A Brief History of the Conflict

This is a brief outline of important events that have contributed to the conflict throughout the history of Northern Ireland. It is very difficult to cover all of the events and issues that have been a factor in this complicated situation. We are going to start by covering from 1100 to the present. This is the time period which is regarded as the beginning of the conflict. We have brought up several dates and events that have had a significant impact on the crisis.

1169

Norman invasion of Ireland from England, which is generally regarded as the starting point for 'eight hundred years of British oppression.'

1641

Rebellion of the native Irish which resulted in the massacre of Protestants by Catholics. It was this religious clash between native Roman Catholics and Calvinist newcomers with strong Puritan values which became the roots to the present conflict and division .

1690

William of Orange, the Protestant king of England, sealed the division of the religions by defeating the Irish Catholic King James II in the Battle of Boyne .

1690

The Penal Laws were brought into effect. These were meant to deprive Catholics of property, education, the guardianship of children, the control of land, the right to vote, and to exclude them from every position of influence in the State. Permission to say Mass was also restricted to registered priests, of which there was only one in each parish. Catholic "informers" and "converts" to Protestantism were given pensions and rewards .

1791

Formation of United Irishmen in Belfast. This was a radical society that sought to repeal the Penal Laws, to reform Parliament, and to establish an independent Ireland. Initially supported predominately by middle-class Presbyterians in urban areas and later supported by Catholics as the organization expanded its membership .

1795

The Orange Society, which soon became the Orange Order, was founded due to a skirmish between Catholics and Protestants in Armagh County. They held their first demonstration in 1796 and to this day they are a powerful political and economic force in Northern Ireland.

1798

The first Irish rebellion to the Penal Laws was quickly crushed and its leaders were executed or banished to France. The British government saw this rebellion as an opportunity to abolish the Irish Parliament. To later generations this demonstration was perceived as a representation of the uniting of Presbyterians and Catholics in pursuit of an Ireland free from English rule.

1801

The Act of Union of 1801 brought Ireland and Britain together in legislative union and Catholic emancipation was to accompany. However, it took almost thirty years for Catholic emancipation to go into effect. This union also took all legislative freedom away from Ireland.

1845-1847

The potato famine in Northern Ireland occurred. Due to the lack of assistance from England, there was a legacy of hatred towards the English which was passed on to the United States from emigrants of Northern Ireland.

1858

The Irish Republican Brotherhood, also known as the Fenians, was formed. It was formed due to English indifference to Ireland's sufferings. It was the first revolutionary group dedicated to the establishment of an Irish Republic.

1885>

Gladestone was convinced of the merits of Home Rule, but his first Home Rule Bill was defeated in 1886 in the Commons, as was his second bill in the Lords in 1893. The third Home Rule Bill was finally passed in 1912.

1893

The Gaelic League was formed by Douglas Hyde and others. It was formed to revive the Irish language and culture as a reaction to the dominance of English culture throughout Ireland.

1912

The Home Rule Bill is finally passed through Parliament. This Bill called for Irish self-government under the English Crown. However, the British Parliament retained major powers over Customs and Excise, full control of taxation, the power to alter or repeal any act of the Irish Parliament, and the sole right to make laws for most things. Opposition grew rapidly to this Bill and a half-a-million Protestants signed a 'Solemn League and Covenant.'

1914

World War I broke out causing the Home Rule Act to be taken out of effect for its duration. Both the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Irish National Volunteers (INV) fought in France under the Crown.

1916

During Easter Week the Irish Volunteers executed an uprising to implement Wolfe Tone's teachings about taking advantage of England's difficulties. It led to a week long battle which was not supported by the Dublin working class. However, due to executions of the 16 Risings' leaders Irish support swung away from the British.

1920

The Government of Ireland Act was rejected. This was to bring about the partition of Ireland.

1921

The Anglo-Irish Treaty was passed. This treaty led to the creation of the Irish Free State, which gave Ireland dominion status such as that of Canada. However, Northern Ireland was given one month to express a desire for exclusion, therefore it made partition possible. The treaty was only passed after heavy debate and a brief, bloody civil war; the British wanted it, the Irish did not.

Over the next fifty years, the IRA launched and continued a campaign of murder and violence aimed at undermining the authority and effectiveness of the new government. Catholics were also continually oppressed under a Protestant Parliament for a Protestant people in which Catholic representatives had no prospect of exercising political power. This provides evidence that the two parts of Ireland were growing further apart.

1937

The constitution of 1937 stated that the South would advance from Dominion status. Through the Constitution, the South would become a republic in 1949, leaving and having no connection with the Commonwealth. The Constitution also encompassed Catholic social teaching to some extent. An example of this would be that divorce was outlawed.

1968

The first Catholic Civil Rights March took place. Four Thousand people marched from Coalisland to Dungannon singing 'We Shall Overcome.' It was supposed to end in a rally in the market place, but police stopped it due to a Paisleyite counter demonstration.

1971

Reverend Ian Paisley founded the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

1972

January 30 became known as Bloody Sunday. The British army shot 13 unarmed Catholic civilians during a civil rights march in Derry.

The Stormont Government is abolished by the British Government who then imposed direct rule on Northern Ireland.

11 people are killed by IRA explosions in Belfast. July 21 will forever be known as Bloody Friday.

1974

Sinn Fein was legalized as a political party.

1979

The United States State Department banned the sales of arms to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (the police force for Northern Ireland).

The government proposed a constitutional conference for Northern Ireland and later published a consultative document for a constitutional conference.

1980

Margaret Thatcher and Charles Haughey participated in a Summit meeting in London. During this meeting, Haughey agrees that any changes in the constitution of Northern Ireland must wait approval by the people who live there.

1981

The building of the permanent brick "Peace Line" is begun by the British Army. This is a wall meant to divide Protestant from Catholic West Belfast.

1983

The Irish Government announced that it will set up an All-Ireland Forem, along the lines suggested by the Social Democratic and Labour Party.

1984

The New Ireland Forum Report was released in Dublin. The report explored possibilities for a future Ireland, adopted the principle of free consent, and offered options of a unified Ireland, a confederation of two states, or joint authority. However the Irish were humiliated when Margaret Thatcher rejected all points of the Forum at the Thatcher-Fitzgerald summit in London.

1985

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Irish Taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald signed and the British and Irish Parliaments ratified the Anglo-Irish Agreement. This agreement stated that there could be no change in the status of the North without consent from the majority and that 'determined efforts would be made to resolve any differences' under the framework of the intergovernmental conference.

1987

Extradition Act was ratified between Britain and Ireland.

1988

All political parties, except Sinn Fein were brought together at a conference at Corrymeela.

1989

The Prevention of Terrorism Act is made permanent by the British Parliament.

History From 1990 On

Political Parties and Their Views

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