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| Things To Know Mists of Time From Dublin to Kerry Islands and Lakes Traveling North The Gaelic Lifestyle Divided Ireland |
Divided Ireland
Ireland has been a divided country for long, bitter centuries. The reasons are complex and lie in historical developments
over hundreds of years. The larger, southern part of modern Ireland is the Republic of Ireland, Poblacht na h' Eireann - mainly
Roman Catholic, with a small minority of Protestants and a strong Irish Gaelic culture and identity. After years of stagnation,
the nation is now enjoying economic success and modernization, partly through its early embracing of the European Union.
The smaller, northern part of Ireland is Ulster, or Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. It is
mainly Protestant, with a substantial Roman Catholic minority, and has a culture and identity that is essentially Irish, but
with strong British elements. Ulster Protestants consider themselves Irish but wish to maintain a union with Britain. In Ulster,
Roman Catholics, many of whom wish to be thought of as Northern Irish, are seen by many Protestants as representing a rival
religion as well as representing southern Irish Republicanism. The tensions of this duality in Ulster gave rise to violent
conflict that over some 30 years caused immeasurable suffering. Through the peace process, the 1998 “Good Friday” agreement
created a devolved legislative Assembly for Northern Ireland and a framework for multiparty power-sharing. Violence was largely
eliminated, but continued political conflict led to a temporary reversion to direct British rule.
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