Instead of reinventing the wheel, I decided to borrow a post from Justin (Steve Stockman's intern at Queen's University in Belfast) on the troubles in Northern Ireland. GOOD JOB JUSTIN! You saved me countless headaches summing this stuff up!
Enjoy! Only 36 days to go!
Why there is conflict in Northern Ireland....
I don't know if I've ever been more fascinated by a political conflict than I am by the one in Northern Ireland. Because of this, I find it necessary to do a few posts about "the troubles" themselves before I get into how I am being personally effected by them. Giving an in-depth history lesson on this silly website would be boring, so I've compiled some small facts and insights that I hope you find as intriguing as I do. If you would like a more in depth history lesson please go here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/troubles/index.shtml
-Northern Ireland has 1.7 million residents. Geographically it’s about the same size as Connecticut but with half as many people
-Belfast is the capital city with 370,000 inhabitants
-Northern Ireland is not Ireland. They are similar yet separate countries. Northern Ireland is part of Great Britain, while Ireland or the Republic of Ireland is its own country. Check out the map
-Most people in the Republic of Ireland are Catholics (about 95%), but nearly an equal number of both Catholics and Protestants live in the North (about 55% Protestant to 45% Catholic). Herein lies the problem….
-The Protestants of Northern Ireland are loyal to Great Britain and to the Crown. They prefer for Northern Ireland to remain under British rule. The Protestants proudly fly the British Union Jack flag.
-The Catholics on the other hand are loyal to the Republic of Ireland. They want Northern Ireland to become independent of British rule and join with the Republic making one unified Ireland. The Catholics fly the tricolor flag of Ireland and have traditional roots in Gaelic language, culture, and sports.
-Things get interesting because Northern Ireland is a very small country and the capital city of Belfast is a patchwork of community rivalries. Most Catholics and Protestants live in divided areas, but in some of the more impoverished areas these neighborhoods are literally on top of each other. There will be 300 yards of a Protestant street flying the Union Jack flag with the curbs painted red, white, and blue, and the next 300 yards of street will be a Catholic neighborhood with signs in Gaelic and the curbs painted green, white, and orange. These streets continue to intersect each other all over the city and the close proximity is a major cause of sectarian violence.
