Conflict in Ireland essays

Conflict in Ireland essays Conflict in Ireland. 1.)There are two main groups in Ireland, these being Republicans and Unionists. Republicans want Ireland to be free of British rule and for Ireland to be united within itself and have no connections with Britain. Unionists support the union of Great Britain and Ireland and want it to stay that way. Republicans believe that the conflict started way back in the history of Ireland. Observers believe that because Ireland has had a history of conflict then conflict is inevitable. The way in which people involved in the conflict use history can feed the views of people of the present day who are re-fighting battles of the past. However, the views of some historians is that the problem is not history itself but the way people use history. There is an important difference between what actually happened and the way that it is interpreted, and particularly the myths which develop from it. Another difference between the Republicans and Unionists groups is when the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1922 was released, this resulted in a bitter war when the British government partitioned Ireland and created Northern Ireland it caused controversy. Most Unionists didn't want partition, they wanted the whole of the country (including the countries made into Northern Ireland) to be independent of Britain. There was soon to be a war between Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith against other Nationalists who thought the partition was an unacceptable compromise. They didn't want Britain to help Ireland Ireland now because in the potato famine of 1845-51 Britain wouldn't help at all. 2.)The Easter Rising of 1916 is very important in shaping the views of Republicans, Unionists, Protestants and Catholics. It began in the spring of 1916- The IRB were concerned that the issue of Irelands freedom was being ignored because of the First World War. They thought that only armed act ...