Between 1912 and 1920, unionists in the north of Ireland resisted all efforts to force them into a Home Rule Ireland. By 1920, they had won their battle when the Government of Ireland Act established a parliament in Belfast to deal with the internal affairs of Northern Ireland.
From 1920 onwards, the unionists dominated the parliament of Northern Ireland and controlled the area in their own interest.
Protestants Unionists
Landlords, Industrialists
Protestant areas, Schools, Rugby, Soccer
Catholics Nationalists Tenants, Labourers
Catholic areas, Schools, GAA football and hurling
Protestant areas
Catholic areas
Crumlin Rd
Shankill Rd Ardoyne Tiger Bay
Harland & Wolff shipyards
Divis Flats
Anderstown
River Lagan
Catholic and Protestant ghettos in Belfast
Assessing Your Learning
1. What were the two communities in Northern Ireland? 2. What were the Troubles? 3. The Troubles resulted in (i) 1,500 deaths (ii) over 3,000 deaths (iii) 4,258 deaths? 4. What did nationalists demand? 5. Why were unionists opposed to these demands? 6. Name one paramilitary group on the (i) nationalist side (ii) unionist side. 7. What role did the plantations play in causing the Troubles? 8. In the struggle for independence, what did (i) nationalists (ii) unionists demand? 9. Explain the meaning of ‘separate communities’.
See Chapter 26 in the Skills Book for further questions.