The Troubles: Unravelling Northern Ireland's 30-Year Conflict

Hi everyone, here is some additional context for the video and a couple of corrections. Thanks to those who have commented highlighting some of these!

- correction on the graphic showing Ulster in the beginning: Ulster is made up of 9 counties, six of which are in what is now Northern Ireland, and 3 of which are in Ireland. The graphic only depicts the border of Northern Ireland.



- while there are slightly more people identifying as unionist over republicans in Northern Ireland, Catholics (45.7% of pop) now outnumber protestants (43.5% of pop)



- The Provisional IRA was not the only republican paramilitary. In 1969, its predecessor, the IRA, split into two factions; the Official IRA and the Provisional IRA. The group most now think of when they imagine the IRA is the Provisional IRA, which became the most powerful of these groups. The Official IRA later split further, with some members leaving to create the INLA (Irish National Liberation Army). On the unionist side, other than the UVF, notable groups include the UDA (Ulster Defence Association) and UFF (Ulster Freedom Fighters). The UDA was a kind of umbrella group uniting protestant/unionist paramilitaries. The UFF was likely a cover name for attacks carried out by some members of the UDA. Occasionally there was infighting on each side between these groups.



- At its peak, the Provisional IRA had around 10,000 members. UVF membership numbers are harder to find, but were estimated to be several thousand. The UDA claimed to have 40,000 members at its peak in 1972, but only a portion of these were involved with the more violent UFF, which is thought to have had 2,000-4,000 members.

- not mentioned at the beginning is the 1916 Easter Rising, which happened while Britain was fighting in WWI. It was the first armed conflict in the lead-up to the war for independence.

- at 1.01, I meant to say provisional IRA. The IRA as a whole was around since the early 1900s, as mentioned later in the video.

- There is evidence that some loyalist attacks were armed and/or allowed by British security forces. Exact numbers on this are, for obvious reasons, difficult to find.



If you feel something else deserves a mention, please leave a comment; I will be updating this one.

The only way I could do that was if you wanted me too I could come and pick it out and then I can go pick up it from your place or you could just pick me out of there or you could pick me out from the store or you can just come pick me out or you could go to my house or you can pick me out if that’s what you’re going with your car or you could drive it home with you if that’s easier and I could pick you out from there or whatever and then I can come pick it out or you could come pick you out or you could come home or you can just come over anytime whatever you like and I’ll just go pick you out and I’ll come over anytime after that works out just don’t be mad if that’s all I just want you can come home I just want your car and I’ll just be safe love to get out and I’ll just come back to the car and then I don’t know if it’s not that I just wanted you can just be careful and I’ll talk later I don’t want you can always text back if that’s fine with me know love and I’ll talk tomorrow or something else to make it out of my life will talk later love and I’ll be there and if not I’ll talk soon love and I’ll see if I love and I’ll text him when I’m on the road love and I will text him when he comes over love and miss him and I’ll text him when he’s home and I will talk about him love and I will see him later I will talk with you soon bye I miss him and love him and so very so very so very so very so very so much I hope he is having fun 😁

I’m from Ireland 🇮🇪

England has again created. Mess trying to force English ,Crown Rue.. Control Control.

As an ignorant American, ive never understood this feud, and now i can safely say that i now i know enough so that if i overheard people talking about it, id kinda know what they were talking about

My heart goes out to the entire island of Ireland. And respect for you being English and making this, even keeping those tough interview moments in the edit.

A wonderfully informative video account of the conflict.

For anyone further interested in this subject I cannot recommend the book ‘say nothing’ by Patrick Radeon Keefe enough

Britain didnt colonize Ireland. The first settlers were invited by the king of Leinster. In the centuries that followed different English kings from acrosa Europe claimed parts of Ireland. Its never as simple as Republician sympathizers make it out to be

Fantastic documentary. I've been absorbing a lot of Northern Irish media and material, and I find it all really fascinating. One thing that stood out to me was the former IRA man not necessarily agreeing with the Republic of Ireland government. It is all well and good to want a united Ireland, but the two states have been separate for generations, so it makes sense they're going to have different feelings on the matter of government.
I hope to visit Belfast soon!

Now they get murdered by Islamist sad

Let's not forget that the Plantation of Ulster was instigated by a Scottish King (King James.)

So the Irish were just fighting colonialism. It's crazy the brits really did try to colonize the world, even their neighbors.

Cowardly british soldiers gunned down innocent people and were never charged is a terrible thing they lied about what happened some given knighthoods Thatcher was evil
a terrible woman inhumane

The trouble? Probably the foreign invaders who won’t leave your country. I couldn’t imagine having British folk trying to destroy my country while fellow Irishmen help them. Go back to England!!!

Sad.

How did that murderer/turncoat Billy get out of prison?

To anyone outside the UK and Ireland, "the troubles" sounds like "The rascaling" or "the hippity tally scallywagging". It's a very dismissive and misleading way to describe such a horrible period in time.

All that fighting for self-identity an autonomy wasted and in vain. Now you folks will be replaced by a foreign culture, and the only fighting is between who will keep the door open for your destruction.

This is easily the best video or/and summary of this war/troubles or whatever you want to name it. Thank you for, not a goo but great video and intelligent summary. Also thank you to the men that where willing to share their story. I think all mankind has something from watching this video

Idiots... one and all.

This will all seem very trivial when both Irelands are reduced to third world Muslim enclaves, as is the way for most of Europe.

its segregation not based on race,and no one cares or talk about it,funny right?education sucks

just a fact check, neither side wants it to be the UK, and there were never “paramilitary irishmen” those were rebels fighting conquest

Yet English and the Irish are the first and the most top volunteers to defend Ukraine from the Russian Imperialist invasion

The Roblox game

Both sides are idiots

THE RED HAND STAYS LOYAL TO THE REPUBLIC! ERIN GO BRAGH!

How did religion tie into this? Religion CAUSED this.

and both sides are flooding their lands with parasites thinking that they will wield them as a weapon against the other while they rape your culture out of you. Just because a goat is born in a horses stable does not make it a horse. Also, a good number of the Scots that ended up in Ulster were given an impossible choice, go or the crown will make you wish you did. My family was formed there between a Scottish man and Irish woman, both catholic. This is an offense against us that still causes arguments at our table whenever family is together despite everyone that suffered from it being long since dead. It is anything but forgotten.

the subtitles are much appreciated <3

From my outside perspective, with zero emotions involved. I concluded this is on the British. Entirely their fault.

While Christians can’t get on in a Christian country Islam is invading every day and they are allowed to

This is the best documentary I've ever seen in this topic. Very well done mate

I’m British. Born to Welsh and English parents and I grew up near London. I’d describe myself and centre slight right politically. My dad fought against the IRA and is still anti IRA after losing many friends in the battles.

I always believe there are two sides to a story. I think often there can be justification for both sides of any conflict, but some of the things Britain did in the last 100 years against the Irish sicken me. It’s a shame because we drove Ireland to a lot of the violence we later condemned them for.

It would have been better had we just left completely like we did in so many other colonies.

Hopefully ‘we the people’ can still stand together now and in the future in peace and unity. Even if that unity means letting Ireland be alone to govern themselves completely.

United through history, blood, family, and culture. I consider the Irish family, also home to bad food, good beer, and great people.

All sounds to familiar.

Éire Bheo Fhada

The only Republicans I respect

2025 the WEF is trying plantation of Europe and USA to stsy in power. Divide and conquer

Everything the English touch turns to muck: India, Canada, the US, Australia, parts of Africa, the Middle East, Alban, Manon, Kembra, Iwerdhon, Kernow, to name a few. All because a monarch…in a remnant feudal monarchy…wanted them ruined.

The trouble were not the first series of conflicts, that goes back centuries, 1690 to be more precise. 1919-1921 marked the modern era of protest and demand for independence, but we remember the troubles from the late 60's. If you want to know how this happened just put a pin in it until August 12th.

Huh. Because a king wanted to begat

Free Ireland, Free Palestine, Free Indigenous Nations Colonized by America! ✊🏽

Fuck that guy saying he doesn't regret getting involved with the violence. Literal piece of shit

The bald ulster guy is a complete moron

The way the northerners celebrated after the vote is pretty disturbing

Good video

This video, about Ireland, (narrated by an Englishman), provides a superficial, history of "The Troubles". Sadly, it fails to explore the collusion of the British forces (MI5, MI6, British Army, etc.) with the Loyalist paramilitaries. It also fails to mention that some of the people negotiating "The Good Friday Agreement', on behalf of Irish Republicans, were actually undercover British agents. Further, it fails to mention the torture and other abuse of Irish Republicans and Irish Nationalists by British Forces, including the RUC, (now called the PSNI), which continues today.

Why is this wall less infamous than the Berlin Wall?