What was so bad about the British response to the IRA in Northern Ireland?

Question

Do not prejudge my motives for asking this question, i need info for my college work. I'm looking for information, and possibly statistics, on specific actions the UK government took against the civilian population to combat the IRA. In particular events that alienated people and fueled hatred for the British amongst Catholics.

Answer 1

Go a long way back into history to figure this one out - it's a knot. Shooting thirteen civilians on one day was not a good move by the British ("bloody sunday"), but lots more happened than that. Prior to the marches that ended with bloody sunday there was institutional sectarianism that the brits tolerated, including the built-in majority for protestants in government across the province. For the true story you have to go back at least as far as Cromwell, and possibly as far as Robert the Bruce, and you have to be completely dispassionate as you read it.

Answer 2

I think the British were just a little heavy handed - they were often too violent and sent in the Paras when they didn't need to. If its for an assignment try reading Marc Mulholland - Northern Ireland: A Very Short Introduction. It's quite small but surprisingly detailed - I studied Northern Ireland at uni and found it pretty useful - it's only £6.99 (OUP)

Answer 3

Internment

Answer 4

i havent a clue on the answer to your question!
all i can say, is that i live in a garrison town, and i remember a friend that was training here was killed with some others on an army mini bus that the ira bombed. it was their first posting after the initial training-and they didnt even make it to the army camp they had been posted to. it could have been the school coach that was in front of the army bus, im glad it wasnt the kids but i still lost a friend thru it! thats all i know about the subject...lots of innocent people getting killed thru someone elses politics!

Answer 5

Definitely internment. Has parallels with current day policy about the ineffectiveness of locking people up without trial.

In a wider context many mistakes were made - sometimes with the best of intentions, sometimes without.

Another big mistake was not seeking greater buy-in from our friends across the pond. Contrast their tacit support for Noraid fundraising and their apoplexy about the Saudis, etc funding terrorism.

Answer 6

Back in 1969 when Protestant Paramilitaries attacked innocent and unarmed Catholics in Belfast - the British Army was sent in to protect the Catholic minority. Instead of protecting - a Scottish regiment called the Black Watch (which was predominately Protestant )- raided and wrecked Catholic homes
As the Catholics now realized they had no protection - this created the Provisional IRA - who took up arms to protect their own people. As from there the war began.

Answer 7

Hundreds of years of hurt the British has done to catholic Ireland, e.g the famine, Cromwell, the Black n Tans, Bloody Sunday, Interment, Hunger Strike 1981 etc.

Answer 8

Most of it is propaganda that you hear in your part of the world, otherwise its just like disputes everywhere else.
The government in you region uses it for propaganda to control disputes in your region. Like disputes everywhere on the earth they give them their moment then another somewhere else erupts. its the paranoia- the game- associated with the dispute that no-one enjoys, otherwise people are people and friends and peaceful alike.

Answer 9

What was so bad was the fact we didnt slot a few more of the murdering IRA scum

Answer 10

GO ON THE IRA!