The Northern Irish Troubles: The Static Society

The Northern Irish Troubles are barely understood in the UK; I was in my second year at university before I really understood what were they're about. I think it should be mandatory to teach the Troubles in schools if the government were serious about an EU referendum (with the Irish question being an important one). However, alas, the Northern Irish Troubles aren't on the GCSE syllabus as of yet (maybe because it's too complicated). To help me understand the Northern Irish Troubles is the brilliant book by David McKittrick and David McVae which is a clear and short read. 

The first chapter in this book is entitled 'The Static Society'. The authors explain how Northern Ireland was divided into two groups: the unionists (the Protestants) who want Northern Ireland to remain in the UK and the republicans (the Catholics) who yearn for a United Ireland. The book further goes onto state how there were two extra elements added to the equation: the British and Irish governments who both (and were successful until the late 1960s) tried to keep the Northern Irish question at arm's length. 

This chapter additionally describes how in the 1880s there was a growing call for Home Rule to happen; however, by 1921, when the First World War had finished and the Easter Rising had happened, there were calls for independence. In 1921 the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland came into existence.