Peacemaking in the Irish Populaiton

¶ … Conflict Resolution and Peacemaking

The conflict presented in the article is focused on the tense relations between British and Irish groups that held deeply divisive beliefs about a range of differences between the two cultures. There were significant tensions in the social divisions not only with the British, but also within Ireland itself which were primarily the result of sectarian divides in the population (White, 2013). Many of the warring factions had a strong sense of identity with their cultural heritage along the lines of their religious preferences for either Catholicism or Protestantism and much of the struggle perpetuated between those who viewed themselves as the oppressed and/or colonized and their oppressors (Lane, 1998). The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) was an armed colonial style of police force and was viewed by much of the Irish population as being the administrative thugs that were doing the bidding of the British government.

The perception of the IRC was so appalling in much of Ireland that some groups such as the Irish Republic Army (IRA) resorted to brutal actions to try to destroy the group and their influence in Ireland. The IRA is commonly known for their use of murder and vicious intimation campaigns to dissuade their opponents and they were able to rid the country of the majority of RIC officers. Yet some of these individuals were allowed to join the newly formed Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) in the twenties which later was expected to have major cultural clashes with the Civic Guard as this organization recruited heavily from the IRA due to the fact that it was composed mostly of members that were formerly at odds with each other.

There are many forms of conflict resolution and peace making between sectarian groups. However, one of the most common form of reconciliation often comes when there is enough time that has passed to usher in a new generation that often does not have the same of group affiliation that their elders have had in previous years. The deep divisions and sense of regionalism can often begin to break down when new generations emerge since they often have different values than their predecessors and the sense of national territory, identity, and governance can evolve (Hayward, 2003).

The British often used the regionalism and alien identities that persisted in Northern Ireland to provide a contrast that could show how stable and cohesive the British society was. Furthermore, they also used their own sense of identity and perception of superiority to justify their intervention in the region. Ironically, the sectarian groups in Northern Ireland used the same sense of regionalism to illustrate their position that they had a unique identity when compared to other parts of Europe and thus should retain their independence (Hayward, 2003). Although these difference were eventually quelled with an adherence to a new model of multi-level governance that emerged with the influence of the European Union (EU), the tensions were immense for an extended period of time given the fact that the difference were so deeply rooted among the opposing parties (Hayward, 2003).