Northern Ireland's Conflict
A.K.A "The Troubles"
What was it?
"The Troubles" was a Thirty year conflict between two religious groups involving the political status of Northern Ireland.
The beginning
On October 5th, 1968, two conflicting religious groups marched the same route. They were met by officers, and conflict ensued.
Why were the two groups fighting?
Although this conflict involved Religious groups, it was purely territorial. The Protestant Majority wanted to remain a part of the UK, while the Catholic minority wanted to become part of the Republic of Ireland.
Bloody Sunday
On January 30th, 1972, around 10,000 people gathered for a protest in Derry. Paratroopers were ordered to arrest Rioters, but shot 13 instead. U2 has made a song about this day (see below).
U2 Sunday Bloody Sunday by You-Two
Good Friday
All the fighting ended on April 10th, 1998. An agreement was made to make a Northern Ireland assembly that shared power.
Aftermath
The Aftermath of The Troubles can still be seen in Northern Ireland. There are still walls that separate Protestant and Catholic communities, and Violence still occasionally takes place. There was a total death toll of over 2,000, and around 11,000 total forced migrations.