Northern Ireland and the Troubles

After Ireland was partitioned in 1921, Northern Ireland remained part of the UK. The Troubles (late 1960s-1998) was a period of violent conflict between: • Unionists/Loyalists (mainly Protestant): wanted to stay in the UK • Nationalists/Republicans (mainly Catholic): wanted to join the Republic of Ireland The Good Friday Agreement (Belfast Agreement) of 1998 brought peace, establishing power-sharing and cross-border institutions.