Background Knowledge
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This case study is taking place in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is mostly about whether Northern Ireland should be part of the UK or Ireland. It is mostly fought between the Catholics and Protestants.
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the British and English conquests of Ireland stripped native Irish Catholics off their land and replaced them with Scottish and English settlers. This rendered Irish Catholics non-citizen, and they were not emancipated in the United Kingdom until 1829. After the split of Northern Ireland and Ireland in 1920, Ulster Unionists were afraid of betrayal by the UK and that the Irish Nationalists were intent on reunifying Ireland, so Ulster Unionists ran a systematically discriminatory regime from 1921 to 1972 against the Catholics. Catholics were still discriminated after World War II, especially when trying to get government employment and housing.
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the British and English conquests of Ireland stripped native Irish Catholics off their land and replaced them with Scottish and English settlers. This rendered Irish Catholics non-citizen, and they were not emancipated in the United Kingdom until 1829. After the split of Northern Ireland and Ireland in 1920, Ulster Unionists were afraid of betrayal by the UK and that the Irish Nationalists were intent on reunifying Ireland, so Ulster Unionists ran a systematically discriminatory regime from 1921 to 1972 against the Catholics. Catholics were still discriminated after World War II, especially when trying to get government employment and housing.
Key Events
The Hunger Strikes - Some of the IRA prisoners started hunger strikes. The church was especially torn over this because they couldn't decide if hunger strikes counted as suicide. They allowed a Christian burial for those who died of hunger strikes, but convinced families to order resuscitation to strikers who slipped unconscious.
Clonard Monastery Negotiations - Clonard was in the middle of West Belfast, so Clonard priests ministered to the wounded and dying during Belfast riots, and served as important mediators in the conflict. Clonard also served as a secret meeting place for government officials which eventually led to an IRA ceasefire in 1994.
Loyalist Paramilitary Ceasefire - Rev. Roy Magee, a Presbyterian minister, was a crucial figure in mediating direct relations between paramilitaries and the Irish government. He helped broker a ceasefire which happened in October of 1994, six weeks after the IRA’s ceasefire declaration.
Witnesses to IRA Decommissioning - While the 1998 Good Friday Agreement occurred in 1998, it wasn't until 2005 that the IRA decommission its weapons. To verify this, Fr. Alec Reid, a Catholic priest, and Rev. Harold Good, the former moderator of the Methodist Church in Ireland, served as religious observers, and their joint statement boosted public confidence that these weapons were indeed destroyed.
Clonard Monastery Negotiations - Clonard was in the middle of West Belfast, so Clonard priests ministered to the wounded and dying during Belfast riots, and served as important mediators in the conflict. Clonard also served as a secret meeting place for government officials which eventually led to an IRA ceasefire in 1994.
Loyalist Paramilitary Ceasefire - Rev. Roy Magee, a Presbyterian minister, was a crucial figure in mediating direct relations between paramilitaries and the Irish government. He helped broker a ceasefire which happened in October of 1994, six weeks after the IRA’s ceasefire declaration.
Witnesses to IRA Decommissioning - While the 1998 Good Friday Agreement occurred in 1998, it wasn't until 2005 that the IRA decommission its weapons. To verify this, Fr. Alec Reid, a Catholic priest, and Rev. Harold Good, the former moderator of the Methodist Church in Ireland, served as religious observers, and their joint statement boosted public confidence that these weapons were indeed destroyed.
Discussion Questions
1. What are the historical origins of the conflict in Northern Ireland?
The native Catholics were not allowed to be citizens for a while. Northern Ireland was then separated from Ireland which caused discrimination against Catholics.
2. How did domestic forces drive the conflict and its negotiated resolution?
Many religious leaders started to support the war, or they help mediate and convince people to stop fighting because that is against both religions.
3. How important were international religious and political forces?
Many religious leaders, such as leaders form the Vatican City and bishops, came to Ireland to help stop the fighting. Many religious leaders also came from the US. Some people came from Northern Ireland to the US to raise money. These were pretty important
4. What role did socioeconomic factors play?
They showed the world what was going on. It also raised money to help people that were displaced or hurt in the fighting.
5. How did religion intersect with these other factors in driving outcomes?
Religion helped with the moral aspect of ending the war because most religions view killing as a bad thing.
The native Catholics were not allowed to be citizens for a while. Northern Ireland was then separated from Ireland which caused discrimination against Catholics.
2. How did domestic forces drive the conflict and its negotiated resolution?
Many religious leaders started to support the war, or they help mediate and convince people to stop fighting because that is against both religions.
3. How important were international religious and political forces?
Many religious leaders, such as leaders form the Vatican City and bishops, came to Ireland to help stop the fighting. Many religious leaders also came from the US. Some people came from Northern Ireland to the US to raise money. These were pretty important
4. What role did socioeconomic factors play?
They showed the world what was going on. It also raised money to help people that were displaced or hurt in the fighting.
5. How did religion intersect with these other factors in driving outcomes?
Religion helped with the moral aspect of ending the war because most religions view killing as a bad thing.