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Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland. A peace in progress ?. 1921 : Northern Ireland became a separate political entity, 20s – 60s : Ulster Unionist party in power, some dissent, ‘ a state of unstable equilibrium’ (p. 109, Collins) 1968 : 1969 – 1972 - marches, demonstrations,. 70s – 90s – violence,

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Northern Ireland

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  1. Northern Ireland A peace in progress ?

  2. 1921: Northern Ireland became a separate political entity, 20s – 60s: Ulster Unionist party in power, some dissent, ‘ a state of unstable equilibrium’ (p. 109, Collins) 1968: 1969 – 1972- marches, demonstrations,. 70s – 90s – violence, 1994: IRA cease-fire 1996: IRA attacks on Canary Wharf April 10 1998: Good Friday Agreement, 22 May 1998: Referendums in Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, June 1999: Assembly elections, David Trimble First Minister, Seamus Mallon Deputy First Minister 15 August 1998: bomb in Omagh, 28 people killed, 2 Dec 1999: Unionist and Sinn Fein enter into Executive

  3. Parties and their politicians • UUP • PUP • SDLP – DUP • Alliance Party Sinn Fein

  4. Stormont – seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly

  5. Civil Rights: determined discrimination against Catholics • Fairer system for allocation of public housing • Extension of local government franchise from ‘householders’ (those who owned or rented houses) to ALL adults; the elimination of multiple voting rights based on ownership of property – one man one vote • End to gerrymandering: this involved the manipulation of constituency geographical boundaries to ensure unionist domination in key local government areas • Legislation to ensure fair and equal opportunities for all

  6. Civil rights issues addressed • Fair Employment Act: NI has the most forceful anti-discrimination legislation in Europe • Yet Catholics still more than twice as likely to be unemployed as Protestants • Independent Housing Executive – • Housing stock improved, segregation of working-class areas on sectarian lines increased; middle-class housing generally remained integrated

  7. The Good Friday Agreement • Key provisions • Constitutional issues • Social Justice agenda • Guns bombs, policing and criminal justice

  8. Constitutional issues • Principle of consent: change in the status of N.I. as part of the UK can take place only with the consent of a majority of its people. Agreed legislative changes: • Repeal of he Government of Ireland Act 1920- claims British jurisdiction over the whole of the island of Ireland • Polls of people of N.I., seven years apart • Referendum in the Republic seek their endorsement of the Agreement, amendment of Articles of 2 and 3 to remove the ‘territorial claim’ over N. I. • Creation of North-South bodies

  9. Different strands to the talks • Strand 1 – structures in N.I. • Strand 2 – N.I.’s relationship with the Republic • Strand 3 – East-West relations; this intended to support unionist commitment to an older common ‘British Isles’ heritage

  10. A new start?? • 70% voted in favour in the North • 90%+ voted in favour in the South • Difficulties over ‘full implementation’ of the agreement

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