Northern Ireland

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Northern Ireland

• 1169-2005

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Great Britain and Ireland
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Roots of the Conflict- religion, ethnicity and
colonialism

• Normans in Ireland- 1169
• Plantation of Ulster- 16th century
• Act of Settlement 1653
• Accession of James II 1685
• William of Orange ascends to British throne

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King William of Orange
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Roots of the Conflict cntd

• Penal Laws introduced from 1695 onwards
• 1782- Irish Parliament received legislative
  independence
• Development of Peep O Day Boys, Defenders,
  Orange Order
• 1798- United Irishmen Rebellion
• 1800- Act of Union
• 1829- Catholic Emancipation

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Independence of Ireland

• Struggle for land reforms 1870s 1880s
• Irish Parliamentary Party 1882
• Home Rule 1st attempt 1885
• 2nd attempt 1893
• 3rd attempt - 1914

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Partition

• World War One 1914
• Government of Ireland Act 1920
• Irish War of Independence 1919-1921

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Irish Free State and Northern Ireland
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Northern Ireland Parliament - Stormont
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1921-1963

• The new NI Parliament- unstable at first,
  financial and political difficulties as well as
  inexperienced government ministers
• Catholics took little part in new NI state-
  electoral discrimination, grievances in housing,
  policing and employment.
• A Protestant state for a Protestant people

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Reasons for unrest

• 1963- arrival of Terence ONeill as Prime
  Minister. Introduction of reforms. Attracted
  opposition from within his party as well as from
  Ian Paisley
• Catholics encouraged by success of Civil Rights
  movement in America
• Formation of NICRA
• By the late 60s the peaceful protests had begun
  to take on a more violent nature

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Initial Reaction of British Government to
Violence in Northern Ireland

• 1969- British troops sent to Northern Ireland
• 1970- Curfews, house searches
• 1971- Internment
• 1972- Bloody Sunday
• Following this Direct Rule from Westminster was
  re-instated

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Responses to Terrorism

• Power-sharing, Sunningdale 1973-74
• Rolling Devolution 1982-84
• Anglo Irish Agreement 1985
• Downing Street Declaration - 1993

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Aftermath from Anglo-Irish Agreement
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Looking forward

• Good Friday Agreement 1998

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Good Friday Agreement

• Human Rights and Equality
• Early release of terrorist prisoners
• Decommissioning of paramilitary weapons
• Reforms of criminal justice and policing.

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Good Friday Agreement, cont

• Three strands,
• 1. Creation of Northern Ireland Assembly
• 2. North-South Relationships
• 3. East-West Relationships

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Prospects for a Functioning Local Democracy

• Many issues still need to be resolved, such as
  policing, decommissioning and prisoner releases
• Remaining hostility between political parties
• Northern Bank robbery- suspected IRA involvement
  having knock-on effect for Sinn Fein- withdrawal
  of funding

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Prospects for a Functioning Local Democracy

• Hopes for the future
• Inclusive government
• Economic development
• Development in inter-community cultural awareness
  eg. through integrated schools, cross community
  initiatives such as BEI
• Equal opportunity programs

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