The Good Friday Agreement
The conflict about Northern Ireland
The importance of the Good Friday Agreement
Introduction:
The Irish Island has for centuries been characterized by a conflict between the British and the Irish, and has political, economical and religious roots. After Ireland became independent in the early 19th century, the battles continued in Northern Ireland, who was left under British rules. Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland who had been discriminated for a long time by British Protestants started using weapons and violence exploded. In the years between 1969 and 1998, more known as “the Troubles”, were over 3600 people killed in the conflict, among them nearly 2000 civilians. Since 1998 a peace agreement is signed between the parties called the Good Friday Agreement, but Northern Ireland is by some means still a segregated county with Catholics and Protestants living apart from each other (Pettersson T, and Simmons, D. 2010).
The power struggle on the Irish Island has been a struggle between Catholics who wished to see a unified Ireland, and by Protestants who opposed for Northern Ireland to remain under British Rule. The Good Friday agreement was signed in 1998 and can be seen as the turning point in the conflict about Northern Ireland. In 1921 the Anglo-Irish treaty was signed, and after centuries of British rule, 26 of 32 counties of Ireland gained independence. The 6 remaining counties formed Northern Ireland, which continued to be governed within the United Kingdom. A majority of the population in Northern Ireland were Protestants and did not want to be a part of Ireland (leonidassthlm 2009). From the period 1921 to 1972 the developed government in Northern Ireland operated with autonomy from London, and power remained exclusively to the Unionist party which had support from the Protestant majority community that favoured to be a union with Britain. The Catholic minority in the country supported the Nationalist party, and they were not allowed to
The importance of the Good Friday Agreement
Introduction:
The Irish Island has for centuries been characterized by a conflict between the British and the Irish, and has political, economical and religious roots. After Ireland became independent in the early 19th century, the battles continued in Northern Ireland, who was left under British rules. Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland who had been discriminated for a long time by British Protestants started using weapons and violence exploded. In the years between 1969 and 1998, more known as “the Troubles”, were over 3600 people killed in the conflict, among them nearly 2000 civilians. Since 1998 a peace agreement is signed between the parties called the Good Friday Agreement, but Northern Ireland is by some means still a segregated county with Catholics and Protestants living apart from each other (Pettersson T, and Simmons, D. 2010).
The power struggle on the Irish Island has been a struggle between Catholics who wished to see a unified Ireland, and by Protestants who opposed for Northern Ireland to remain under British Rule. The Good Friday agreement was signed in 1998 and can be seen as the turning point in the conflict about Northern Ireland. In 1921 the Anglo-Irish treaty was signed, and after centuries of British rule, 26 of 32 counties of Ireland gained independence. The 6 remaining counties formed Northern Ireland, which continued to be governed within the United Kingdom. A majority of the population in Northern Ireland were Protestants and did not want to be a part of Ireland (leonidassthlm 2009). From the period 1921 to 1972 the developed government in Northern Ireland operated with autonomy from London, and power remained exclusively to the Unionist party which had support from the Protestant majority community that favoured to be a union with Britain. The Catholic minority in the country supported the Nationalist party, and they were not allowed to
References: Fraser, T, G. (1999) Ireland in Conflict 1922-1998. Chapter 9, p.83. Florence, KY, USA: Routledge. Pelling, J. (2008) May 18. Nordirland fortfarande delat (Northern Ireland is still divided). [online]. Available from: http://www.svd.se/nyheter/utrikes/nordirland-fortfarande-delat_1263273.svd TT-Reuters (2002) October 14. Storbritannien tog över styret av Nordirland (Great Britain takes over governmental work in Northern Ireland). [online]. Available from: http://www.dn.se/nyheter/varlden/storbritannien-tog-over-styret-av-nordirland BBC (2012). Importance of the Good Friday Agreement [Online video]. Available from: < http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/importance-of-the-good-friday-agreement-1998/11507.html> [accessed 3 June 2012] Youtube/Leonidassthlm (2009). Världens Konflikter: Nordirland del 1 [Online video]. Available from: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQMKYPMBzEA> [accessed 2 June 2012] Youtube/Leonidassthlm (2009). Världens Konflikter: Nordirland del 2 [Online video]. Available from: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVBI-otJmMM> [accessed 2 June 2012] Youtube/Leonidassthlm (2009). Världens Konflikter: Nordirland del 3 [Online video]. Available from: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soL9d4Gh3J4> [accessed 2 June 2012]