Ever since the Norman Invasion in 1169 Ireland was under British rule and
political power until 1921. Once the British took control over Ireland
other settlers started to immigrant into Ireland, mostly Protestant Scottish
immigrants into the predominately Catholic Ireland. The Scottish moved,
for the most part, into the Northern quadrant of Ireland, and the Catholic
Irish soon became tenants on their own land. In the years to follow, 1798,
1803, 1843, and 1867 small armed rebellions would arise in Ireland protesting
the controlling British rule. However they were all crushed by the dominant
British military. Yet the Irish continued to strive for independent rule,
this strive lead to the development of independent political and military
parties defending both sides. The Fenian movement began around 1860 demanding
an independent Ireland from Britain, this movement was supported by the
Catholics of Ireland for most of the Protestants supported British rule.
For most of the 19th century Ireland functioned under British colonial
control which was carried out through the Stormont rule, the Protestant
unionist rule. This rule immersed the Catholics in discrimination, underprivileged,
and political confinement, in which they continued their armed rebellions
against the oppressive British/Protestant rule into the early 20th century.
In 1912 an attempt at establishing some political power was addressed when
the Catholic's attempted to issued a proclamation on Home Rule in Ireland.
This idea was not only denied but it caused the formation or growth of
even more political parties in response to the growing political
discontent in amongst the parties. The Ulster Volunteer Force was
established to control the rebellious outbreaks from the Catholic nationalist
in 1913, however even more discrimination arose from this formation. The
UVF when enforcing their opinions or thoughts would face no resistance
for the Royal Ulster Constabulary, ( RUC) the British police force in Ireland.
However Catholic groups
would bare the burden and wrath of the police force when they tried
to enforce or voice their opinions. This opposition lead to the formation
of the Irish Republican Army, tired of the Protestant/British burden the
smaller catholic groups united together to form a unified "army" that was
backed by the strongly supported and immensely popular Sinn Fein political
party. The formation of the IRA with the added resistance to Unionist rule
and continued rebellions lead the British to declare "war" on the democracy
that the Sinn Fein party and the rest of the Catholics were trying to establish
in Ireland. Guerilla warfare soon broke out in response to the British
declaration. Finally in 1921 the British Westminister Parliament past the
Government of Ireland Act which split Ireland into two sections. The southern
section which contained 26 statelets and the Northeastern section which
contained 6 statelets. However the British did not completely abandon rule
in the Northern section for the majority of the population was loyalist
Protestants who carried out the British idle of government in the north.
The duration of the Unionist rule in Northern Ireland continued until the
1960's when the Catholics formed the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
in hopes of obtaining equality in the north. In response to the civil rights
marches and demonstrations the Unionist felt threatened, which lead to
violent attaches and outbreaks on the demonstrations and other events.
The violence rose between the IRA and the UVF as the British abolished
Unionist rule and reestablished direct colonial rule in Northern Ireland.
The violence continued as attempts at peace were tried
but never fulfilled. Many innocent people were killed, injured,
or imprisoned during the years to come. One incident shocked the world
during this time of turmoil and strife. One sunday morning in 1972 15 innocent
Catholics were shot and killed in Londonderry by the Protestant army. Not
only did that horrible accident shock the world but through the next decade
the world would learn about the treatment and conditions that the political
prisoners were made to live with in the prison. The accounts and conditions
of the prisons and the honorable fight and courageous attitudes of the
prisoners were remarkable. Although the peace process is still in debate
in the current day, the accounts of the prison still shock the world with
their utterly incomprehensible stories and messages.
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