Reply #107: Religion is definitely part of the conflict [View All]

[muriel_volestrangler]

The early 17th century colonists from Scotland and England in the "Irish Plantation" were Protestant, and were given lands confiscated from any Irishmen (Catholic) who rebelled against the British crown. So this set up a division in which religion was one obvious sign. When James II & VII, the Catholic king of England and Scotland, was chucked out by the Protestant Parliament in England in 1688, in favour of the Protestant William of Orange (with Scotland following England's lead), James raised a Catholic army in Ireland, and the Protestant colonists fought it, with William coming over from England and eventually winning. The land ownership rules were then very discriminatory against Catholics (and other things, like voting, for the small amount of people who could). So religion has been a significant part of the problem for hundreds of years.

When Home Rule was proposed for Ireland, religion was what caused the partition into 'north and south' - the Protestants in majority in the north, said there would be too much Catholic influence in a united island, and threatened civil war if they didn't get it. The Catholics were then discriminated against in Northern Ireland (they didn't ask someone's views on partition or unification before deciding whether to discriminate - it was based on sect) and that eventually led to the civil rights marches, unrest, bringing in the British army, the Provisional IRA, etc.

Religion has been a major factor in the sad story of Ireland for 400 years.