Conflict in N. Ireland
The union of church and state, economic highs and lows, and nationalism are all global issues that affect different areas of the world in different ways. Protestants and Catholics have been fighting in Northern Ireland since the early 1900s and possibly even before that. While the two religious groups seem to be the main parties in the dispute, nationalism has played a very large role in the conflict between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The dispute is caused mainly by the presence of the United Kingdom as a control group in Ireland, and the nationalists and the unionists have formed sides in the controversy. In this essay, I will discuss a brief history of the conflict in Northern Ireland, describe the main groups that are fighting, why religion and nationalism play a role in the disagreement, and how the economy has been impacted. Some historians believe the conflicts in Northern Ireland began as long ago as 1609. At this time, Queen Elizabeth's military was dominating the globe and, after many struggles, overtook the province of Ulster in Northern Ireland. Once the English took control the land was commandeered and British colonists began to push
If the IRA has it in for some Protestant part of Belfast, they blow up shops, they don't go bomb DuPont," (Guynn, 2001). They seek to "unify the island of Ireland," (Darby, 1995). Major corporations from global superpowers such as the United States, are hesitant to set up offices and factories in a location which would pose such a risk for potential damage. The Nationalist group wants the exact opposite. This only increased the already huge conflict between the two main religions, Catholicism and Protestantism. Northern Ireland has suffered the consequences of all of these things within their own country. The Main Parties While the groups involved in the conflict in Northern Ireland can be broken down into the two main religious groups, Catholics and Protestants, there are other levels on which the groups are divided. In 1969 a provisional Irish Republican Army was formed, "initially to defend Catholic areas, but soon to go on the offensive against Protestant police and soldiers," (Associated Press, 1998). The economy has a huge impact on life in Ireland. Two countries fighting for control of the territory became a religious dispute that has had an extremely negative effect on all of Ireland since the 1600s. Conclusion As we have discussed in class, the economy, nationalism/globalization, and the union of church and state are all issues that affect the entire world. Since Catholics made up a very small minority, representing only about one-third of the population in Northern Ireland, they were strongly discriminated against and felt severely suppressed (Darby, 1995). the native Irishmen out (Darby, 1995).
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