Sarah Mitchell
Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland, which is predominantly Catholic, and Northern Ireland, which is predominantly Protestant. The two regions have a complex history of cultural, economic, and linguistic differences, with Northern Ireland sharing cultural ties with both Ireland and the United Kingdom. While Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, it has a significant Catholic nationalist population that identifies more with Ireland, creating a complex dynamic between unionists and nationalists within the region.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Religion | Northern Ireland: 40.8% Catholic, 19.1% Presbyterian Church, 13.7% Church of Ireland, 5.0% Methodist Church, 5.8% other Christian churches, 17% no religion or did not state a religion, 0.8% non-Christian religions |
| Southern Ireland: 90.4% Christian, 84.2% Catholic | |
| History | Northern Ireland: created in 1921 when Ireland was partitioned by the Government of Ireland Act 1920 |
| Southern Ireland: became the Irish Free State in 1922 and an independent republic outside the British Empire in 1949 | |
| Population | Northern Ireland: 40.8% Catholic, 57.5% Protestant, 1% Catholic voters in 1981 |
| Southern Ireland: 84.2% Catholic | |
| Politics | Northern Ireland: Unionists want to remain in the United Kingdom, Nationalists want a united independent Ireland |
| Southern Ireland: Catholics rule | |
| Economy | Northern Ireland: more industrialised, higher unemployment (peaked at 17.2% in 1986), similar to the rest of the UK |
| Southern Ireland: N/A | |
| Culture | Northern Ireland: influenced by 17th-century British culture, Ulster Scots heritage and dialect, indifferent or hostile towards Irish cultural phenomena |
| Southern Ireland: N/A |
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What You'll Learn
Northern Ireland is predominantly Protestant
The Presbyterians are the largest Protestant denomination in Northern Ireland, making up more than one-fifth of the population. The Anglican Church of Ireland is the second-largest denomination, comprising about one-sixth of the population. The rest of the Protestant population is distributed among numerous smaller religious groups.
Historically, the region now known as Northern Ireland was inhabited by predominantly Catholic Gaels. However, in 1169, Ireland was invaded by Anglo-Norman forces, marking the beginning of centuries of foreign dominance. During the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century, Protestant British settlers colonized counties in Ulster, establishing a lasting Protestant community with ties to Britain. This community was predominantly made up of descendants of Scottish, English, and Huguenot settlers, as well as Gaels who converted to Protestantism.
The main political divide in Northern Ireland is between unionists and nationalists. Nationalists are predominantly Catholic and seek to unify Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland, independent from the United Kingdom. This division has resulted in significant cultural, economic, and linguistic differences between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The "Troubles" refer to a period of violence between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, which lasted for about thirty years and resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries. This conflict was driven by the tensions between unionists and nationalists and led to the creation of "peace lines," or permanent structures aimed at separating warring factions.
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Southern Ireland is predominantly Catholic
Ireland is divided into the Republic of Ireland (Southern Ireland) and Northern Ireland, with the latter being a part of the United Kingdom. Southern Ireland is predominantly Catholic, with 84.2% of people identifying as Catholic in the 2011 census. On the other hand, Northern Ireland has a history of British rule and is predominantly Protestant, with 40.8% identifying as Catholic in the 2011 census.
The division between a Catholic South and a Protestant North goes back centuries. When Britain ruled Ireland, it planted Protestant settlers, mostly from Scotland, to bolster its control. These settlers, known as Scots-Irish, became the dominant ethnic group in Northern Ireland. During this period, Catholics were excluded from political rights and owned less than 10% of the land. Penal Laws were enacted to suppress Catholicism, further concentrating property and power in the hands of Protestants.
In the early 20th century, as the British government considered granting 'home rule' to Ireland, those in Ulster, with its Protestant majority, opposed this and pushed for separation. This desire to remain within the United Kingdom was a driving force behind the creation of Northern Ireland in 1921. The majority in Southern Ireland, however, wanted a united and independent Ireland. This division led to "The Troubles," a period of ethno-political conflict marked by violence and paramilitary activity, which officially lasted from the late 1960s to the signing of the Belfast Agreement in 1998.
While Northern Ireland is predominantly Protestant, it has a significant Catholic minority, making up over a third of the population. The cultural divide between the two communities is deep-seated, with different celebrations, traditions, and attitudes towards Irish cultural phenomena. The tension between unionists and nationalists living side by side remains a significant aspect of life in Northern Ireland, although progress towards peace has been made in recent years.
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Protestants and Catholics have different cultural touchstones
Northern Ireland was created in 1921 when Ireland was partitioned by the Government of Ireland Act 1920. This partition created a devolved government for the six northeastern counties. Northern Ireland has a unionist majority, who are generally the Protestant descendants of British colonists and who want to remain in the United Kingdom. On the other hand, the majority in Southern Ireland (now the Republic of Ireland), and a significant minority in Northern Ireland, are Irish nationalists (generally Catholics) who want a united independent Ireland.
Today, the former generally see themselves as British and the latter generally see themselves as Irish. This has led to a complex cultural dynamic in Northern Ireland, which shares both Irish and British culture. While there are many similarities between the cultures of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and people on both sides of the border share a common Irish culture, there are also differences in customs, traditions, and language.
Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland have different cultural touchstones. Unionists celebrate the Battle of the Boyne rather than the Easter Rising, and embrace the tradition of Ulster Scots heritage and dialect. They can be indifferent or even hostile towards some overtly Irish cultural phenomena, such as Gaelic games and the Irish language. Protestants and Catholics also have different pronunciations for certain words; for example, Protestants tend to say "aitch" for the letter "h", while Catholics say "haitch".
The tension between nationalists and unionists living side by side is a significant fact of life in Northern Ireland and has resulted in violence, such as during the Troubles from 1969 to 1998. This violence was committed by both sides and included bombings of bars and car bombings. There are murals in both Protestant and Catholic neighbourhoods in Belfast that commemorate specific events during the Troubles. However, it is important to note that not everyone fits neatly into the Protestant-Unionist or Catholic-Nationalist binary, and there are people with mixed identities.
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The Troubles: a period of ethno-political conflict
Northern Ireland was created in 1921 when Ireland was partitioned by the Government of Ireland Act 1920. This partition created a devolved government for the six northeastern counties. Northern Ireland had a unionist majority, generally Protestant descendants of colonists from Britain, who wanted to remain in the United Kingdom. On the other hand, the majority in Southern Ireland (which became the Irish Free State in 1922) and a significant minority in Northern Ireland were Irish nationalists, generally Catholics, who wanted a united independent Ireland.
The Troubles refer to a period of violent sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years, from the late 1960s until the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. More than 3,500 people were killed in the conflict, of whom 52% were civilians. The conflict was between the Protestant unionists (loyalists) and the Catholic nationalists (republicans). The former wanted Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, while the latter wanted Northern Ireland to become part of a united and independent Ireland. The roots of the conflict can be traced back to the Plantation of Ulster at the beginning of the 17th century, which led to a sectarian split in the population of the province.
The conflict began during a campaign by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association to end discrimination against the Catholic-nationalist minority by the Protestant-unionist government and local authorities. The government attempted to suppress the protests, and the campaign was violently opposed by Ulster loyalists, who believed it was a front for republican political activity. The police, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), were overwhelmingly Protestant and known for sectarianism and police brutality. Increasing tensions led to the August 1969 riots and the deployment of British troops, in what became the British Army's longest operation. "Peace walls" were built in some areas to keep the two communities apart.
The Troubles were brought to an end by a peace process that included the declaration of ceasefires by most paramilitary organisations, the reform of the police, and the withdrawal of army troops from the streets and sensitive border areas, as agreed by the signatories to the Good Friday Agreement (also known as the "Belfast Agreement"). There has been sporadic violence since the Agreement, including punishment attacks and violent crime linked to dissident republican groups.
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The Irish Free State and Northern Ireland's creation
The creation of Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State was a complex and protracted process, marked by religious and political tensions. The island of Ireland was partitioned in 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, creating a devolved government for six northeastern counties with a unionist majority. These unionists, generally Protestant descendants of British colonists, wanted to remain part of the United Kingdom. In contrast, the majority in Southern Ireland, including a significant minority in Northern Ireland, were Irish nationalists, predominantly Catholics, who sought a united and independent Ireland.
The Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed in December 1921, officially established the Irish Free State as a dominion of the British Empire, with the same constitutional status as Canada. This treaty ended the Irish War of Independence between the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and British forces. The Irish Free State comprised 26 of the 32 counties of Ireland, while Northern Ireland, made up of the remaining six counties, exercised its right to opt out of the new state. The treaty also provided for a commission to establish a permanent frontier between the two entities.
The Irish Free State came into existence on December 6, 1922, with W.T. Cosgrave becoming the first President of the Executive Council. The following day, the Commons and the Senate of Northern Ireland passed resolutions to formally opt out of the Free State. The Irish Free State's constitution established a constitutional monarchy, with a three-tier parliament called the Oireachtas, consisting of the King and two houses, Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann. While the Irish Free State had achieved a degree of self-governance, it still recognised the British monarch as the head of state.
The cultural and political landscape of Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State continued to be shaped by religious and national identities. In Northern Ireland, unionists celebrated their British heritage, while nationalists in the Irish Free State, who generally saw themselves as Irish, pushed for further independence. Tensions between these groups, often referred to as "The Troubles," led to a complex and violent period in the region's history, impacting social and economic aspects of life.
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Frequently asked questions
Northern Ireland is predominantly Protestant, with 40.8% of the population identifying as such in the 2011 census, compared to 40.8% who identified as Catholic.
The Republic of Ireland is predominantly Catholic. In the 2011 census, 84.2% identified as Catholic, compared to 2.7% who identified as Church of Ireland or Anglican.
No, while the Republic of Ireland is predominantly Catholic, Northern Ireland is predominantly Protestant.
Yes, Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1921 when Ireland was partitioned by the Government of Ireland Act 1920. The majority of people in Northern Ireland wanted to remain in the UK, while the majority in the south wanted independence.
While there has been real progress towards peace in recent years, there is still some sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland.
