Introduction

Hello,

My name is Luke van Reede van Oudtshoorn, and I will be researching how the sectarian conflict of the late 20th Century has effected modern Northern Ireland.

To give a brief background on the situation:

The modern conflict in the region began in the late 1960s, when sectarian riots broke out across Northern Ireland. The situation in the region quickly spiraled out of control, and as sectarian killings and police brutality became ever more common, the government of the United Kingdom decided that it had to restore order. In August of 1969, British soldiers were deployed to Northern Ireland. This move was initially welcomed by the Irish Catholics, because they trusted the British Army more than the local police force (Royal Ulster Constabulary), which was largely made up of Protestants. This welcome was short lived, and the British Army quickly gained a reputation for its heavy handedness and its support for the Protestant community. After the events of 30 January 1972, when British Paratroopers shot 21 unarmed Catholic protesters in Londonderry, the British Army became especially hated.

30 years and over 3,000 deaths later, both sides were getting tired of the fighting. In 1998 the Good Friday Agreement was signed, which finally brought an uneasy peace to the region. The Irish Republican Army (I.R.A), Ulster Volunteer Force (U.V.F), and other minor paramilitary organizations agreed to disarm and share power. The Troubles were over, but the conflict has never really ended. While sectarian murders and car bombs are a rarity in Northern Ireland today, riots and sectarian marches are annual occurrences. Since 1990, over 20 miles of walls have been set up to separate Protestant and Catholic communities, and Belfast especially is still an extremely segregated city. In addition, a dissident Republican campaign continues to try to garner support for the return to armed resistance against British rule, and even if this group is small, they still have the potential to cause havoc on the streets of Northern Ireland. 

I will be travelling to Northern Ireland on 20 February 2016, and will conduct surveys and interviews in an attempt to understand how this conflict has shaped today's Northern Ireland. I hope that my research will allow me to get a glimpse into life in Northern Ireland now, and to see how the relationship between the pro-Republic Catholic community, and the pro-Union Protestant community have evolved since the 1990s. Specifically, I would like to answer the questions: Has there been a significant change in the attitudes of the two communities towards each other post Good Friday agreement? Why does violence continue in the region? And have the Police Service of Northern Ireland (formerly the Royal Ulster Constabulary) become a force trusted by both communities?