriminatory practices and policies of the

Unionist government.

Some of the aims of NICRA were to reduce

the political and economic gap betweenCatholics and Protestants, demand equal

voting rights and the re-drawing of electoral

boundaries; and the imposition of laws

designed to end discrimination in public

employment and public housing (Rowthorn

and Wayne, 1988).Source:

http://www.museumoffreederry.org/history-duke01.html


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2. ONWARD TO THE TROUBLES

2.1Violence:

The British Army is Sent In

The violence began in 1968 at the beginning

of NICRA's campaign of peaceful

demonstrations to enlist the support of the

Catholic community. Due to the Protestants

insecurity (seeDivided Loyalties) the second

NICRA march was violently broken up by the

Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and the B

Specials. The RUC attacked and dispersed the

Catholic civil rights protestors with heavy-handed tactics, such as assault and battery,

and malicious damage to property in the

streets in the predominantly Catholic area.

Source:http://www.irishhistorylinks.net/pages/Troubles_Images.html

Ci v i l R i g h t s

p r o t e st o r s , 1968

RUC m a n h a n d l i n g a

p r o t e s t o r
http://www.irishhistorylinks.net/pages/Troubles_Images.htmlhttp://www.irishhistorylinks.net/pages/Troubles_Images.htmlhttp://www.irishhistorylinks.net/pages/Troubles_Images.htmlhttp://www.irishhistorylinks.net/pages/Troubles_Images.html


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By 1969 there was increasing violence between the Unionist demonstrators (and police) and the

Catholics (and a revived IRA). In 1969, large scale riots between the Protestant police and the

Catholics broke out and spread. Thousands of people were burnt out of their homes and it seemed

there would be a massacre of the Catholics in Belfast.4 This led to the intervention of the British

government which sent in the British army. Initially, the Catholics welcomed them. They were seen

as their saviours and Catholics thought that the troops would be withdrawn as soon as law andorder was restored.

4 Belfast is the capital and largest city in Northern Ireland.

Why was

the re a

strong

reaction to

the Civil

Rights

Movement?

Fea r o f t h e I RA

Many, especially those

in the government, saw

the movement as a plot

to destabilize Northern

Ireland and a front for

P ro t e st an t Resen tm en t

Many working class

Protestants were angry with

the impression given that the

Catholics were the only ones

suffering from hardship.

M a r c h es

A long tradition in

Northern Ireland, it

was often the trigger for

violence.

Sect a r i a n P r e j ud i c e

This had lasted a long time

and the division of Ireland

emphasized the divided

loyalties.


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Between 1969 and 1971, the British

government tried to introduce a number of

reforms including many that had been

demanded by NICRA. These included

universal suffrage; the re-drawing of electoral

districts; the disbanding of the B Specials;and the establishment of a new housing

executive to handle distribution of public

housing through an objective needs-based

system. These reforms, however, were only

partially implemented and (by that time)

were not enough to satisfy the demands of the

Catholic community. For example, even

though the B Specials were disbanded and

the RUC disarmed, many of their members

were allowed to enlist in the new regiment

attached to the British Army. This only servedto strain the relationship between the

Catholic community and the Army, which

was increasingly seen less as saviours and

more as oppressors as time passed without

significant lessening in violence. The UK

government had also left the Army under the

control of the Unionist government in

Stormont (where the Northern Ireland

government meets).

2.2 Internment & Bloody Sunday

In 1971, the introduction of Internment

without trial by the Unionist government of

Northern Ireland escalated the violence to a

rebellion. Internment was only used against

Nationalists. No attempt was made to arrest

Loyalist paramilitaries. Since the British

Army was instructed to carry out the

Internment raids, they then became the focus

of Catholic anger and demonstrations. Themost famous of these anti-Internment

demonstrations resulted in the Bloody

Sunday killings in 1972, when British soldiers

fired into the Catholic crowd, killing thirteen

people.

B loody Sun day , 1972

Source: http://www.irishtimes.com


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2.3 Direct Rule

As a result of Bloody Sunday, the British

government suspended Northern Ireland's

parliament at Stormont, after fifty years of

Unionist one-party rule. Thus began an

almost unbroken British direct rule

(controlled from Westminster, London). The

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland was

chosen by the British Prime Minister. The

Northern Ireland government was only in-

charge of finance, commerce, health and

education. The majority of the ministers were

Protestants.

2.4 Paramilitary Groups

During The Troubles, paramilitary groups5

began to operate on both sides of the

sectarian divide. Loyalist (Protestant)

paramilitaries created more civil unrest and

violence. They set up counter protests and

this eventually led to escalating violence,

driving more Catholics to the IRA. As a result,

sectarian fighting and violence increased.

Each side also resorted to terrorism to

achieve their goals.

This section covers only the major groups.

Ca tho l i c s

Irish Republican Army (IRA)

The IRA was founded in 1922, immediately

after partition, to fight for an independent

Ireland. It is the main republican

paramilitary group from which most others

originated, including the provisional IRA.

5 Groups of civilians organized in a military fashion.

Provisional Irish Republican Army

The Provisional Irish Republican Army

(PIRA/IRA) was one of two groups which

came into existence following the split in the

Irish Republican Army in 1969. The splitcame primarily over the failure of the old IRA

to defend nationalist areas from Loyalist

attacks.

From 1972 onwards the Provisional IRA grew

rapidly, at one point it had more volunteers

than guns. The PIRA quickly established itself

as the most militant and dangerous of all the

armed groups taking part in the conflict. It

alone was responsible for almost half the

deaths of those killed in the conflict. It alsobecame devoted to driving the British Army

out and unifying Ireland. In 1972 alone, it

killed over 100 members of the British Army.

In the early 1970s the group was accused of

engaging in tit-for-tat sectarian killings with

Loyalist groups. The leadership of the IRA

was opposed to such tactics and most reprisal

attacks ceased by the mid 70s.

The IRA operated in small self-contained

cells known as "active-service units" (ASU's).

These units were able to carry out hit-and-

run attacks against British forces and were

extremely difficult to penetrate.

A n I R A p a t r o l g r o u p


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The IRA are credited with having developed

and perfected modern guerrilla warfare. In

the city, IRA units laid carefully planned

ambushes for British foot patrols, usually

employing rifles and deadly homemade

bombs. Commercial centres of cities,Protestant shops and businesses were also

prime targets for the IRA. Car bombs and

truck bombs (usually preceded by warnings

to evacuate the areas) were regularly

detonated in city centres, causing massive

damage and financial loss. They also

extended their terrorism to England.

I R A M a r ch http://www.irishhistorylinks.net

P ro t e s t a n t s

Loyalists stated that their aim was to defend

the Protestant community from attack and

protect Northern Ireland's union with

Britain. Loyalist paramilitary groups were

responsible for almost 1,000 deaths duringthe conflict, the overwhelming majority of

these were innocent civilians. Loyalists

concentrated their attacks on Catholic targets

such as pubs in Catholic areas, nationalist

politicians and civil rights campaigners.

Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)

The UVF was formed in 1966. The UVF

claimed its main aim was to fight the IRA,

and although it did kill a small number of

IRA volunteers, its main target was Catholiccivilians. In its early years, in an attempt to

stop the introduction of equality reforms for

Catholics, the group carried out a spate of

bomb attacks targeting government facilities

in the north.

The UVF was responsible for some of the

worst atrocities of the Troubles.

Ulster Defence Association (UDA/UFF)Formed in 1971, the UDA (also known as the

Ulster Freedom Fighters) aimed to "defend

loyalist areas from attack". In reality

however, the group simply targeted Catholic

civilians.

The group was responsible for some of the

worst atrocities of the Troubles. The group

was responsible for around 260 deathsduring the Troubles - 208 of whom were

civilians.


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D. EFFECTS OF THE TROUBLES

Many innocent people were killed. In 1968-1994, 3500 people died and 35000 injured. There were

continued conflicts and hostilities with increased prejudices towards one another. The economy

was also severely affected and investments decreased.

Without any warning, on Friday, 17 May

1974, three bombs ripped through the

heart of Dublin(in Ireland) at 5.30 pm.Twenty-six people and an unborn baby

lost their lives. Ninety minutes later, a

fourth car bomb exploded where a further

seven people died.

Source: http://www.twcenter.net

E. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

1994 IRA announces a complete cessation of violence

1996 The IRA calls off its ceasefire and one hour later sets off a bomb in

London's Docklands

Later, peace negotiations begin in Belfast

1997 IRA renews cease-fire

Sinn Fein (political wing of IRA) joins peace negotiations
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=281879http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=281879http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=281879http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=281879


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1998

(Apr 10)

Historic Northern Ireland peace agreement (Good Friday Agreement)

reached significant because it required the people of Northern Ireland,

for the first time, to decide their own fate

Under the GFA:

Unionists (Prot) and Nationalists (Cath)have agreed to inclusionof each group in government by proportion

Contains a specific pledge "to facilitate and encourage integrated

education and mixed housing" as an essential element in the

process of reconciliation and the creation of "a culture of

tolerance at every level of society".

Post-GFA Shaky at best violence and bombings continue

After GFA, IRA and Protestants disagreed over many issues, but

primarily over the decommissioning (disarming) of the IRA

Power-sharing between Catholics and Protestants had to be suspended

several times

2005 IRA fully decommissioned

2007 Power-sharing (devolved govt) is restored

2009 & 2010 IRA still carried out sporadic terrorist attacks

UVF & UDA were decommissioned

Did attempts

at the peace

process

work?

Though they did not succeed in bringing peace, they help to lead on to

the next step. Each one showed why something would not work. This

may cause people to change their perception. These failed attempts

brought the process forward

But the peace process is having permanent effects on division in

Northern Ireland

The absence of violence during the two ceasefires has reduced fear and

distrust

The reforms of the last twenty to thirty years take time to show results

but are now doing so.

Many cross-community peace groups and peace movements are

gradually changing attitudes

The growing number of integrated schools and education programmes

such as the compulsory "Cultural Heritage and Education for Mutual

Understanding" promote reconciliation


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There is increasing equality of opportunity for Catholics and their

positions in the economy, political system and public culture.

Gradual integration of Sinn Fein and other parties with paramilitary

links into mainstream media discussion and into the political process

has given an incentive to them to adopt a more conciliatory approach.

Discussion in the media now centres around the language of peace rather

than defensive threats.

You might want to watch and listen to the following movies/songs inspired by the

conflict in Northern Ireland or its history (just as an extension of interest and

curiosity):

MOVIES

Title: In the Name of the Father

Cast: Daniel Day Lewis, Pete Postlewaite, Emma Thompson

Abstract: The film deals with the events surrounding the 'Guildford Four' and the Magure family. Gerry Conlon, an

unemployed young Belfast man without apparent direction in life, finds his world turned upside down

when he is falsely accused of the 1974 Guildford pub bombing. Immediately branded an IRA conspirator,

Conlon is coerced into a confession, along with his father.

Title: Patriot Games

Cast: Harrison Ford

Abstract: In this adaptation of Tom Clancy's best-seller, Harrison Ford plays Jack Ryan, an ex-C.I.A. analyst who

single-handedly foils an I.R.A. kidnap attempt while on vacation in London. Ryan kills one of the

terrorists, which antagonises the young man's elder brother, and Ryan gets drawn back into the CIA

when the same splinter faction of the IRA targets him and his family.

Title: The Boxer

Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis; Emily Watson

Abstract: Day-Lewis plays the boxer, Danny, an IRA member who emerges from 14 years in prison to a Belfast still

devastated by sectarian conflict.

Title: Michael Collins

Cast: Liam Neeson, Julia Roberts

Abstract: Michael Collins plays a crucial role in the establishment of the Irish Free State in the 1920s, but becomes

vilified by those hoping to create a completely independent Irish republic.


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SONGS

Belfast by Boney M

Belfast by Elton John

Give Ireland Back to the Irish by Paul McCartney

Sunday Bloody Sunday, Please, Peace on Earth and North and South of The River by U2

This Is a Rebel Song by Sinad O'Connor

Through the barricades by Spandau Ballet

Zombie by The Cranberries

YouTube

You may also want to go to YouTube and search for The Ulster Troubles. Read the blurb that

accompanies it and the comments that follow to understand the different points of view.

Documents

Nanyang Girls’ High School – Integrated Humanities-1-1 (4)