Help with Northern Ireland please?

Question

Hi there, I am shortly off for RAF selection and have been told they always quiz you on your knowledge of N.I. and what is happening/ has happened there. I realise that it's a broad subject but could anyone give me the bare bones of the situation?

I understand (and I might be wrong) that it is mainly Catholics vs. Protestants, and the former want the British out of N.I. The catholics are IRA and the protestants are UVF (do these have the support of the British)?

What is happening there at the moment, and what is a 'provo'? Thanks for all serious answers!

Edit: after re-reading my question I'd like to say I was not implying that every catholic was IRA and protestant was UVF, apologies! Also I have no intention of taking sides.

Answer 1

The Brits planted the loyalists in Ulster about 400 years ago to serve as proxies and sow dissent among the largely Catholic population. Republicans, not all of whom are Catholic, want to end the illegal occupation by the Brits and want the six counties reunited with the 26 (that is a whole nother story which would take pages to explain). Loyalists, not all of whom are Prods, want to stay part of the UK.

The modern RA rose because in the sixties, when mainly Catholics tried to peaceably march for their civil rights, their marches were met with violence by the loyalists. So began the Troubles. Provos were members of PIRA, which no longer exists, as we have gone the way of politics via our party Sinn Féin working with DUP towards devolution. Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness are our leaders.

Other RAs still exist - RIRA, CIRA and INLA for example - and let us say that they are not convinced GFA will be successful.

Good luck to you, but I hope to never see you in my country.

Answer 2

The Troubles (Irish: Na Trioblóidí) was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast Agreement of 1998. Violence nonetheless continues on a sporadic basis. The principal issues at stake in the Troubles were the constitutional status of Northern Ireland and the relationship between the mainly-Protestant Unionist and mainly-Catholic Nationalist communities in Northern Ireland. The Troubles had both political and military (or paramilitary) dimensions. Its participants included politicians and political activists on both sides, republican and loyalist paramilitaries, and the security forces of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Answer 3

Invest in some books, you'll be earning min 35 grand as an officer - a little outlay now will pay dividends, too broad a subject to understand from the 'bare bones' you'll need to start somewhere around 1916 to get a true picture and develop a coherent understanding of the situation.

Answer 4

No the British do *not* support the UVF - certainly not the British people anyway.

Mainland British (|English, Welsh + Scots) people distance themselves as far as they can from the "Loyalists" in NI. These people do NOT represent Britain.

Catholics (Republicans) want NI to be part of EIRE and Protestants (Loyalists) want it to stay part of the UK.

People in Britain just stay away from the Ireland question generally. If you ask most ordinary British people you'd probably find more support for the Republicans than the Loyalists. We do not support the Loyalists and very few Brits believe NI should stay British.

Provos are terrorists. Paramilitaries who attack civillian targets.

NB:I have noticed from his previous posts that Gortamor is full of bitterness and hatred for British people. Please do some unbiased research, it will do you much more good.

Answer 5

all catholics arent part of the IRA and all protestants arent part of the UVF which are extremist groups in both cases and neither of which have britains support.
the problem isnt religious its political any privileged group wants to maintain its position (protestants in the north) any group which is excluded wants equality (catholics in the north)

Answer 6

Try to be neutral on the subject they are probably after the peace keeping aspects from a services point of view, as a service man you would not be expected to take sides.

Answer 7

This is one world Gortamor- what a narrow viewpoint you have, and before you say anything I'm from Northern Ireland ( the black North as it used to be called, and I can understand why).
I have lived in England most of my life and it gave me sanctuary, so to speak.
There are many good people here who are not bigoted.
Good luck DavyMcb

Answer 8

Protestants want the brits there, catholics hate them and the brits because of this......... "provo" provisional ira or PIRA as they are called ... another division of the IRA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_(1972)

check this out this is when it really kicked off there