The border on the island of Ireland has also become a focal point in discussions surrounding Brexit, highlighting the delicate balance required to maintain peace and economic stability between the UK and the EU. Spanning roughly from the late 1960s to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, it was a period characterized by intense violence, political stalemate, and deep societal division.
Civil Society Peacebuilding in Northern Ireland: Uniting Communities Beyond The Troubles
In response, loyalist paramilitary groups, such as the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), emerged to defend Northern Ireland's position in the UK and target the Catholic community. The creation of the Irish Free State left six counties in the northeast—Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, and Tyrone—as part of the United Kingdom, largely due to their Protestant and unionist majorities.
Periodic political crises have tested the stability of the power-sharing executive, and sectarian tensions still surface in communities. This multi-party accord, supported by both the British and Irish governments, established a power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland, created the cross-border North/South Ministerial Council, and affirmed the principle of consent—that Northern Ireland's position would be determined by its people.
Civil Society Peacebuilding in Northern Ireland After The Troubles
Social Reconciliation and Moving Forward. The Dynamics of the Violence As the situation deteriorated, Northern Ireland became a battleground for paramilitary groups on both sides.
More About Conflicts in northern ireland
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