The troubles

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  England started to gain control over this region in the 12th century.  The English sent Protestant Englishmen and Scots to settle in the north and simply take over land from the Irish. By 1703, less than five per cent of the land of Ulster (north) was still in the hands of the Catholic Irish.  In 1801, the Act of Union made Ireland a part of the UK. The wish for independence in Ireland grew stronger and stronger and England had more and more difficulty in controlling the rebellious Irishmen.  In 1921, an agreement was reached with England about Irish independence. The only condition was that the six counties in the north (Ulster) were to remain in the union with Great Britain. The majority in the north was Protestant and wanted to keep the bond with Britain. In Ireland, this decision stirred strong feelings and disagreement threw the country into a civil war. Many Irish felt that giving up the North would mean to betray that region.  The civil war did not change the decision. Ireland was liberated, but divided in two. Now, more than 85 years later, the situation is still unresolved. A short history lesson

  After Irish independence in 1921, the struggle continued to get Ulster back from the British. Still, the majority of people in this region did not want to be liberated; they were Protestants and were happy as citizens of the United Kingdom.  In the 1960s the confrontations hardened. The Catholics felt suppressed and demonstrated for civil rights and equal treatment with the Protestants.  The period after 1968 has been called the ‘Troubles’.  British soldiers came in 1969 to bring order to society, but unfortunately took sides and the discrimination against Catholics went on. Terrorism and murder were carried out both by extreme Catholics and extreme Protestants.  Many civilians have been hurt or killed. People suspected of being terrorists could be kept in internment (in practice the same as jail) for years without a trial. Most people who were brought in were Catholics. What?

 How?

  The Republic of Ireland is historically a Catholic country and a large majority of the Irish are Catholics.  Descendants of the original population of this region and are also Catholics. They believe it should leave the UK and become part of the Republic of Ireland.  However, the majority of the Northern Irish have forefathers who emigrated from England and Scotland and these two countries have been Protestant for almost 500 years. They believe Northern Ireland should remain part of the United Kingdom.  Therefore, we end up with a rather confusing situation with a split population from two different cultural and religious backgrounds. Why?