What are some political features of ireland?

Answer 1

Ireland has had a troubled history. Henry the 8th disavowed the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and declared himself the leader of the Christian Church of England (the Anglicans). Roman Catholics in Ireland did not accept this and a long conflict began. The English played the two sides against each other as a means of keeping control. Scottish Protestants were actually relocated to Ireland to dilute the influence of the Catholic Church. There were many revolutions in Ireland over the centuries, the most famous being the 1916 revolution, known as the Easter Rising. It led to a war of independence in Ireland. This resulted in a treaty which partitioned Ireland creating Northern Ireland and what is now known as the Republic of Ireland.

As a result of a treaty there was a civil war between those that supported the treaty and those against it. Out of that emerged the two main political parties in Ireland. Fianna Fáil, who came from those who opposed the treaty and Fine Gael who came from those that supported it. They have been the main two political parties since they were founded. See the related questions below.

The Protestants in Northern Ireland exerted an inordinate political power in the province until the 1960s when the Catholic population began revolting en masse. The so-called "Troubles" dragged on for decades until political power in Northern Ireland was shared fairly in the late 1990s. People in Northern Ireland today are interested in their careers, children and homes. Religious strife has subsided.