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| Sand Leaper |
I have this project going in school,it's about the various aspects of Ireland(culture,the people etc.).Now I've been assigned to find out what the biggest differences between Northern Ireland and Ireland are(culture,population,economy,government etc.).It's damn hard,so I was wondering if the Irish TAs could give me their opinions on this matter,as you without a doubt are the ones who know best of all what these differences could be.I don't need info on the protestant vs catholic conflict as of yet,so just regular differences like the ones I mentioned above.
All replies greatly appreciated!:) |
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| donegalredneck |
Northern Ireland (sic) is made up of 6 counties still under the control of Britain, Southern Ireland is made up of 26 counties, which gained independence from Britain in 1921. There aren't really any major differences in the ways of life of the people in either part. But to get a decent understanding of the way things are here you can't ignore the protestant vs catholic thing (as u call it). It's actually a nationalist vs unionist arguement (with the nationalists wanting freedom from Britain, and the Unionists wanting the keep ties with Britain).
Culture:
Lifestyles of both Nationalists and Unionists in the north don't differ too much from each other, likewise they are similar to the lifestyle of the people in the south. The traditions they practice are different though, e.g. on 17th March Nationalist people in the north, and most of the people in the south celebrate the coming of Christianity to Ireland (St. Patricks day). It involves street parades usually with a man dressed up in green, with a long white beard getting the snakes out of Ireland (which is a myth of course).
Other traditions in Ireland for the Nationalists include old pagan ceremonies, like bonfire night on 23rd June, to celebrate the longest day of the year, and on 15th August another bonfire, this one is a Christian celebration again, the feast of the assumption.
The Loyalists have a bonfire on 11th July,the day before the 12th July. The bonfires usually include the burning of the Irish tricolour, and in some areas a show of strength by Loyalist terrorists. On the day of the 12th Orangemen from all over the north and some parts of the south march to commerate the victory of the invading Protestant army, led by William of Orange, over the defending Catholic army, led by King James II. The battle took place at a river called the Boyne (and has become known as the Battle of the Boyne) on 1st July 1690. Understandibly Nationalists see the parades as triumphalist and offensive, and it's a celebration of the killing of Irish soldiers by invaders.
So there's a few examples of cultural differences, some of which has got to do with the different religions, even though you asked not to go into that, but that's where the traditions are rooted.
Population:
There are over 5 million people living in ireland as a whole, nearly 4 in the south, and 1.5 in the north. At one time there were between 8 and 10 million people living in Ireland (pre 1845). Between 1845 and 1847 there was a halocaust or famine, whichever you chose to call it. One crop (potato) failed, and between 1 and 2 million people starved to death and emigrated (dispite the fact that there was plenty of food to go around). From then until this generation the population has declined, but the numbers are starting to go up again now.
Economy:
Before 1921 the Irish economy was controled by Britain, and when southern Ireland got independance it was a complete mess. Unemployment and emigration were massive, and wages and the standard of living were very low. This continued for decades, and only within the last decade or two have things started to pick up in the southern economy, and in the last 7 years or so things have been really good, the economy has become really strong (nicknamed the Celtic Tiger, because it is seen as a roaring economy). This was due to a number of factors, including the increased standards of education, and low corporation tax, which attracted a lot of investment from multinational companies (particularly American ones). And in the last 5 or 6 years there has been a building boom, with construction going on everywhere, especially in the big towns. All these new jobs had a knock on effect, creating more jobs through suppliers to the ones I've already mentioned, and through catering, pubs, clubs, etc. The unemployment rate came down to about 3%, though this wasn't even throughout the country, it's centralised to the east and Dublin in particular. The west has seen a lot of changes for the better also, but not near as much as the east.
Government:
Ireland is divided into 2 statelets. The southern part, here the government sits in Leinster House in Dublin, controling the affairs of the 26 counties, and in the northern part the government sits at Westminister in London, and sometimes at Stormont in Belfast (depending on the situation in the war in the north). At the minute it's controlled by London. The party with the majority in governemt in the south is Fianna Fáil.
The different states came about in 1921, when Britain withdrew from only one part of the island, and retained control in the north. This meant Ireland got divided in 2 (called partition). About 80% of the people in Ireland wanted Britain to leave altogether, so they could set up a republic. Most of the opposition to a republic came from Unionists in the north-east, the part that's now 'Northern Ireland'. Some people see both Leinster House and Stormont as illegal assemblies, because both were set up against the will of the people. These same people refuse to have any part to do with either assembly, and claim they will have no part in central government until all of Ireland is administered from the one assembly, reigning over all 32 counties.
So as you can see you can't really look into any of the things you've mentioned without looking at the opposing sides. The present is built upon the past.
hope it helps a bit. |
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| Sand Leaper |
| Thanks a bunch,man!Lots of material I can use here,very informative reading. |
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| Dublin Guy |
| quote: | | Northern Ireland (sic) is made up of 6 counties still under the control of Britain |
:whip: :whip: :whip:
Eire 32 |
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