THE TROUBLES

The Troubles is a period of violence and political

unrest in Northern Ireland that began in the late 1960s
and is believed to end in the late 1990s.

The conflict began during a campaign by the

Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association to end
discrimination against the Catholic minority by the
Protestant government and police force.

The Northern Irish conflict has

continued for three decades
between nationalists (known as
Catholics/Irish) and unionists
(identified as
Protestants/British)

In 1609, Scottish and English settlers, known as

planters, received land stolen from the Irish in the
plantation of Ulster. This resulted in conflict
between the native Catholics and the "planters",
which in turn led to two bloody religious conflicts
1609-1791
known as the Irish Confederate Wars. (1641-1653)
and the Wilhelmina War (1689-1691), which were
Protestant victories.

Following the founding of the

Republican Society of United Irishmen
by Presbyterians, Catholics and liberal
1791-1912 Anglicans, and the resulting failed Irish
rebellion of 1798, sectarian violence
between Catholics and Protestants
continued.

Northern Ireland remained part of

the United Kingdom, although under
a separate system of government
whereby Ireland was given its own
1912-1922
parliament and devolved
government.

A marginalized part of the Irish

Republican Army (IRA) survived
1922-1966 the Irish Civil War. This would
have a huge impact on Northern
Ireland.