Irish American War

This culminated in the Rebellion of 1798, lead by Wolfe Tone and the Society of United Irishmen, in which Hugh and Jimmy participated: “The road to Sligo. A spring morning. 1798. Going into battle” (445). But, as these characters soon discovered, the rebellion failed resulting in large executions and the passing of the Act of Union in 1800. This piece of legislation, effective from 1 January 1801, brought Ireland under the direct rule of the British Crown.

Even with the potential of minimizing poverty, creating economic growth, and religious equality in Ireland, there are still some down sides that could possibly lead to another yet different type of turmoil. With the wealthy protestants willing to pay for the poor catholic infants this can lead to higher spike in the population growth, once child birth is now considered a business venture, rather than an act of love the poor could knowingly get pregnant with no regards of how they will be able to care for the child, or just to simply make a profit. This pregnancy business will now promote the idea of slavery, which is just one more social dived to keep the rich getting richer and poor

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) will remain a threat to the regional stability of Ireland and England. Ireland’s significance to the United States can be seen through Irish immigration, the role of Irish Americans in politics, and their military contributions throughout the history of the country. Additionally, the conflict in Ireland is of great concern to England. England is a key ally of the United States with strong economic and military ties. According to the United States Census Bureau, 36.9 million Americans claimed Irish ancestry in 2009 (Bureau, 2011). This has the potential to have the American public sympathize with the IRA which could lead to friction between both the United States and Great Britain.

From 1801 to 1922, Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was governed at that time by the UK Parliament. During the 19th century, Ireland experienced economic difficulties, such as, the Great Famine in the 1840s. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, there was a push for Irish Home Rule. This would give the people of Ireland more control that Parliament. In 1919, a war broke out between the republican separatists and the British Government. In 1921, the British Government divided Ireland into two regions: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. There continued to be some upheaval between the Catholics and the Protestants at times.

Great Britain and Ireland had merged under the Act of Union 1801. While the British Empire was changing and liberalizing its system of imperial rule granting greater independence to Canada, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa , Ireland was forced to remain a part of the Union and used as a source of cheaper food supplies and labor, which could not be acceptable for the Irish. In one of his letters, then a future Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli referred to maintaining the boiling Ireland as the Irish Question , and the expression grounded in the language of British politicians of the 19th and 20th centuries, when the struggle for a better life was the key of the Irish politics during the same period. Opposition to the Union in Ireland

The complex situation escalated and became a warfare between many political actors. After the signing of the Anglo Irish treaty of 1921 the very nationalist union of Ireland was joined and the very unionist area of Ireland remained with the six counties part of the United Kingdom.

Loss of parliament caused the Irish people to not trust England and caused a drop in nationalism. Since England was quickly growing industrially, parliament made no attempt to improve or advance Ireland industrially; therefore causing the people to solely depend on farming which rapidly made Ireland a poor country.

Throughout the period of the Troubles, attempts were constantly being made to bring peace to the North, but these were often met with skepticism from the media and the public in general . But finally, after years of seesawing between violence and peace, the Belfast Agreement was signed in 1998 to ensure equality in Northern Ireland. The agreement included the formation of catholic/protestant institutions, dual partnership for both communities, and a power

Unionists feel that if Roman Catholics won The War of the Two Kings and persevered their land to its original state, Ireland would not have a deep-seated relationship with Great Britain. Unionist’s however, are very grateful for these relations and believe it has established them as a great and united country. Historians Moody and Martin state, “The sense of national unity manifested itself in the removal of a number of religious, social and economic disabilities which in the past had been imposed on the Irish Catholics, though it should be quickly added that generosity was checked by caution. Only extreme liberals were prepared to allow Catholics a share in political power” (204). Since Protestants have always recognized and rejoiced the British having a positive role in Ireland, the unity that resulted from the war was viewed as a triumph to Protestants then and Unionists now. After the victory of William of Orange the penal laws were set into place. These laws motived about 5,500 Catholics elite to convert to Protestantism. As the penal laws were solidified into the Irish law system, for the next century Ireland was controlled by Protestant elite, known as the protestant Ascendancy. However, this elite group did not want the majority of Catholics to convert, so the Ascendancy would maintain their high power position. This governmental position lead to protestants powerful political role in Ireland today. Although Nationalism has had many Protestant leaders, Unionists were inevitably always led by Protestant leaders and politicians. The War of the Two Kings set precedence for contemporary Irelands political structure to be centered around religious innuendoes.

The British army made its self well know in Ulster. Republicans and Catholics were feeling the oppression of the British army. It was soon following those Catholic neighborhoods were gassed by military forces looking of subversives. Catholic rights were pushed away causing them and other independent groups to react. This was the creation of the IRA. Citizens wanted to escape from the British tyranny. If the British army wouldn't have oppressed republicans and Catholics than the IRA wouldn't have been formed.

The Irish Republican Army started in Northern Ireland to protect and fight for the rights of the catholic citizens there. Ireland was conquered in 1607 by England, this brought protestant immigrants from England and Scotland. The Protestants quickly came to be the majority of the population. In the 1920s the island was partitioned and Catholics in the north felt that they had been removed from their political heritage. The Protestants felt like they were losing out on resources and wanted to keep control of the north. Neither side was satisfied and problems continued.

Freedom and jurisdiction over what makes up your country is never fully appreciated until it is taken away by another country that thinks they can do it better and more efficiently. Ireland was conquered by the United Kingdom in what seemed to Ireland as a barbaric, and unwarranted way. Ireland’s was made up of a vast majority of Catholics that came to regard their religion as their safe haven when Britain ventured to conform them to new beliefs in every aspect of their lives. Ireland’s beliefs, religions, and political values were extremely valued and stationary in the way they clung to these ideologies up until the Protestants began their colonization. Britain came with the intentions of reforming

This upset a majority of the Irish citizens, whom happened to be predominately Catholic, who felt that they were just that, citizens of Ireland, not subjects of England. They wanted the right to govern freely without British interference. There were, however, supporters of this act as well. These Unionists or Loyalists were made up largely of Protestants. They gladly welcomed the power of the British crown because they felt that they were truly British citizens not Irish citizens.

In Ireland and Great Britain in 1801, the British and Irish governments passed the Act of Union, combining Ireland and England. During the next two hundred years the islands of Ireland and Great Britain will change with war, terrorism, and riots in Northern Ireland. During the mid 1800’s the Irish potato famine broke out, more than one million died and more than two million were displaced.

The government in Northern Ireland is made up of all the main political parties according to their strength in the elected Assembly. Responsibility for governing the region is shared today by two political foes: the loyalist Democratic Unionist Party and the republican Sinn Féin Party (Law, RD, 2009).