The Troubles

The Troubles

In all of Ireland from the 17^th Century until 1921 the British created the System of Governance called the Protestant Ascendancy.

The Protestant Ascendancy was the idea that Protestantism (especially the Church of England and the Church of Ireland) was superior to being Catholic and so all Aristocrats, Landowners, Barristers, Politicians, Clergymen, Military Officers and other Prominent Professions were closed to Catholics.

The Three-Tier Hierarchy the British created in Ireland was the British at the top, the Irish Protestants right below them and the Irish Catholics at the very bottom.

Only the British and the Irish Protestants had Equal Rights and Equal Say.

From 1919 until 1921 the Irish Catholics fought the War for Independence against the British,

2,300 People (including 900 Civilians) were killed during the War.

In the end the British allowed for the Partition of Ireland.

The Southern Part (26 of 32 Irish Counties) became the Irish Free State (a Dominion of the British Empire with the British Monarch as the Head of State) with a Catholic Majority ruled by Catholics.

The Northern Part (6 of 32 Irish Counties) became Northern Ireland an integral part of the United Kingdom of Great Britian and Northern Ireland with the British Monarch as the Head of State) with a Catholic Minority ruled by the Protestants.

From 1922-1923 the Irish Civil War was fought between those who supported the Partition of Ireland and those who were against the Partition of Ireland.

336 Civilians were killed in the Civil War and in the end those who supported the Partition of Ireland won.

In 1937 the Irish Free State became Ireland/Eire.

An Irish President was created and the role of the British Monarch in Ireland was left unknown.

Ireland/Eire was Neutral during World War 2 while Northern Ireland (as part of the UK) was in the Allies during World War 2.

Dublin, the Capital of Ireland/Eire was mistakenly bombed by the Germans in August 1940, December 1940, January 1941, May 1941, June 1941 and July 1941.)

The Nazis apologized for all the bombings and compensated the Republic of Ireland for the damage.

Belfast, the Capital of Northern Ireland was deliberately bombed by the Germans in April and May 1941.

1,200 People were killed, 1,500 People were wounded and 50,000 Houses were damaged or destroyed.

In 1948 Ireland/Eire officially became the Republic of Ireland.

The Republic of Ireland officially left the British Commonwealth (today called the Commonwealth of Nations) and the British Monarch no longer held any power and was abolished.

Since 1921, Northern Ireland continued to be ruled by the British System of the Protestant Ascendancy.

The Three Tier Hierarchy continued to be the British at the top, the Northern Irish Protestants right below them and the Northern Irish Catholics at the bottom.

The British and Northern Irish Protestants created both Official and Unofficial Laws that kept the Northern Irish Catholics out of the Government, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (Police) and all Major Positions of Power.

Beginning in 1964 the Northern Irish Catholics began to hold peaceful demonstrations (modelled after Mart Luther King Jr. in the United States) calling for Equal Civil Rights, One Man, One Vote, the end of Discrimination in Employment, the end of Discrimination in Housing and the disbanding of the 99.9% Protestant Royal Ulster Constabulary.

Both the British Government in London and the Northern Irish Protestants in Belfast did not want to give the Northern Irish Catholics Equal Civil Rights.

The British Government and the Northern Irish Protestants treated the Northern Irish Catholics the same way that White Southern Americans treated Black Southern Americans who just wanted Equal Civil Rights.

Ian Paisley a Northern Irish Protestant Evangelical Minister used fear and hatred to wage a campaign against Northern Irish Catholics.

He created several different Protestant/Loyalist Paramilitary Groups to use violence to keep the Catholics in their place at the bottom of Society.

In 1967 the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Movement began to officially call for Equal Civil Rights for Northern Irish Catholics.

In the beginning of The Troubles (from 1966 until 1972) the vast majority of Northern Irish Catholics did not want a Reunited Ireland.

They simply wanted a better life in Northern Ireland with equal rights that the British and the Northern Irish Protestants already enjoyed.

In August 1969 The Troubles officially began when after countless Physical Attacks and Arson Attacks by the Northern Irish Protestants (including the RUC Police) the Northern Irish Catholics decided to stand their ground and make the Bogside (the Catholic Area of Derry -Catholics call the City Derry and Protestants call the City Londonderry) an enclosed and safe zone where only Northern Irish Catholics would be welcomed.

On August 14, 1969 the British Government in London sent in the British Military to Northern Ireland (Operation Banner.)

At first, the Northern Irish Catholics say the British Military as a good sign (a buffer between the Northern Irish Protestants and the Northern Irish Catholics and someone who could reign in the brutal RUC Police.)

In fact, the British Military went into Northern Ireland not to stop the violence against the Northern Irish Catholics, but to stop the Northern Irish Catholics from peacefully demonstrating for Equal Civil Rights.

The British Military was there to protect the Protestant Ascendancy and the Northern Irish Protestants hold of absolute power over the Northern Irish Catholics.

That Northern Irish Catholic support changed after the British Military openly sided with the Northern Irish Protestants and started massacring unarmed and peaceful Northern Irish Catholics (ie. The 1970 Falls Curfew, the 1971 Ballymurphy Massacre, the 1972 Bloody Sunday, etc.)

After Bloody Sunday, the Northern Irish Catholics and the World had direct proof that the British Government and the British Military fully supported the Northern Irish Protestants and sought to keep the Northern Irish Catholics “in-their-place” through any means  - including murder.

The British Government and the British Military covered-up and lied about their role for Decades, but have since openly admitted their crimes including with regards to their role in Bloody Sunday.

Northern Ireland Civil Rights Movement also disbanded after Bloody Sunday in 1972 since the shift moved away from Civil Disobedience to Warfare (the same method the Northern Irish Protestants, the RUC and the British Military used from the beginning.)

From 1972 until 1998 it was open-warfare with the British Government, the British Military, the Police and the Northern Irish Protestants on one side and the Northern Irish Catholics on the other.

Each side used violence and death to their advantage.

In April 1998, after 2 years of intense meetings with the Northern Irish Catholic Groups, the Northern Irish Protestant Groups, the British Government, the Republic of Ireland Government and the United States the Good Friday Agreement was signed ending 30 years of The Troubles.

The Good Friday Agreement officially made Northern Irish Catholics equal Citizens and ended the Protestant Ascendancy in place since the 17^th Century.

It called for the complete demobilization of all the different Northern Irish Protestant Paramilitary Groups and all the Northern Irish Catholic Paramilitary Groups.

The Agreement disbanded the hated Royal Ulster Constabulary and replaced it with the Police Force of Northern Ireland.

The Agreement also said that Northern Ireland would continue to be a part of the United Kingdom until a Majority of Voters voted either to make Northern Ireland its own Country or to be reunited with Ireland (Self-Determination.)

Operation Banner ended on July 31, 2007 after 37 years and the British Military left Northern Ireland.

Ian Paisley died in 2014.

1,935 Civilians were killed and over 50,000 wounded, injured or permanently Disabled on both sides during The Troubles.

Northern Ireland continues to deal with the legacy of The Troubles including trying to bring justice to the Victims on both sides and bringing those who committed Attacks and Crimes from all sides to justice.

Northern Irish Protestants continue to remain segregated from Northern Irish Catholics with each side painting colors (Red, White and Blue of the British Union Jack for the Northern Irish Protestants and the Green, White and Orange of the Irish Flag for the Northern Irish Catholics.)

There have also been Peace Lines separating the two Groups since the 1960s that continue to be used today.

Northern Irish Protestants continue to be educated in State Schools while Northern Irish Catholics continue to be educated in Catholic Private Schools.

There are also 65 Integrated Schools across Northern Ireland where the Catholics and Protestants attend together.

Note: I visited the Republic of Ireland (Dublin, Galway and many other Cities) and Northern Ireland (Belfast and Derry/Londonderry) in June 2010.

I have visited the United Kingdom (England about 10 times and Scotland about 14 times.)