Southern attitudes towards Northern Ireland

Résumé du document

Since the creation of the Republic of Ireland in 1922, the territory of Ireland is divided between two parts. The first one, Northern Ireland, is still taking part of the United Kingdom whereas the Republic of Ireland became an independent state. Since then, there is a constitutional conflict about the legitimacy of Northern Ireland as well as the possibility of united Ireland. In the late 1960s, ‘troubles' broke up in Northern Ireland because of this separation as the ‘Bloody Sunday' in 1972 often stands for with the shooting of 13 civil rights demonstrators by the British troops in Derry. Since then, agreements have been signed and the violence seems to have been reduced. In 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was supposed to end the NI problem by releasing the prisoners of the IRA as well as putting a peaceful framework for the probability of united Ireland.

Have southern attitudes towards the NI problem changed significantly since this period? Moreover, it can be wondered to what extent southern understanding of the problem is greater. By southern attitudes, it will be referred to the public opinion in the Republic of Ireland as well as to elite's attitudes.

Extraits

[...] Moreover, it cannot be said if the understanding of NI problem is greater insofar that a ‘revisionism' took place in primary school since the 1970s to construct a special version of Irish identity shaped by a specific interpretation of Irish historical events. Nevertheless, it is difficult to assess southern understanding of the NI problem whereas there is no consensus about the way to resolve the NI problem anyway. To conclude, it can be said that since the late 1960s southern attitudes towards the NI problem did change towards consensus. Elites as well as the population of the Republic of Ireland stayed passive in front of the violence that broke up with the Troubles. [...]

[...] Nevertheless, even if there were some evolutions since the beginning of the ‘Troubles', it cannot be said that southern attitudes are homogeneous and a gap can be seen between elites and public opinion. After having seen how southern attitudes evolved towards the NI problem, let us evaluate if this understanding is greater than it used to be. Secondly, we shall wonder if the understanding of the problem in the Republic of Ireland is now more or less important than it was 40 years ago. On the one hand, it cannot be denied that since the late 1960s, southern understanding of the NI problem has increase. [...]

[...] Have southern attitudes towards the NI problem changed significantly since this period? Moreover, it can be wondered to what extent southern understanding of the problem is greater. By southern attitudes, it will be referred to the public opinion in the Republic of Ireland as well as to elites' attitudes. First, it has to be said if southern attitudes did change since the late 1960s. Then, it will be discussed if the understanding of the problem is greater now. First of all, let us focus on the changes in the southern attitudes composed of elites as well as the public opinion towards the NI problem since the late 1960s. [...]

[...] Nevertheless, attitudes did evolve towards pluralism and recognition of the complexity of the Northern Ireland problem. The Good Friday agreement stands for these changes towards an acceptance of the current partition and a recognition of both opinions of nationalists and unionists. Nevertheless, it cannot be said that there is now a complete resolution of the NI problem. As far as the southern understanding of the problem is concerned, even if it seems to be greater now than it used to be it cannot be said that it is a fully understanding. [...]

[...] Not only is it a conflict concerning national identity but it has also a religious component as well as other factors that shaped its evolution. The Northern Ireland problem is not just a problem between nationalist and unionist groups but it is also a non resolved problem of identity for Notherner people. Inhabitants of Northern Ireland do not feel either British or Irish but rather Notherner Irish. This fact prevent elites from the Republic of Ireland and British elites to understand fully the phenomenon and to find an efficient solution to the conflict. [...]