GRIN Today's Political Landscape in Northern Ireland as an Aftermath of the Troubles

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1,3, University of Frankfurt (Main) (England- und Amerikastudien), course: The Troubles in Northern Ireland, language: English, abstract: The formation of two modern states of the island of Ireland clearly dictated that identity should become defined in terms of 'Irish' or 'British', but not both. The disputed status of Northern Ireland invoked a conflict between Irish Catholics and British Protestants which lasted since the 1960s and is today known as the "Troubles". The conflict brought many deaths because the violence was carried out by numerous paramilitary groups. Because of a bad security situation it came to the Abolition of Stormont in 1972, after which Northern Ireland was ruled directly from Westminster. The need for local administration, however, became apparent very soon and there was a common opinion that direct rule should ultimately be replaced: the norm would be a normal government. All political parties that have developed throughout the last decades have a specific notion of the political development of Northern Ireland in general and of the "Troubles" in particular. Main positions of particular political parties in Northern Ireland on these issues will be the subject of this essay. First, however, follows a short characterisation of the political system of the country.