Britains Small Wars - Northern Ireland (1969-)

[spidge]

Read more here: http://www.britains-smallwars.com/ni/index.html

Britains Small Wars - Northern Ireland (1969-)

Background
The troubles in Northern Ireland date back to the British conquest of Ireland in the 12th Century. The history between then and the First World War is beyond the scope of this sight, but well documented elsewhere. The current troubles have their roots in the nationalist uprising on 24th April 1916, which was brutally suppressed by the british Army. A guerrilla war followed six years later marked by many atrocities on both sides, but most of Ireland won its independence. The Six north-Eastern Counties with a protestant majority insisted on remained part of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland was divided by its population with the Provisional IRA and other terrorist organizations fighting to unite Northern Ireland with the Irish Republic supported by a large majority of the Catholic population who generally oppose the terrorist tactics. The IRA is opposed by the Protestant Majority in Northern Ireland who support the security measures taken by the British Government. The troubles began in earnest in July 1969 when a civil rights demonstration in Londonderry was broken up with great violence by protestant paramilitary police (the B Specials'). Protestants attacked Catholics throughout the province, and the local militia and police stood by, or actively helped.
The British Government intervened, sending the army in to keep order in August 1969. It was welcomed by the catholics who welcomed the protection from protestant violence. After a period of indecision, the government began correcting the civil rights issues of Northern Ireland but encountered heavy opposition from the Protestant government at Stormont. Edward Heath, the Prime Minister, dissolved the Northern Ireland parliament at Stormont in 1972 and the province has been directly ruled frrm London ever since, apart from a brief period when a Northern Ireland Assembly was attempted unsuccessfully in 1974.
In response, the catholics developed No Go areas in Londonderry behind barricades. Behind these same barricades the IRA flourished as new members flooded to their ranks as the world-wide recession hit the Northern Ireland industries.

[handtohand22]

That quote is far from being a neutral apprasial of the terrorist murder campaigns fought in N Ireland from 1969 - 2005. In fact it reads like the diatribe of an Irish republican propogandist. My condemnation of terrorism is universal, in that I do not support, intimidation, sabotage or murder as a branch of politics.

Ireland was never conquered by any group, least of all the British. It has been settled by a series of different cultural groups that included the Celts, the Gaelic Ui Neill (O'Neill) and the Vikings. The British referred to in the opening paragraph were French speaking Welsh (Cambro-Normans) invited over by an Irish chieftan to settle one of the incessant squabbles the 150 Irish chieftans and their dynasties were prone to. But the British connection and the genuine grievances of the Roman Catholic was exploited by republican terrorists in their quest for a united Ireland.

In the past the term 'Well Documented' has always turned out to be a republican interpretation of the historical facts. When republicans state, 'Read your history', they are usually referring to the diatribe they have been spoon fed from the cradle and not the wider spectrum of material I have studied.

I have served in the British Armed Forces for over 30 years, 17 of those years in Northern Ireland. At all times I have honestly tried to understand 'What the hell I was doing there'.

Check out my forthcoming book (Jan 2008) on the subject at

The Last Coleraine Militia

The site is free, I make nothing from the material and the book (280 pages) is also free.

P.S. Kyt, see Chapter 14

Home

This refers to Women in the UDR where women were placed in the front line of a terrorist campaign. Since 2005 I think there has been a retrograde step in placing women on an equal footing with men on the front line.

[spidge]

Hi H to H,

When posting these for comment I usually took a short portion of "background" and pushed people to read the whole content on the site.

It seems this particular piece has been withdrawn for a rewrite. (Your doing?)


Background to the Troubles
Removed, pending rewrite

Look forward to reading all of your book.CheersGeoff

[handtohand22]

Originally Posted by spidge

Hi H to H,

When posting these for comment I usually took a short portion of "background" and pushed people to read the whole content on the site.

It seems this particular piece has been withdrawn for a rewrite. (Your doing?)


Background to the Troubles
Removed, pending rewrite

Look forward to reading all of your book.CheersGeoff

If only I had the power. It is sad to see a site that obviously supports the role of the British Army in Northern Ireland having to resort to using republican biased information on Ireland to write the background. Hopefully the piece will return with a more balanced perspective on Irish history.