Troubles

:The "Troubles" is a term used to describe two periods of violence in Ireland during the twentieth century. This article describes the latter; for the earlier Troubles, see Anglo-Irish War and Irish Civil War.

Overview

The partition of Ireland

The origins of the Troubles are complex. What is clear is that its origins lie in the centuries-long debate over whether Ireland, or part of Ireland, should be part of the United Kingdom, and the anger felt by some Irish at their treatment by the British. In 1922, during widespread political violence, the Government of Ireland Act partitioned the island of Ireland into two separate regions, one of which became "Northern Ireland". According to the majority of unionists, Northern Ireland, which became a self-governing region of the United Kingdom, was governed in accordance with "democratic" principles, the rule of law and in accordance with the will of a majority within its borders to remain part of the United Kingdom. Nationalists however saw the partition of Ireland as an illegal and immoral division of the island of Ireland against the will of its people, and argued that the Northern Ireland statelet was neither legitimate nor democratic, but created with a deliberately engineered unionist majority. Each side had their own soundbites to describe their perspective. Ulster Unionist Party Prime Minister of Northern Ireland Lord Brookborough talked of a "Protestant state for a Protestant people", while a later Republic of Ireland taoiseach (prime minister) Charles Haughey described Northern Ireland as "a failed political entity".

Related Topics:
Ireland - United Kingdom - Government of Ireland Act - Unionists - Democratic - Nationalists - Ulster Unionist Party - Prime Minister of Northern Ireland - Lord Brookborough - Republic of Ireland - Taoiseach - Charles Haughey

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Religion and class

For the most part a clear divide exists in terms of religion and some times a left-right divide between the various communities. Most though not all Protestants are unionists, while most though not all Catholics are nationalists. While the mainstream organisations representing nationalists and unionists tended to be quite conservative, more politically and religious radical groups emerged associated with republicans and loyalists, with Sinn Féin adopting a Marxist perspective of the political situation, defining it in terms of "class struggle". Loyalists in the 1970s even advocated forms of an "independent Ulster" which they compared to the then apartheid-style regimes of Rhodesia and South Africa, in which one community's dominance could be ensured. There is little support for this idea today.

Related Topics:
Republicans - Loyalist - Sinn Féin - Marxist - Class struggle - Independent Ulster - Apartheid - Rhodesia - South Africa

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Except for unionists, all other segments of the political spectrum argued that the Northern Ireland of the 1960s needed change. Moderate nationalists in the Civil Rights movement, under figures like John Hume, Gerry Fitt and Austin Currie advocated an end to the gerrymandering of local government wards to ensure Protestant majorities, and the end to discrimination over access to council housing. They pressed for wide reforms, whereas unionists saw "concessions" as part of a process whereby nationalists would bring down Northern Ireland and force Irish unity. Republicans adopted a more violent approach to force more radical change, while the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the British army and loyalists stepped up their violence to oppose it.

Related Topics:
Civil Rights - John Hume - Gerry Fitt - Austin Currie - Gerrymander - Discrimination - Irish unity - Royal Ulster Constabulary - British army

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The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), the police force in Northern Ireland, was largely, though not totally, Protestant for a number of reasons. Catholics did not join in the numbers expected by the British when the force was first created. Those that did report a "hostile to Catholics", strongly unionist working environment, in which unionist and Protestant organisations like the Orange Order and the Ulster Unionist Party had great power. Those Catholics who did join were often targeted as traitors by the various IRAs. Yet some Catholic police officers did play a part in the constabulary. One served as Chief Constable, while the current leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, Mark Durkan is the son of a Catholic RUC man.

Related Topics:
Royal Ulster Constabulary - Orange Order - Ulster Unionist Party - Social Democratic and Labour Party - Mark Durkan

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The lack of Catholic officers was augmented by the maintenance of the political status quo. The result was that critics of the unionist and loyalist communities saw the police force as the "Unionist police force for a Unionist state". Unlike the unarmed police force in the South, An Garda Síochána, the RUC failed to establish cross community trust, with each community blaming the other or the RUC for failings in policing.

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A policing review, part of the Good Friday Agreement, has led to some reforms of policing, including more rigorous accountability, measures to increase the number of Catholic officers, and the renaming of the RUC to the Police Service of Northern Ireland to avoid using the word "Royal". While most of the reforms have already been introduced, the slowness of others has led to Sinn Féin withholding its support fom the Police Service of Northern Ireland for the time being.

Related Topics:
Good Friday Agreement - Police Service of Northern Ireland - Sinn Féin

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