What is the problem with Ireland?

Show all answers

I should be doing something else

They are called Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, not Southern.

To keep it as short as possible, basically, the whole Island used to be part of the UK.

Ireland became a free state in 1922, but the following day the six counties (now Northern Ireland) chose to opt out due to the Unionist majority (Which was due to the plantation of Ulster which has been mentioned above)

Northern Ireland will remain part of the UK until a majority vote otherwise.

Classicalmusicalfan

Hi, just to add to tzddean's answer - Ireland was originally a set of independent kingdoms and was forcefully taken over by the British through a series of plantations in the 16th and 17th centuries, finally becoming part of the United Kingdom under the 1800 Act of Union.
Needless to say, the plantations caused a lot of problems with the natives, as their land was taken from them and given to the settlers.

slim trim

no problem why is there one that we don't know about??

bluebell

Other answerers have given you good replies. Of course, Ireland did not belong to the UK until it was invaded and taken by force. It is documented quite well, if you like to google for more info. The treatment that the Irish received from the British was pretty brutal, including during famine times when shiploads of grain and produce were sent out of the country for financial gain to the landlords, while the natives who had been dispossessed were left to starve - millions of them. It was not a happy time in our history. It is true to say that the people here now are not responsible for what happened then. However, in spite of long memories, it would be good to move forward together, whether re-united or not, without some gun-totin' balaclava-wearing bully-boys forcing their particular agenda onto everyone else. Re-unification may happen one day, but this is not the way.

tzddean

Once the whole island was part of the UK. A lot of people in Ireland weren't happy with that, and there were various failed uprisings, including one in 1916. This one was because Britain had promised Home Rule to Ireland (i.e. that Ireland could rule itself to a certain extent), but it had been delayed due to the outbreak of WW1.

By 1919, it was clear that most people were dissatisfied with things as they were and they wanted Ireland to be independent. So a war of independence broke out. This lasted until 1921, when a treaty was signed saying that Ireland could become free from British rule, but that allowed 6 counties in the north to opt out and remain part of the UK if they wanted. So they remained part of the UK and the rest became an independent country.

By the way, the two parts of the island of Ireland are Northern Ireland and the republic of Ireland (not Southern Ireland).

Orla C

Don't refer to the Republic as 'Southern Ireland'. It's guaranteed to get people's backs up.

Google De Valera and Michael Collins, and you'll find out what happened.

Alan M, you really haven't got a clue. Don't ever come to Ireland and say that. You might not make it out alive.

scoobie

hi, just to set you set you straight, there are 4 provinces in Ireland. Connaught, Munster, Leinster, and Ulster.There are 9 counties in Ulster of which 6 are occupied by britain.The other three Cavan Monaghan and Donegal are in the Republic of Ireland.(EIRE) .

Sean

British invasion and brutality led to the UK of Great Britain and Ireland way back.

The Republic got their freedom, sort of.

The North haven't yet, but what happened in the last week is not the way.

Don't look to the BBC as your primary source of news for Northern Ireland btw.

fenderbloke

The entire island was formally part of the united kingdom. We were invaded by the british through a series of plantations. The most successful of these plantations was the one in Ulster, resulting in a very high concentration of british protestants. In 1920, a document called the government of Ireland act was passed in westminster which essentially said that the southern 26 counties could have their own government which would answer to westminster, but the remaining 6 counties could remain fully part of the united kingdom. In 1922, at the writing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, David Lloyd George threatened michael collins and arthur griffith, the 2 Irish delegates, with another british invasion unless they accepted the terms of the treaty - which included the partition of the 6 northern counties. Since then, there has been serious hostility between catholics in protestants, but luckily this started to subside in the 1980s and 90s. In the 60s and 70s though, there was bad behavior on both sides. The protestants burnt catholics out of their houses and the government shot students at a peace protest (Bloody Sunday), and the extremist catholics of the Irish Republican Army, or the IRA, used a lot of bombs in belfast. See, since the british media is so much more well known internationally than Irish, the IRA are depicted as the complete bad guys, and what the protestants did is largely ignored. But they were as bad as, if not worse than the IRA. And that's the basic story with the north and south division. And the IRA and government agreed to no more violence in the Good Friday Agreement, 1998. The IRA disarmed in 2002, hence why this group are not just "the IRA", but "the Real IRA" - they did not agree to an armistace.

ME !

England took over eastern Ireland and Ulster many years ago . The Ulster plantation was really successfull. Lots of Scottish people and English people came and settled in Ulster ( northern Irealnd ) because they kicked out the native Irish and gave them crappy houses and very little land. The Irish had to prove their loyalty to teh british crown if they wanted their land .There were so many British people in Ireland that alot of Ulster became protestants . The native Irish people were catholics. The catholics in Ulster wanted to be united with the rest of Ireland but the protestant people wanted to stay as part of Britain. The rest of Ireland was able to break free from British control but they couldnt in Ulster because there were so many protestants living there . Ulster chose to remain as part of Britain . That is why most of Ireland speaks english now except for some areas in the west !

Alan M

It used to be all British but sadly by force the British was forced to divide the country into two. Now the IRA want it all ! Total greed. Only solution is unification again under British rule it seems.
Eduarto-You seem to be upset. see the dopctor.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: