The Irish Conflict

Materie:	Appunti
Categoria:	Inglese
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Data:	17.03.2006
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The Irish Conflict in Northern Ireland
Until 1921 Ireland was a single political unit governed as a colony of Britain. In 1921 Ireland was partitioned into the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland. In 1949 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 1962 because of lack of weapons. In 1968 Catholics launched a campaign to fight 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.
1969: British troops are sent to restore order in Northern Ireland.
1971: London introduces internment of suspects without trial in order to stop IRA attacks
1972: 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.
1974: The proposal for a power sharing formed by Protestants and Catholics fails.
1979: A member of the Royal family is killed by the IRA.
1980: Republican prisoners go on hunger strike. Bobby Sands dies.
1984 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 1949
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 1905 Catholics founded the Republican party of Sinn Fein and in 1913 created the Irish Volunteers as a response to the Protestant Ulster Volunteer force which had been formed a few month later. In 1914 Home Rule was passed but suspended because of World War I- Rebellion In Dublin on Easter Monday 1916. The rebellion failed. The rebels were regarded as heroes. In 1921 Ireland was split into two entities: the Irish Free State, a self governing dominion of the Commonwealth and Northem Ireland ruled by Britain. In 1949 the Irish Free State became the Republic of Ireland.