Ireland, land of two countries
Ireland, land of two countriesIntroduction
Ireland is a country of rich history. The country is majestically, with its green landscape and colorful people. Ireland has a dark side though. The conflict between Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been a problem from before the Middle Ages. Now, the people of Northern Ireland want to be citizens of Ireland and get out of the shadow of England. This will not happen due to the fact that there is a central constitutional problem. Also cultural Identity, economic equalities, religious differences and the problem of day to day life in Northern Ireland. Let me explain the history of the problem to tell why Northern Ireland will never be a united country again.
Analysts
In 1170 Henry II of England tried to attach Ireland to the kingdom of England. He established control in a small area around Dublin known as Pale. Over the next four centuries this area was the beachhead of the kingdom of Ireland, adopting English administrative practices and looked to England for the protection and leadership. Numerous attempts were made to have English rule over the rest of Ireland, but the major expansion did not take place until the sixteenth century. For the Irish clans who disputed the rest of the Island with each other, England became a threat to their sovereignty and customs.
By the end of Queen Elizabeth's reign, a military conquest had established English rule over most of the Island, with the principal exemption of the northern province of Ulster. The Ulster clans had succeeded in overcoming Elizabeth's armies. After a long and damaging campaign Ulster was finally under English control. This caused Irelands leaders to flee to the mainland of Europe. Their land was confiscated and divided up to British colonists. By 1703, less than 5% of the land was still in the hand of the Catholic Irish. Native Irishmen were not allowed in town and were banished to the mountains and bogs on the margins of land they had owned before. The Plantation of Ulster was the introduction of a foreign community, which spoke a different language and a different religion. In this time period was the first the Irish Catholics saw of the Protestant religion. This is when the first conflict of Northern Ireland took place. Two different groups occupied the territory. The Irish believed they were robbed of their land and the English were constantly worried about uprising in the towns. (Cain Web)
The next two centuries were much the same. There were many rising. The Dublin based institution of government - an Irish Monarchy, parliament and government, reflecting those in Britain enforced a series of penal laws against Catholics and to a lesser extent, Presbyterians. In 1801 the Act of union was put into effect and Great Britain took control of the government...
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