Conflict between Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the Northern Ireland - Essay Example

Conflict between Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the Northern Ireland Introduction This paper delves in highlighting the conflict that existed between the Northern Ireland and the rebel political movement IRA. It gives the background of the two conflicting bodies illustrating deeply the origin of the IRA political movement alongside other small protest movements that combined to trigger the political movement (Leca 2011, p.77). The paper also gives background information on how the Northern Ireland fought for the nation’s independence from the British colony. The paper further discusses the origin of the conflict between IRA and the Northern Ireland highlighting the primary motives of the conflicts and the general effects of the conflict after the years of war (Bew & Frampton 2009, p.45). The paper has stated that the primary aim of the battle was due to rising discrimination of the small minority Catholic group who claimed that their political freedom was thwarted. Also, they were hindered from active political participation in the nation’s political agenda. The paper also indicates that the other motive of the conflict was due to the diversity in ideologies between the Protestants and the Catholics. One group backed the support of the British rule in the country while the other wanted total freedom and full control of the country (Behan 2004, p.56). This, as the paper suggest led to inequality in resource allocation for the individuals in the southern part who were economically disadvantaged, and most of the residents were in acute poverty besides being politically sidelined. This paper also further discusses the troubles that existed as a result of the conflict and it tends to respond to the notion that the development of large protest groups acts as a prerequisite to the development of political violence in a country (Yarn 2014, p. 317). Background information on Northern Ireland & IRA Northern Ireland is among the four great countries of the United Kingdom and is situated in the northeast of the island of Ireland. The country attained its independence in the year 1921 from the British Colonies under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. The state is comprised of six provinces and forms part of the region of Ulster. The majority of its kin have a place with one of the two groups: the Protestant relatives of Scottish and English pilgrims and a primarily Catholic group (Primo 2012, p. 65). Religious and social customs merge with governmental issues. Unionists, comprised mainly of Protestant, need Northern Ireland to remain some piece of the UK. Patriots, Roman Catholic, have customarily supported union with the Irish Republic. Though a section of the UK, Northern Ireland oversees a significant number of its issues along its lines, including the education system (Whitten & Kellstedt 2009, p.122). The country is slowly trying to come from the great conflict with IRA, which was famously known as “The Troubles.” The country is in the process of implementing a peace deal with the group so as to cease fire. The IRA (the Irish Republican Army) is a Catholic paramilitary association whose objective was to constrain the British out of Northern Ireland and to be brought together with the Republic of Ireland. This relationship has existed subsequent to 1919 and is said to be in charge of the deaths of more than 1,700 individuals somewhere around 1969 and 1993. The IRA has acknowledged roughness against regular citizens as methods in the battle for autonomy over the years (Behan 2004, p.200). IRA is a nationalist organization devoted to the integration of Ireland as an independent and complete unit formed by Michael Collins in 1916 from the remnants rebel units after the Eastern Rebellion. The group was initially comprised of militant members of the Irish Volunteers but later it transformed into a military wing of the Sinn Féin after the independence of Northern Ireland Republic (Bew & Frampton 2009, p. 67). Sinn Féin is the political party in Northern Ireland which has had the nearest cling to the IRA. This gathering has official MPs who are lawfully chosen for Parliament in London. Notwithstanding, they have declined to sit down there as a dissent against British political and military vicinity in Northern Ireland. To go to London would imply that they acknowledge being a piece of the union and that they would swear steadfastness to the Queen (Leca 2011, p.96). After the formation of the Irish Free State, IRA became one of the intransigent opposition group in Ireland and during the periods of conflicts for the fight of the Free State and the separation of the Northern Ireland, its troops claimed responsibilities for several bombings, street battles and raids in the Irish borders (Geraghty 2000, p.30). The IRA group was later divided into two which were the “the majority” who had the view of a United Socialist without the use of violence Ireland and the “Provisionals” who had the view that terrorism was the way for unification of the country’s citizens. By the year 1972, the Provisionals continued with their terrorist attacks, and they carried numerous bombings and assassinations that they spread to England killing several innocent civilians (Yarn 2014, p. 308). This they claimed was due to the continued resistance of the British in their control of the Northern Ireland as their government continued to suppress the Catholics who were against the control. It is however noted that despite their continued terrorist attacks for a long time, IRA decided to cease fire in the year 1994 and this gave way to peace talks between the two opposing bodies to end the attacks (Lupia et al. 2011, p. 467). In 1998 IRA’s political movement, Sinn Féin was given an opportunity to take part in the peace talks. Later, that resulted in the formation of New Northern Ireland Assembly which comprised of both the Protestants and the Catholics. However, there was a mutual and coexistence between the two bodies (Yarn 2014, p. 316). Origin of the conflict The history of the Northern Ireland is traceable all the way back to the 17th century when England took the control of the island. This led to the colonization of most of the states in the island by the English and the Scottish Protestants. Amid the 1800s, the north and south became further separated because of financial contracts (Eriksson 2009, p. 88). On the North, the standard of living rose as industry and manufacturing prospered. However, in the South the unequal circulation of land and assets, Anglican Protestants possessed the majority of the area, brought about a low standard of living for the extensive Catholic populace. In 1801, the Act of Union made Ireland a piece of the United Kingdom (Tonge 2013, p.69). The Catholics were smothered through prejudicial laws and regulations, and they began a few uprisings that were quickly squashed by the police and the British Army. The wish for independence became stronger and stronger, and England had more trouble in controlling the defiant Irishmen (Green 2005, p. 40). After a time of guerrilla war, an assertation was made with England for Irish freedom in 1921. The main condition was that the six districts in the North (Ulster) were to stay in the union with Great Britain. This was of done because the greater part of the North was Protestant and needed to keep the bond with Britain (Yarn 2014, p. 310). In Ireland, this choice stirred solid emotions and difference tossed the nation into an ordinary war. Numerous Irish fondled that giving the North would intend to sell out that area. Political division of Northern Ireland from whatever is left of Ireland did not come until the mid-twentieth century, when Protestants and Catholics separated into two warring camps over the issue of Irish local rule (Leca 2011, p. 99). Most Irish Catholics coveted complete independence from Britain. However, Irish Protestants dreaded living in a nation controlled by a Catholic majority. In an endeavor to placate both groups, the British passed the Government of Ireland Act in 1920, which isolated Ireland into two different political states, each with a few forces of government toward oneself. Ulster Protestants acknowledged the Act and rejected by Southern Catholics, who kept on requesting aggregate independence for a united Ireland (Behan 2004, p.56). Due to the rise of guerrilla warfare between the British forces and IRA, a treaty was signed in 1921 which created the Irish Free State and the Northern Ireland which was still attached to UK. The Conflicts (The Troubles) and the Ceasefire The conflicts that existed between the Northern Ireland and IRA was principally a social and social one. Religious teachings are not an issue between the Catholics and Protestants (Leca 2011, p.100). For a long time, the Catholics have been lavishing in acute poverty, morally and emotionally abused and lack employment. Again, the Protestants have spoken to the severe British side comprising of the favored classes in the public arena with better occupations, brighter opportunities, and better wages (Behan 2004, p.205). So the contention was cultural, social and verifiable as opposed to religiously motivated. The people’s desire for better living and better education enlarged the disparities between the states, and this was further highlighted by the inequalities in the opportunities. In the 1960s, the ridge went fiercely between the states. The Catholics felt discriminated against and suffered the denial of civil rights and equivalent treatment with the Protestants. Protestants, notwithstanding, saw this activity as an incitement against them as a community, and the circumstance got beyond control. The period after 1968 has been known as the Troubles. British soldiers came in 1969 to convey the request to society, however shockingly they took sides and the victimization of Catholics went on (Ramsbotham et al. 2001, p. 496). Terrorism and homicide were completed both by amazing Catholics and compelling Protestants. Numerous regular citizens have been harmed or executed. Individuals associated with being terrorists could be kept in internment for quite a long time without a trial. A great number of people who were found were Catholics and the soldiers vicinity in Northern Ireland to a large extent incited the Catholics (Lupia et al. 2011, p. 499). This conflict escalated till past the year 1998. This war led to the emergence of such organizations such as the IRA, which gained several members in the mid-1970s thereby becoming more violent and uncontrollable. Moreover, they mainly fought against the notion of British withdrawal and the Irish Unification. They had the view that the only way of getting their rights was through prolonged warfare. They got backing when other groups such as Ulster Defense Association (UDA) and the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) decided to use violence to pursue their objectives (Bew & Frampton 2009, p. 77). The milestone 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement gave Dublin a voice in the verbal confrontation about Northern Ireland. By the mid-1990s, London and Dublin had made plans to start multi-party talks. Paramilitary truces and months of tiring haggling culminated in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement (Tonge 2013, p.150). The arrangement tended to contrasts over national identities in Northern Ireland, and the association with Dublin, which surrendered its established case to Northern Ireland. The execution of the understanding has been convoluted, and the agreement was suspended in 2002 in the midst of a line overcharged exercises of the Irish Republican Army, the IRA. Power Sharing Agreement was however reached after the Good Friday Agreement despite the initial challenges experienced in its implementation and peace was restored (Yarn 2014, p. 316). Concepts and Analysis As noted initially, the conflict that existed in the Northern Ireland was not based on the religious diversities but rather it was based on the national identity and the Ireland borders and not on the individual’s religious grounds (Green 2005, p. 43). The goals for the individuals was to ensure that Northern Ireland remained within the territory of the United Kingdom while that of IRA movement was to ensure that Ireland attained full independence and should be detached from the control of the United Kingdom and also the rights of the minority Catholic group is maintained. These two groups were prepared to use violence in fighting for their goals that had incompatible ends (Naess 2010, p.149). From this illustration, it is noted that a small group of individuals having a united political motive have the capacity of instigating an overall country’s political violence. It was apparent that the two groups had divided opinions of the political rule of the country. One group was favored at the expense of the other thereby leading to inequality both in resource distribution rights and each group resolved into fighting for their rights and opportunities (Yarn 2014, p. 313). The smaller protests between the IRA groups and the Northern Ireland which is mainly compost of the Protestants, led to the development of a perennial war that was politically instigated. The main driving force for the two groups was not for their religious benefits but to ensure that there were equal political opportunities for every individual. From this incidence, it is therefore noted that for the development of political violence in a country, there must be a wider protest by different groups of individuals in the state. It is these groups that will influence the others to revolt if their rights or privileges are thwarted by any given ruling body in a state (Green 2005, p. 49). The case that existed between the IRA and the Northern Ireland is a true indication of the origin of riots and violence. This occurs in different countries when the general views of the public are not respected and when different opinions are not merged to find a lasting solution to a particular problem that might be affecting a section of the society Behan 2004, p.199). The main paramilitary group as have been highlighted in the above conflict is the IRA which represented the views of the Republicans due to the discrimination of the Catholics who were the minority in the country (Lupia et al. 2011, p. 469). It was realized that during the conflict that resulted in the guerilla war, there was split of the IRA which occurred due to the differences in the individuals’ ideologies on the various political recognitions between the two conflicting groups of Protestants and the Catholics. As noted by Brendan Behan, the main agenda in any of the IRA meeting after 1969 was how to spearhead the split. The main ideological difference in the political game that existed was that the old IRA recognized the authority and the power of the Irish parliament which the new IRA disregarded as being discriminatory and had traditional form of rule (Leca 2011, p.105).From this kind of difference in the opinions within a smaller group is a sufficient reason that can instigate an outflow of a political violence in the country. This is because, from the split in the small political group, the negative influence can overflow to the other smaller groups who have similar ideologies that will widen the split in the small political groups (Whitten & Kellstedt 2009, p.127). Gradually the development of these divided opinions will eventually result in a huge political revolt that can change the views of the less suspecting individuals also to join in the revolt. In any country, therefore, the small political protests can result in a large negative movement that eventually brings about a political violence as every individual from the different political diversities will be fighting for their opinions to be considered (Bew & Frampton 2009, p. 100). Some will also fight because their ideas and views have been ignored and thereby they will feel discriminated against while a group may be considered. This kind of difference in political ideologies can therefore result in a political violence that might lead into a guerilla war as that which was witnessed during the conflict between IRA and Northern Ireland (Bew & Frampton 2009, p. 79). By the mid-1960s, there were few developments to extend Catholic mindfulness and investment in Northern Irelands legislative issues. One of the movements among them was the NICRA. However others, including the Social Democratic and Labor Party (SDLP), the Campaign for Social Justice, and the Peoples Democracy were all supporting the arrival of Catholics to the ballot and the redoing of Northern Irelands legitimate structure to give more equality to Catholics (Geraghty 2000, p.36). Moreover, as noted Northern Irelands Prime Minister, Terence ONeill, had dispatched a symbolic campaign to enroll Catholic backing for the Unionist Party. Amid his residency in office (1963-69) he endeavored to move toward a more prominent settlement with the Catholic group by offering constrained changes that were mainly monetary in nature however some were political changes. These changes, while insufficient for a large portion of the Catholic group, did result in the Catholic Nationalist Party closure its twenty-five-year blacklist of Stormont in 1965 (Green 2005, p. 42). It is further realized that the overwhelming Unionist Party in Northern Ireland was not sufficiently differentiated from its Protestant bolster base to securely bridge the gap that existed between the Catholics and Protestants by offering economic and political changes (Bew & Frampton 2009, p. 89). This can be seen in the cruel talk and retaliations from hard-liners in the Protestant group. One such hard-liner, the Protestant fundamentalist pioneer Ian Paisley, expressed that ONeill was offering the Protestants down the river with his change campaigns. By utilizing the dangers of ONeills changes; NICRAs activities, which Paisley believed was simply a spread for the IRA (Tonge 2013, p.159). The SDLPs require an Irish measurement to Northern Irelands governmental issues, the Protestant fundamentalists divided the Unionist front through their making of the hard-liner Democratic Unionist Party in 1971 (Eriksson 2009, p. 91). From this kind of incidence by the Northern Ireland government, the formation of the small political movements triggered the anger of the Catholics who for a long time felt that they have been sidelined in the ongoing political activities in the country. From such political groupings, individuals can form alliances that can easily result in massive protests movement that can trigger the political tension in any given state. This is because from the small political groups, individuals will merge their ideologies and propose as a strategy that can result in a political violence with claims that they are fighting for their political rights or for the political rights of their political parties that have been neglected (Naess 2010, p.155). As witnessed in the case of the Northern Ireland prime minister’s false promises to the Catholics for equality in the political structure, while in the real sense, he just offered a few chances to lure them into accepting their ideologies. The Catholic group can revolt against the governing body easily by forming a group of defecting individuals through the IRA, which causes political violence such as that which was witnessed. The same applies to any state where the governing council gives its citizens false policies during the political campaigns, but after the election, none of them is implemented (Green 2005, p. 44). This can trigger the formation of protesting groups inform of political parties or trade unions and through these movements, the individuals can cause the development of political violence that is geared towards the leaders. Another incidence of the formation of a large protest movement during the conflict was luck of loyalty among some formed groups of similar ideologies. It is recorded that among the oldest loyalist paramilitary organization in Ireland is the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). This movement was formed after World War One by some volunteer individuals who had decided to fight in defense of their British identity after the independence in case of any attempt to make them form a united Ireland (Green 2005, p. 44). This group was highly against the formation of a unified Ireland and a total detachment from the British colony as was being proposed by the Catholics through IRA. Till 1969, UVF was not considered to be a terrorist group but after their violence attacks on the Catholics in the process of responding to the IRA campaigns, they triggered violence and some of their members were noted to be terrorists (Geraghty 2000, p.36). These protests led to the formation of another paramilitary group called the Ulster Defense Association (UDA) which was also a Loyalist group and their motive was defense against the threats of IRA due to the persistence of the British government to consider their plea (Behan 2004, p.200). The formation of the splinter defense groups significantly supports the notion that the development of political violence in a country or state requires the context of a larger protest movement. This is because the defense groups or unions were being formed with motives of safeguarding the loyalties of the union’s ideologies and their political views (Bew & Frampton 2009, p. 100). If a section of the members deviated from the main motive of the group, a new loyalist group was formed. The formation of such protest groups stands a chance of triggering a much larger political violence as was witnessed in the case of IRA and Northern Ireland. In any political movement, a union is expected to hold to a common ideology and a unified motive, once the members have divided opinions and views, there are high chances of division within the group and thus leading to more new unions that will eventually start fighting against one another (Tonge 2013, p.232). Such internal political fights among the groups will thereby trigger a political violence in the country which can result in political wars. Therefore from a single protest movement, several opposing unions can be formed which when merged with the varied diversities, result in a political violence and political war (Yarn 2014, p. 318). Lack of loyalty to a political movement can also lead to the emergence of many other political unions because in the absence of loyalty and trust among the members, will provide leakages for information to spread to the opponents camp and this can trigger a revolt and violence (Eriksson 2009, p. 124). It is important to highlight here that the formation of an unjust jury by a governing body of a state can also trigger much of the political violence in a state. This is because lack of justice for the victims of the violations of the rights can lead to loss of confidence in the government and hence individuals can form splinter groups like those formed by the Catholics during the conflict in Ireland to revolt against unjust rulings made (Naess 2010, p.155). One such example that stimulated the political violence in Ireland during the conflict was the introduction of the Internment without trial by the Northern Ireland government in 1971. In this Act, the British army was instructed to carry out random raids with the focus on the Catholic communities. This kind of raids resulted in Bloody Sunday killings in Derry in 1972 when a group of British soldiers stormed a Catholic crowd killing several (Geraghty 2000, p.33). These raids escalated the anger and violent demonstrations by the Catholic groups as they viewed the incidences as inhuman and gross violation of their human rights. Such kind of acts by governing bodies of countries can easily result in the formation of several small revolt groups or unions which can fight against the government in the process of claiming their human rights (Leca 2011, p.105). As such, the small union groups can form large protest movements of people whose rights and justice have been denied and merge to form a large revolt gathering that will gather resources to fight against the government. These kind of political fights will eventually lead to political violence where different union groups turn against the dictatorial governing body to claim their rights and justice. Under natural circumstances, such political violence results in several deaths, destruction of property and thousands of injuries of the innocent citizens (Green 2005, p. 54). Conclusion From the above illustrations and discussions, it is evident that the conflict that existed between IRA and the Northern Ireland resulted in several innocent killings and damages of property. The primary motives of the attacks were politically instigated because there was significant discrimination of the Catholics who were opposing their colonial oppression. The formation of the small protesting groups in the country led to the escalation of the political violence as the individuals were fighting for their rights and equal opportunities in the government. The rise in the political tension in the country was stimulated highly by the small political and union groups that merged to trigger the individuals into fighting. As illustrated above, it is evident that the rise of numerous protesting groups in a country forms a firm basis for the overall development and rise of the country’s political violence. This was the case that existed in the above-discussed conflict between the Northern Ireland and IRA. The rise of the political groupings such as MICRA, SDLP, UVF, UDA merged to trigger the political violence. This, therefore, affirms the notion that the development of political violence requires a context of a larger protest movement. Bibliography Behan, B 2004, Europeanization and Conflict Resolution: Case Studies from the European Periphery, Academia Press, New York Bew, J., & Frampton, M 2009, Talking to Terrorists: Making Peace in Northern Ireland and the Basque country, Columbia University Press, New York Eriksson, A 2009, Justice in Transition Community Restorative Justice in Northern Ireland, Willan Pub, Uffculme Geraghty, T 2000, The Irish War: The Hidden Conflict between the IRA and British Intelligence (Johns Hopkins ed.), Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore Green, S 2005, Information sources of political science (5th ed.), ABC-CLIO. Santa Barbara Calif. Leca, J, 2011, Political Philosophy in political science: Sixty years on Part II: Current features of contemporary political philosophy, International Political Science Review, Vol.5 (1), pp.95-113. Lupia, A., Druckman, J., Green, D. & Kuklinski, J 2011, Cambridge Handbook of Experimental Political Science, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Naess, A 2010, A Systematization of Gandhian Ethics of Conflict Resolution, Journal of Conflict Resolution, Vol.34 (6), pp.140-155. Primo, D., & Clarke, K 2012, A Model Discipline: Political Science and the Logic of Representations, Oxford University Press, Oxford Ramsbotham, O., Woodhouse, T. & Miall, H 2001, Contemporary Conflict Resolution, Polity Publishing, New York Tonge, J 2013, Northern Ireland Conflict and Change. (2nd ed.), Taylor and Francis, Hoboken Whitten, G., & Kellstedt, P 2009, The Fundamentals of Political Science Research, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Yarn, D 2014, Transnational conflict resolution practice: A brief introduction to the context, issues, and search for best practice in exporting conflict resolution. Conflict Resolution Quarterly Journal, Vol.10 (5), pp.303-319 Read More