The Ulster Troubles (Part 24 Final)

The Troubles consisted of about 30 years of repeated acts of intense violence between elements of Northern Ireland's Nationalist community (principally Roman Catholic) and Unionist community (principally Protestant). The conflict was caused by the disputed status of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom, and the alleged domination of the minority nationalist community, and discrimination against, by the unionist majority. The violence was characterised by the armed campaigns of paramilitary groups. Most notable of these was the Provisional IRA campaign 1969--1997 which was aimed at the end of British rule in Northern Ireland and the creation of a new all-Ireland Irish Republic. In response to this campaign and the perceived erosion of the British character and unionist domination of Northern Ireland, loyalist paramilitaries such as the UVF and UDA launched their own campaigns against the nationalist population. The state security forces - the British Army and the police (the Royal Ulster Constabulary) - were also involved in the violence. The British government point of view is that its forces were neutral in the conflict and trying to uphold law and order in the North. Irish republicans, however, regarded the state forces as "combatants" in the conflict and point to evidence of repeated collusion between the state forces and the loyalists as proof of this.

Alongside the violence, there was a political deadlock between the major political parties in Northern Ireland, including those who condemned violence, over the future status of Northern Ireland and the form of government there should be within Northern Ireland.

The Troubles were brought to an uneasy end by a peace process which included the declaration of ceasefires by most paramilitary organisations, the corresponding withdrawal of most troops from the streets and the reform of the police, as agreed by the signatories to the Belfast Agreement (commonly known as the Good Friday Agreement). This reiterated the long-held position that Northern Ireland will remain within the United Kingdom until a majority votes otherwise. It also established a devolved power-sharing government within Northern Ireland (currently suspended), where the government must consist of both unionist and nationalist parties.

Though the number of active participants in the Troubles was relatively small, and the paramilitary organisations that claimed to represent the communities were sometimes unrepresentative of the general population, the Troubles touched the lives of most people in Northern Ireland on a daily basis, while occasionally spreading to Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. In addition at several times between 1969 and 1998, for example in 1972, after the Bloody Sunday, or during the Hunger Strikes of 1981, when there was mass, hostile mobilisation of the two communities and it seemed possible that the Troubles would escalate into a genuine civil war. Many people today have had their political, social and communal attitudes and perspectives shaped by the Troubles.

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[winthroppershing]

@BintCrusher lol

[BintCrusher]

@LordWellington15 Every time I go to any sinn fein site if I click on anything it tries to redirect me to a child porn webring.

[LordWellington15]

@chrisM33 53-47? HA! In your dreams! Just face it, Republicanism is on decline, the Queen has gone to Ireland, and the Sinn feinn is dwindling. Go to google, search "sinn fein survey" and hit the first link.

[chrisM33]

@LordWellington15 Give it another decade or so and the catholic population will be the majority and the prods the minority, its all ready near 53-47% or something, and thousands of prods are leaving every year. The border areas have all ready been cleared of prod farmers etc by intimidation and threats. Not a surprise the prods feel under siege, im irish catholic on my dads side, born in the uk, love british military history, but hate what went down there, really fucking sad

[LordWellington15]

Can someone tell me this. How come after nearly 100 years of you Republicans complaining and fighting, the North is still British? And why is it that presently the Republican movement is on a downward trend, and that more people in the North would rather remain with London than link up with Dublin?

[LordWellington15]

@AmersfoortTristan Incase you hadn't noticed, Northern Ireland IS Britain.

[AmersfoortTristan]

@AmersfoortTristan And I think that the perfect solution for it all would be Scottish and Welsh Independence. Not too mention Irish unification. And if the Ulster loyalists want to remain part of Britain= put them on a plane to London.

[AmersfoortTristan]

@LordWellington15 If anything.. Britain should worry about Britain. Haven't you got your own mess to sort out ? Your council estates, your teenage pregnancies, your outdated, ridiculous class system, your poverty and race relations and the whole sordid mess that your country has become.

[ohare1916]

THE I THE I THE IRA!!!!!!!!!!!

[IrishKnight89]

OKAY like I said...listening to what other people said rather than listening to yourself was the main problem. i don't give a flipping shit what republicans think and i don't give a rats arse about what loyalists think. Atrocities like this exist in the world b/c ppl are fucking stupid and listen to what dead ppl say rather than living amongst the living.