Nothern Island Conflict

The conflict in Northern Ireland is likely one of the most closely watched and hotly debated disputes of our time. Spanning now for over a century, what remains at the root of the conflict is unclear. Many theories have developed over time, yet no one theory seems to adequately describe the complex struggle. The conflict has been divided down many lines; ethnically between the British and the Irish, geographically, between the North and the South of Ireland, and religiously between Protestants and Catholics. Theories that have emerged have pointed to causes such as land claims and a nationalist ideology, ethnicity and culture, and perhaps most frequently, religion when attempting to define the conflict. In fact, what is more likely is that elements of all of these issues lie at the root of what is commonly referred to as "The Troubles". The history of this contemporary conflict is detailed, but impossible to ignore. While different factions of the dispute would argue that the problem began centuries ago, I will examine briefly the history of the "troubles" from the end of the 19th century forward. For much of its history, Ireland has lived under British rule. As the 19th century