Monday 23 July 2018

Territorial disputes: Northern Ireland (Part 21) [Post 106]

With the case of Northern Ireland, the first posts (Posts 86-105) differed from previous analyses presented by this blog series TERRITORIAL DISPUTES. This time the series introduced the relationship between national law and international law. From there, and in light of Brexit, the relationship between the law in the United Kingdom and the European Union.
The following posts will cover different views from people at large, politicians and academics in several disciplines such as law, political science, and international relations. We finish this post by including a very succinct background account, a couple of questions to the reader and sources. Today’s blog presents a brief historical account to provide a contextual reference.
 
Key Dates in Northern Ireland History
What are the roots of the conflict in Northern Ireland? And when did they start? The list of key dates in the history of Northern Ireland below:
 
1170 Settlers from Britain arrive in Ireland
1608 Plantation of Ulster began
1641 The Catholic-Gaelic rising in response to the Plantation and the confiscation of land by Protestant settlers from England and Scotland
1690 The Battle of the Boyne and the victory of Protestant William III over Catholic James II - this victory is still celebrated in many parades in Northern Ireland
1801 Act of Union which abolished the Irish Parliament and bound Ireland and Britain together as parts of the United Kingdom
1912 Ulster Solemn League and Covenant signed by over 400, 000 Protestants who wanted to remain in the Union
1916 The Easter Rising in Dublin against British rule
1921 A treaty leading to the establishment of an Irish Free State of 26 counties, with the 6 counties of Northern Ireland remaining British
1968 The starting point of the present ‘Troubles’ arising, in part, out of the campaign by Catholics in Northern Ireland for civil rights
1998 The Belfast Agreement (sometimes called the Good Friday Agreement)
1999 The setting up of a power-sharing Assembly in Northern Ireland
2002 Devolution is suspended as power-sharing unravels over IRA allegations
2007 Devolution is restored to Northern Ireland
 
Source:
The Northern Ireland Troubles: INCORE background paper (2009)
 
 
The Creation Of Northern Ireland
The Protestant north, fearing becoming a minority in an independent Irish
Catholic state, was preparing to resist Home Rule since the 1880s. In 1921
Unionism succeeded in excluding six of the nine counties of Ulster from Home Rule arrangements. The new Northern Ireland six county administration was the largest area that could comfortably be held with a pro-Union majority17. It was given its own government with devolved powers but the British Government retained ultimate authority.
This had not been a first preference for Unionists in Northern Ireland many of whom saw it as a compromise diluting their position within the Union. Many Nationalists, however, felt isolated and vulnerable within this new Protestant majority state.
 
The Creation Of The Irish Free State
A year later a twenty-six county Irish Free State came into being. The longstanding division between Catholic and Protestant communities had now taken constitutional form. Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State created a new conjunction of majority community with political power. Politics in Northern Ireland under the devolved administration would continue to be dominated by the constitutional question.
 
Source:
Understanding The Northern Ireland Conflict: A Summary And Overview Of The Conflict And Its Origins
 
 
To the reader, following two of our previous posts of this series about TERRITORIAL DISPUTES:
a)   What are the issues at stakes in this a territorial dispute?
b)  Which remedy could be used to solve this particular territorial dispute?
 
For reference to these questions see:
 
Jorge Emilio Núñez
Twitter: @London1701
23rd July 2018

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