2008 Woodie Awards
Ireland: Religiously Sanctioned Violence?
Shannon Devane
Issue date: 10/1/05 Section: Opinion
THE BLOODY RIOTING IN NORTHERN IRELAND THIS MONTH is a brutal reminder of the struggles that have been occurring there for centuries. Some tension between neighboring countries is natural, but the differences between the English and the Irish have always been at a dangerous level. Most people are aware that the conflict is taking place between people of the Protestant and Catholic faiths, and while this is true to some extent, it is a serious oversimplification to say that religion is the sole cause. The conflict that has been known since 1969 as "the Troubles" is, at its root, an issue of Northern Irish sovereignty.
In centuries past, the northern counties of Ireland were more heavily settled by English colonists and more widely adopted their customs and religion, whereas in southern parts the most obvious consequence of Crown rule was the placement of wealthy English landlords over the (primarily Catholic) Irish lower classes. Thus the Irish Republic, or "Southern" Ireland, stayed more in touch with its former identity and was better equipped to gain independence from British rule, which it finally did in 1922. Northern Ireland, consisting of six counties historically forming the Ulster region of Ireland, remains a part of the United Kingdom. This is mainly due to the fact that a majority of people living there are Protestants who favor unity with the Crown.
The majority advantage has often been pointed out by the English government to defend itself against accusations of colonialism. In fact, in the Good Friday Accord of 1998, Prime Minister Tony Blair declared that, when the majority tide turns in favor of separation from Great Britain, the United Kingdom will concede. There has recently been speculation among political scientists that this majority is forthcoming, since many youth who are about to reach voting age are either Republican sympathizers or want Northern Ireland to become its own nation. It is important to note that not all citizens want to join the Republic of Ireland. People on all sides of the issue are increasingly frustrated and angry - they have been expecting an imminent conclusion to the quandary for decades, and it hasn't happened yet.
Acts of violence are never likely to cease wherever differing convictions are held. But let us hope that greater understanding of the issues will lead us to realize the nature of these differences, and that the violence committed might no longer be said to have been done in the name of the Lord.
In centuries past, the northern counties of Ireland were more heavily settled by English colonists and more widely adopted their customs and religion, whereas in southern parts the most obvious consequence of Crown rule was the placement of wealthy English landlords over the (primarily Catholic) Irish lower classes. Thus the Irish Republic, or "Southern" Ireland, stayed more in touch with its former identity and was better equipped to gain independence from British rule, which it finally did in 1922. Northern Ireland, consisting of six counties historically forming the Ulster region of Ireland, remains a part of the United Kingdom. This is mainly due to the fact that a majority of people living there are Protestants who favor unity with the Crown.
The majority advantage has often been pointed out by the English government to defend itself against accusations of colonialism. In fact, in the Good Friday Accord of 1998, Prime Minister Tony Blair declared that, when the majority tide turns in favor of separation from Great Britain, the United Kingdom will concede. There has recently been speculation among political scientists that this majority is forthcoming, since many youth who are about to reach voting age are either Republican sympathizers or want Northern Ireland to become its own nation. It is important to note that not all citizens want to join the Republic of Ireland. People on all sides of the issue are increasingly frustrated and angry - they have been expecting an imminent conclusion to the quandary for decades, and it hasn't happened yet.
Acts of violence are never likely to cease wherever differing convictions are held. But let us hope that greater understanding of the issues will lead us to realize the nature of these differences, and that the violence committed might no longer be said to have been done in the name of the Lord.