S/H/60. Accounting for the Longevity of the Troubles in Northern Ireland

This paper examines the political, religious, social and psychological factors contributing to and sustaining the conflict in Northern Ireland. The paper begins with an analysis of the two competing nationalisms present in Ireland before discussing some of the religious and social prejudices which have emerged from this political struggle. Although the paper has a predominantly 20th Century focus, the conflict is contextualised within the broader history of relations between Britain and Ireland stretching back to the sixteenth century.