Religious groups involved
Catholics
Protestants
History
In the 17th and 18th century, English and British Protestants began settling on the Native Irish and Old English Catholics land. The Protestants became powerful and became Northern Ireland. The rest of Ireland became the Irish Free State. In fear that Northern Ireland would one day become reunified with the Irish Free State, people called the Ulster Unionists started discriminating against the
Catholic people. When the Catholics began demanding equality, tempers began to rise. More than half a million people died in all. Recently, efforts have been made to put an end to the Protestant and Catholic fight.
Discussion Questions
1. What are the historical origins of the conflict in Northern Ireland? Protestants settling on Catholic land
2. How did domestic forces drive the conflict and its negotiated resolution? Religious identity is a clear dividing line in the war and shapes how the war is fought. For example, the Protestants use the Easter march to display their ascension over the Catholics in 1981.
3. How important were international religious and political forces? International religious and political forces played a major role in solving the conflict in Ireland by being mediators between the two sides.
4. What role did socioeconomic factors play? Socioeconomic factors played a big role as Catholics protested unfair housing and employment practices.
5. How did religion intersect with these other factors in driving outcomes? Religion served as an obvious marker for the two sides, but was not the overall reason for the war.
Catholics
Protestants
History
In the 17th and 18th century, English and British Protestants began settling on the Native Irish and Old English Catholics land. The Protestants became powerful and became Northern Ireland. The rest of Ireland became the Irish Free State. In fear that Northern Ireland would one day become reunified with the Irish Free State, people called the Ulster Unionists started discriminating against the
Catholic people. When the Catholics began demanding equality, tempers began to rise. More than half a million people died in all. Recently, efforts have been made to put an end to the Protestant and Catholic fight.
Discussion Questions
1. What are the historical origins of the conflict in Northern Ireland? Protestants settling on Catholic land
2. How did domestic forces drive the conflict and its negotiated resolution? Religious identity is a clear dividing line in the war and shapes how the war is fought. For example, the Protestants use the Easter march to display their ascension over the Catholics in 1981.
3. How important were international religious and political forces? International religious and political forces played a major role in solving the conflict in Ireland by being mediators between the two sides.
4. What role did socioeconomic factors play? Socioeconomic factors played a big role as Catholics protested unfair housing and employment practices.
5. How did religion intersect with these other factors in driving outcomes? Religion served as an obvious marker for the two sides, but was not the overall reason for the war.