Clear this up for me?

[Discoteque]

Okay a question. I've been watching all the stuff going on (yet again) in Northern Ireland, with those kids trying to get to school and all, and....just, well. *DAMN.*

I hope I'm not starting a big political debate by asking: I always hear about *northern* Ireland, never *southern* Ireland...why is that? Is it because S. Ireland is not controlled by Britain or something?

Simple answers preferred, please! I'm just tryin' to unnerstand...

 

[u2popmofo]

Maybe because there is no "Southern" Ireland. There's Northern Ireland, and Ireland. Ok, that was my sarcastic remark. Most of the problems/terrorist attacks of the past have happened in the north towards the British, or so it seems. While i majored in International Politics, I had an emphasis in Asia, not Europe so I'm not all that knowledgable of the peace process and problems in Ireland.

 

[DebbieSG]

Here's my best go at this (history buff I am not):

The 26 counties in the southern part of Ireland claimed independence from Britain after a small militant organization that later became the IRA staged the Easter Rising in Dublin in 1916. The new country was first called the Irish Free State when a truce was signed with Britain in 1921. It became known as the Republic of Ireland in 1949. Meanwhile, the Government of Ireland Act of 1920 created a separate parliament for the north (counties of Derry, Antrim, Fermanagh, Down, Tyrone and Armagh), which stayed tied to Britain. These counties have traditionally had a greater Protestant population whose ancestors originated from Scotland, so they have remained loyal to Great Britain.

I believe you can say the Republic government (in the south) isn't a part of the British government.

 

[Achtung Bubba]

Yeah, the Republic of Ireland is definitely NOT part of the UK. In fact, if memory of my history lessons serve, they were neutral in WWII.

The country hated England so much that they would side with them agains THE NAZIS.

The split is HUGE: it's a political struggle , a religious struggle, and a class struggle. Pardon me for painting in broad strokes, but there are the British, who are also Protestant and generally the upper class. And there are the Irish, who are generally Catholic and not in the same economic status.

(For confirmation, read Bono's intro to the collection from the Psalms, page ix.)

It's as huge a rift as two groups can have and still look indistinguishable. And, honestly, it is sometimes amazing the violence didn't escalate further.

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- Achtung Bubba