SS Assignment

Causes and Consequences of Conflict in Northern Ireland

The essential driving factor behind conflict in Northern Ireland seems to be the fact that people there clearly saw themselves as part of 2 different groups- either Protestants or Catholics. Because there was never an opportunity or effort made to bridge the gap between both groups from the beginning, differences were made for and between them in terms of their living and working conditions, regardless of the fact that these decisions were unfair and biased. In the following paragraphs, we will look at some of the causes of conflict in Northern Ireland.

Divided Loyalties
The lack of common identity between the Protestants and the Catholics prevented them from understanding and cooperating with each other. This situation was worsened by the religious difference that they shared. Most Protestants considered themselves British and wanted Northern Ireland to remain a part of the United Kingdom. This was because the Republic of Ireland was a Catholic country and they feared intolerance of their Protestant beliefs in such a country. The Catholics, however, wanted to be reunited with the Republic of Ireland precisely because of its Catholic beliefs. This was also because they resented the British- as Catholics were mercilessly killed during the English conquest.

Unequal Allocation of Government Housing
Catholics felt that the allocation of public housing by the Councils in Northern Ireland was largely unfair. They argued that the Councils were made up of mostly Protestant officers who deliberately overlooked the needs of Catholic families. The Catholics had to wait for very long before they got their own houses and in some areas, more houses were given to Protestants rather than Catholics. Also, smaller Protestant families were given housing before larger Catholic families.

Unequal Employment Opportunities
Catholics felt that the Protestants were getting the upper hand when competing for government jobs although they were as qualified academically. It was more difficult for the Catholics to land government jobs as compared to the Protestants.

Lack of Voting Rights
The voting system was prejudiced against the poorer Catholic population. At that time, only those who owned houses and businesses had the right to vote in the local government elections. Each household was entitled to 2 votes while companies were given votes according to their size. The Catholics felt that this was unfair as many companies were owned by the rich Protestants and voting districts were drawn up to include a larger proportion of Protestants. This system has since been abolished after a protest by the Catholics.

Lack of Opportunities for Social Interaction
Protestants and Catholics were segregated even in schools. Protestants went to fully funded public schools and Catholics went to private schools that were partially funded. In schools, Protestant children were taught British history and played largely British sports like rugby and hockey. They would sing the British national anthem and were taught to be loyal to the British. The Catholics, however, learnt Irish language and culture and played Irish sports like hurling. As a result, Protestant and Catholic children grew up in different environments and did not have the chance to socially interact with each other.
The Catholics and Protestants have also been living in separate residential areas since the 17th century. Today, almost two-thirds of Northern Ireland’s population lives in areas that are either mainly Protestant or Catholic. This has also contributed to the reduced opportunity for social interaction between them.


The antagonism between the Protestants and Catholics was accentuated due to the above-mentioned factors. Over the years, the situation in Northern Ireland changed from one of peaceful civil rights, to that of multiple outbreaks of violence. These were the consequences of the conflict in Northern Ireland. In the following paragraphs, we will look at other consequences of conflict in Northern Ireland.

Social Segregation
The Protestants and Catholics grew up in an atmosphere of tension and violence. Because they were segregated socially in they ways they lived, worked and played, most people grew up not even knowing or meeting anyone from the other community. Also, because they grew up listening to biased accounts of violence and injustice against them, they become biased individuals themselves. In some cases, they deliberately chose not to mingle with people of the other community because of prejudice or because they worried about the reactions of people of their own community. This hampered the hope of any chance for a future understanding between Protestants and Catholics.

Declining Economy
The economy of Northern Ireland has been adversely affected by the unstable political and social climates in the country. Foreign investors either pulled out of their current operations or steered clear of making any investments in the country. This has created further pressure between the Protestants and Catholics as they lost their jobs due to this. Further antagonism occurred as the richer Protestants had the capital to salvage their situations but the poorer Catholics were disadvantaged and had to wait for long before help came by.

Political Reform
The Northern Ireland government was forced to put into ruling anti-discrimination measures after a number of civil right marches. The government agreed to abolish the unfair voting system and promised to review the allocation of government-owned houses. In 1972, the government went through a suspension that meant that all laws and decisions concerning the country would be made in London. Over the years, an agreement was crafted to introduce power sharing between the Catholics and Protestants to avoid having decisions being made by only the majority group. After a Protestant workers’ strike the following year, the agreement on power sharing was removed. More than a decade later, another agreement was crafted to re-introduce power sharing between Protestants and Catholics. However, this agreement has still not been fully implemented as different political parties refused to cooperate and share power.

The struggle and antagonism between Protestant and Catholic people continues up till today. The only way to rid Northern Ireland of such problems is to come up with a transparent system that treats everyone equally in every aspect of work, play and life; and assures them that people of all races and religions will observe tolerance of each other’s beliefs.