During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, political thought in Ireland began to shift toward the idea of greater autonomy from the United Kingdom. This came after centuries of history between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain, and not all of it positive. This created division and sometimes hostility between groups of people in the country, even if they weren’t really so different . Two major groups involved in discussing the idea of increased independence were the nationalists, who supported greater Irish autonomy in some form, and unionists, who argued that the government didn’t need that change. The nationalists also often fell into one of two main traditions, the parliamentary and revolutionary movements. Differences in the methods …show more content…
In Ireland, this is the belief that Ireland is part of the British Empire and should remain in the United Kingdom. In many cases, this comes from a strong feeling of national identification with the United Kingdom as well as Ireland, instead of being in opposition. Some unionists used argument and legislation to protect the Union, while others used violent means. The term “loyalist” is sometimes associated with this latter group, but this isn 't always the case. Some important unionist leaders were Sir Edward Carson and James Craig in Ireland and Lord Randolph Churchill in …show more content…
In the seventeenth century, British monarchs began settling farmers in Ireland, where some eventually stayed and brought up families. English influence was strongest in Leinster and Scottish influence was common in Ulster, especially in Counties Antrim and Down. Mutual fear and distrust between the groups created many problems and conflict. The native population resented losing their land and way of life, while the settlers feared retaliation. Laws that gave preference or protection to these settlers increased tensions and broke out into several armed rebellions. Gradually, the two groups drifted apart into the wealthier Protestant settlers of British descent and the poorer Catholic descendants of the native population. Each developed a separate identity and came to regard each other as ancient foes, reinforced by questionable actions on both sides. This set the stage for the conflict and sentiment that would come up in the nineteenth and twentieth
“Ireland must be governed in the English interest” as Document 1 states. The Irish and English relationship is one of ethnic superiority over the other and geographical divide. The English feel like it is their duty to make the Irish people like themselves and they believe that their religion is the crux of what makes them inferior and the Irish just want to be left alone. The geographical divide between the nations is the mainly protestant, Ulster, and the Catholic rest of the island as Document 9 suggests. This has caused many disputes because of the fact that Irish Nationalists want the whole island unified.
The tense relationship between Ireland and England lasted for many years. There were constant attempts from the English government to exercise control over its neighbors, which were, at the same time, answered with several insurrections.
Not a unified and separate country until 1921, Northern Ireland has had cultural, financial, and economic that makes it stand affront from the rest of the Emerald Isles. With its close proximity to England and the immigration all through the 1600s of English and Scottish, Northern Ireland has become more anglicized th...
In the early 1900s, Irish nationalists were fed up with the British rule that had dominated Ireland since its existence. The Irish in this situation closely resemble the American Colonists prior to the American Revolution. The Irish felt as if the British did not represent them well and they wanted to run their own country and govern themselves. There were many small rebellions and confrontations between some Irish citizens and the British army all throughout Ireland’s history with the purpose of lowering the morale of British troops that occupied Ireland, or in rebellion to specific actions by the British. However, there never was any organized uprising with a goal of completely eliminating the British like the Easter Uprising in 1916.
Ireland From Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and or Making Them Beneficial to the Public." The Norton Anthology. Eighth Edition. Ed. Greenblatt, Stephen. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006. 1114-1119.
In Northern Ireland, "the troubles" are partly rooted in Catholic/Protestant differences, partly in political allegiances, and probably partly in hatreds that go back so far that the exact reason is lost in the mists of time.
What do you think of when you hear the name Ireland? Ireland is a relatively small island off the coast of Great Britain with a land area of 32,424 square miles (Delaney 2). There are several things that you may associate with this country such as St. Patrick’s Day, shamrocks, beer, and strife. The source of the bitterness behind this conflict began centuries ago, when Britain came over and forced Protestantism on the Irish Catholic inhabitants. For this reason there has always been an animosity between the Protestants and the Irish Catholics. The island is broken up into two distinct regions. The Republic of Ireland consists of twenty-six counties, which make up the southern region. This area is predominantly Roman Catholic. Northern Ireland is made up of the six northern counties, which are under British rule and predominately Protestant. Both sides use propaganda to spread their ideas and gain support. They each have organizations, such as the I.R.A., in the south, and the U.V.F., in the north, which use peaceful methods such as newspapers and murals along with violence to fight for their cause. In Northern Ireland the Protestants used their position in the government to spread anti-Catholic propaganda and persecute the Catholic citizens.
Ireland has a very conflicted history. Just when that history may seem to take a turn for the better, it seems that there is always another event to keep the trend of depression ongoing. The separation of the Protestant and Catholic Church would be the center of these events. However, the two different groups could potentially work together for the betterment of the nation. Through an analysis of why Protestants and Catholics split in the first place, disadvantages that Catholics would face in the coming years and also how these disadvantages were lifted, an argument will be developed in that there is perhaps the chance that they may end up working together in the future for the betterment of Ireland. Although these two groups would fight over the countless decades, they need to join into one entity if they wish to see a better future for Ireland.
Smith, M.L.R. Fighting For Ireland? The Military Strategy of the Irish Republican Movement. London: Routledge, 1995.
English persecution of the Irish people is one cause of the tensions in Northern Ireland. Before 1793 Irish Catholics were persecuted by British law. Catholics were not allowed to buy and sell land, get proper education, marry Protestants or vote. This fueled problems in Ireland. After 1793 Britain was afraid, after loosing America, that a revolution would happen in Ireland. So the restrictions on the Irish Catholics were done away with. This however angered the protestants who formed the Orange Order, who was against the Catholics. This all came to a head when in 1798 when a small rebellion broke out.
The Irish and British governments fought for many years over the ownership of Northern Ireland. Britain had main control over Northern Ireland, and Ireland did not think that was fair. Be...
In the years before World War I, Ireland was divided. Ireland was under the rule of the British Parliament. This meant that Ireland was a part of the United Kingdom, or European Union. In 1878, Charles Stewart Parnell was elected to be a Parliament representative from County Meath. His main reason for being elected was because of his support for Irish Home Rule. Home Rule is when a dependent country wishes to form a government of their own citizens. In this case, they were dependent on Great Britain and wished to form an Irish government. His attempts ultimately failed, but many Irish still had hope that one day they would have
Ever since the occupation of Ireland by the English began in 1169, Irish patriots have fought back against British rule, and the many Irish rebellions and civil wars had always been defeated. To quash further rebellion, the Act of Union was imposed in 1800, tying Ireland to the United Kingdom of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Laws discriminating against Catholics and the handling of the Irish Potato Famine of 1845-50 led to increased tension and the proposal of introducing Home Rule gained support.
The years 1870 to 1890 in Ireland saw the fervent battle of Charles Stewart Parnell and his Home Rule party for home rule in Ireland. This consisted of Ireland having its own parliament to deal with internal affairs while still remaining under the control of Westminster in international affairs. It was not the desire for a full separation from Britain that would come later. However, by 1890, problems in Parnell’s personal life lead to a breakdown in communication with the Prime Minister and to a split in the Home Rule party. According to M E Collins, this left a void in Irish politics and life that was filled with a new cultural awareness and a questioning of Irish identity: ‘the new movements were different. They stressed the importance of Irish identity, Irish race and Irish culture’ (170 M E Collins, Ireland 1868 - 1966). It is at this point that Fanon’s ‘Wretched of the Earth’ becomes relevant to Irish history. In his chapter entitled ‘On National Consciousness’, Fanon stresses the colonised native fears of being assimilated totally into the culture of the coloniser, of being ‘swamped’ (169 Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth). These were the exact concerns that occupied the minds of the Irish people after the failure of home rule. They began to be anxious about what Collins terms ‘the distinguishing marks of Irishness’: ‘a culture and language that was different to Britain’s’.
Allison, Fiona. "The Irish War of Independence 1919-1921." suite101.com. suite101, 11 Jan 2010. Web. 16 Jan 2011.