AIBU to ask you who started the Troubles in the North of Ireland?

[1FineDane]

If you watch this new BBC documentary, what is your answer?
I know British people think the IRA started the whole shit, but this is a BBC documentary and fairly unbiased.

I hope you watch it to realise what history there is in Northern Ireland.

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0008c47/spotlight-spotlight-on-the-troubles-a-secret-history-episode-1

@1FineDane

First line of the second paragraph of my second post: I don’t need to watch it

It really, really isn’t irrelevant whether I’ve watched it or not. If the BBC suddenly put out a “fairly unbiased” item on anything, let alone something as sensitive as the Troubles, I’d have heard about it. It’d be a groundbreaking change in television and all over the news.

Anyway, I’ll leave you to enjoy your viewing.

Yours truly,

Unbiased pro-Brexit, pro-Irish MN poster.

Since the thread is about the documentary, stating you don't need to watch it is a bit ignorant don't you think?

Again, the thread is about the documentary.

You can't watch the iplayer from Ireland. Daily motion or YouTube users usually kindly uploads BBC1 programmes.

And if you don't want to /can't watch the damned thing, why fucking comment!

🤦🏼‍♀️

I might watch this tonight if I have time. I was bought up in London 70s and 80s but apart from being told that the IRA were terrorists who wanted to reunite Ireland no one ever explained anything. I was not aware that RoI used to be a part of UK until I was in my twenties. Hopefully NI and RoI will be united soon as it makes sense from a geographical pov and will also solve Brexit problems

Hopefully NI and RoI will be united soon as it makes sense from a geographical pov and will also solve Brexit problems

Well it might solve the problem for the UK but it would be pushing the problem on to Ireland instead.

Gerry Adams' voice was only dubbed in England
NI also there is a very funny scene in Derry girls, they conclude his voice was to sexy.
DP was often standing with soldiers looking at their guns as they patrolled the catholic areas on Belfast.
For anyone looking for a good laugh on NI
Derry girls shows every day life in NI. It is so relatable as a teen in the 90's

@1FineDane did it air on RTE aswell? If so I could watch that on demand, I have BBC1 on demand but the BBC I have is the English BBC and it seems like it only aired on BBC NI. . . Which means most English wont even have watched the show

@AryaStarkWolf thank you. Yes, I’m still living here in N.I. It is my home. I love it and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
We raised our son not speaking about the troubles. He didn’t even know what religion he was until we had to fill in a form for school. His school although not an integrated is open to all faiths and nationalities. To be honest the sectarianism is still very much alive, although hidden just under the surface. People who assume all is well even before Brexit are very much mistaken.
I only discuss Brexit with my DH as it’s a subject which is very emotive, the same as in the U.K.

I'd say the loyalists hate the english more than the nationalists do these days.
Brexit will send them crackers if they are cut off from the UK.
United Ireland will never happen while the unionists are digging their heels in, I'd say they're mighty pissed off at their empire, all the flag flying bonfires for nothing.
You only have to watch the 12th of youtube to get a idea of the violence.
Hopefully NI and RoI will be united soon as it makes sense from a geographical pov and will also solve Brexit problems
This is laughable so the Irish can wage war with the Nationalists while the UK drinks tea. 🤣☘

The British army first came over to help the Catholics but but obviously members of the ira didn't like that the army was here so they started acting up. Certain members of the Catholic community stirred things up

There will never be a united Ireland. People take very seriously emphasising the difference between Ireland and northern Ireland. Some people would say they were Irish no matter where they're from but personally I'm northern Irish and therefore British.

Straycats That is really shocking.

I had a look at the website and the Deceased Pupils part is very sad. The vast majority were killed by UVF/UDA. The one that really struck me was this:

Carol Anne Kelly although not a pupil in the Secondary had attended Stella Maris Primary before the family moved to Twinbrook having been intimidated from their home in Rathcoole. Aged 11 years she was killed by a bullet fired by a soldier while on her way to the shop for milk. The area was reported to be quiet at the time. She, too, ought to be remembered. No conviction.

I'm sure the kind of people who defend Soldier F will try to excuse the above and claim that this child represented some kind of threat. I don't know how anyone who's not a total psychopath can excuse a soldier shooting dead an 11 year old girl on her way to the shop. So to the person who said "what else could the British have done?", maybe not send your army over to murder innocent children. Maybe when they commit such crimes, hold them to account and stop protecting these monsters.

@tinatsarina Your thinking is why we're at the impasse we're at. There's no talking to people with your views.

My catholic family say they live in the North of Ireland but would not say Northern Ireland as a country they identify as Irish living in the north of Ireland.
There are 9 counties in the North of Ireland, I spent many summers in Monaghan the north of Ireland on the south side of the border.
Stacey Dooley investigated NI the billion pound DUP.
It was interesting to see the massive differences between the communities.

And it's also why Ireland want nothing to do with NI!

obviously members of the ira didn't like that the army was here so they started acting up. Certain members of the Catholic community stirred things up

This statement has really annoyed me. Any proof for that?

*The British army first came over to help the Catholics
That part is true.
but but obviously members of the ira didn't like that the army was here so they started acting up. Certain members of the Catholic community stirred things up
Protestants had all the decent jobs, the housing, the voting, the Catholic community were unable to vote without the correct housing, unable to get jobs as protestants wouldn't employ them even then they found further ways to restrict them.
Do your homework.

And if anyone is reading this, posts like that are why there will never be a United Ireland. It's why the troubles existed and it's those views that perpetuate the hatred.

How can you deal with that level of ignorance?

The British army first came over to help the Catholics but but obviously members of the ira didn't like that the army was here so they started acting up. Certain members of the Catholic community stirred things up

That's a bit simplistic. Catholics were naturally unhappy at their treatment, and their peaceful protests were crushed by force. As PPs have said, the IRA had virtually no support before the troubles started.

A United Ireland is inevitable at some point. A poll by Lord Ashcroft yesterday shows a slight majority for unity if the vote was held now, but the most significant finding is that the only demographic to support remaining in the UK is the over 65s. Brexit is a huge factor. Ironically, in trying to get one over on the nationalists by supporting Brexit, the DUP have brought a United Ireland closer.

Certain members of the Catholic community stirred things up

I don't think that comments like that are helpful to anyone. 1. They're untrue. 2. They're unfounded sweeping statements. 3. They're bigoted opinions. 4. The statement is full of hatred. 5. It's simply untrue.

It started as a peaceful civil rights movement by the catholics who were treated as second class citizens - were given the shit housing, prevented from certain jobs and had no representation.

I think it's really important to point out that the peaceful protest that kicked off the civil rights movement was a non-sectarian student protest. (Most students were Protestant, as protestants were more likely to be able to afford to be able to go to university). But it was the Catholic/Nationalist/Republican part of the population that was being discriminated against/disenfranchised. Paisley/DUP stoked a lot of animosity between Catholics and Protestants where the two communities were mostly rubbing along together (at least at that time in the late 60s/early 70s). Wikipedia is a good source on this.

It's like a kid getting bullied in school for months, and one day he hits back and slaps the bully. Then the bully ropes in his mates, they beat the kid up and then tell the teacher he started it. And the teacher takes their side.