The Troubles, a historical ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an "irregular war" or "low-level war". The conflict began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed to have ended with the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. Although the Troubles mostly took place in Northern Ireland, at times violence spilled over into parts of the Republic of Ireland, England, and mainland Europe.

Main articles

General Murals in Northern Ireland Operation Banner Provisional IRA campaign 1969–1997 Segregation in Northern Ireland Parades in Northern Ireland The Troubles in Derry

Timelines Timeline of the Northern Ireland Troubles (1966–1998) Timeline of the Troubles in the Republic of Ireland (1969–1998) Timeline of the Northern Ireland Troubles in Britain (1969–1997) List of bombings during the Northern Ireland Troubles (1969–1998)

of republican actions Timeline of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions (1970–1997) Timeline of Irish National Liberation Army actions (1975–1999) Timeline of Continuity Irish Republican Army actions (1994–present) Timeline of Real Irish Republican Army actions (1997–present) Timeline of Óglaigh na hÉireann actions (2006–present) Timeline of Irish People's Liberation Organisation actions (1986–1992) Timeline of Official Irish Republican Army actions (1969–1972)

of loyalist actions Timeline of Ulster Volunteer Force actions (1966–1994) Timeline of Ulster Defence Association actions (1971–1994, 1997–1998) Timeline of Loyalist Volunteer Force actions (1996–2000) Timeline of Red Hand Commando actions (1973–1994) Timeline of Orange Volunteer Force actions (1998–2009)

Paramilitaries Laws in both the Republic of Ireland and the UK proscribe (ban) membership of a number of Irish republican and Ulster loyalist groups. Several other smaller paramilitary factions have appeared throughout the Troubles, and some groups have used cover-names to deflect responsibility for attacks.

In this context, operational refers to the period during which the 'official' paramilitary campaign was conducted.

Republicans NameInitialsOperationalSaor ÉireSÉ1967–1975Provisional Irish Republican ArmyPIRA1970–2005Official Irish Republican ArmyOIRA1970–1972Irish National Liberation ArmyINLA1974–2009Irish People's Liberation OrganisationIPLO1986–1992Continuity Irish Republican ArmyCIRA1994–Real Irish Republican ArmyRIRA1997–Óglaigh na hÉireann (Real IRA splinter group)ONH2009–

Umbrella groups Irish Republican Socialist Movement Provisional Republican Movement

Loyalists NameInitialsOperationalUlster Protestant VolunteersUPV1966–1969Ulster Volunteer ForceRed Hand CommandoUVFRHC1966–1972–2007Ulster Defence AssociationUlster Freedom FightersUDAUFF1971–Ulster ResistanceUR1986–?Loyalist Volunteer ForceLVF1996–2005Orange VolunteersOV1998–Red Hand DefendersRHD1998–

Umbrella groups Ulster Army Council (UAC) Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee (ULCCC) Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC)

Cover names used by paramilitaries Protestant Action Force – Used by the UVF to claim sectarian attacks. South Armagh Republican Action Force – Used by the PIRA's South Armagh Brigade to claim sectarian attacks in the mid-1970s Catholic Reaction Force – Used by the INLA to claim sectarian attacks. Armagh People's Republican Army & People's Liberation Army – was used by the INLA to claim some of their earliest attacks, mostly in 1975. Ulster Freedom Fighters – Used by the UDA to claim violent attacks. Red Hand Brigade – Was used as a cover by the Glenanne gang members who carried out the Dublin and Monaghan bombings in May 1974.

Periods of activity In the table below: The period of activity for republican groups is shown in green. The period of activity for loyalist groups is shown in orange. The period of ceasefire is shown in grey.

Group Year 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 Provisional IRA Official IRA UVF UDA INLA IPLO Continuity IRA Real IRA LVF

State security forces

United Kingdom British Army Territorial Army Force Research Unit Military Reaction Force Royal Air Force Royal Navy Metropolitan Police MI5 GCHQ Secret Intelligence Service

Northern Ireland Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) RUC Special Branch Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) – to 30 April 1970 Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) – from 1 January 1970 to 30 June 1992 Royal Irish Regiment (RIR) – from 1 July 1992

Republic of Ireland Irish Army Garda Síochána (police)

Political parties Listing includes brief summary of ideology and position on the Good Friday Agreement 1998.

Irish nationalist

Pro-Agreement Sinn Féin (SF). President: Mary Lou MacDonald. Militant Republican and Socialist. Associated with the Provisional IRA. Translation from Irish: "We Ourselves". The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). Leader: Colum Eastwood. Moderate centre-left nationalist. The Workers' Party (WP). Leadership Disputed between Michael McCorry and Ted Tynan. Marxist nationalist. Formerly Official Sinn Féin.

Anti-Agreement The Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP). Militant socialist nationalist. Political wing of INLA. Have been on ceasefire since 1998. Republican Sinn Féin (RSF). President: Seosamh Ó Maoileoin. Militant nationalist. Associated with the Continuity IRA. The 32 County Sovereignty Movement (32CSM). President: Francis Mackey. Militant nationalist. Associated with the Real IRA. The Republican Network for Unity (RNU). Militant nationalist. Accused by Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) of being the political wing of Óglaigh na hÉireann (Real IRA splinter group), however this is rejected by both groups.

Others Fianna Fáil Fine Gael Green Party Renua

Unionist

Pro-Agreement The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Leader: Jeffrey Donaldson. Radical populist unionist. Originally anti-Agreement. The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). Leader: Doug Beattie. Moderate conservative unionist. The Progressive Unionist Party (PUP). Leader: Russell Watton. Moderate centre-left unionist. Political wing of Ulster Volunteer Force. The Conservative Party also organises and contests elections in Northern Ireland. Moderate unionist.

Anti-Agreement Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV). Leader: Jim Allister. Old school loyalist.

Other The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. Leader: Naomi Long. Liberal cross-community. Pro-Agreement The Green Party. Environmentalist. Pro-Agreement. Ulster Third Way. Supports Northern Ireland independence.

Political structures

Northern Ireland government 1921–1972 Governor Prime Minister Cabinet

1998– First Minister and deputy First Minister Executive

Northern Ireland legislatures 1921–1972

The Parliament of Northern Ireland:

House of Commons Senate

1972–1998 The Northern Ireland Assembly (1973–1974) The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention (1975–1976) The Northern Ireland Assembly (1982–1986) The Northern Ireland Forum (1996–1998)

1998– The Northern Ireland Assembly

Republic of Ireland government Taoiseach (prime minister) Department of Defence Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Dáil Éireann (assembly) Seanad Éireann (senate)

United Kingdom government Prime Minister The Ministry of Defence (MOD) The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) The House of Commons The House of Lords The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (House of Commons) The Northern Ireland Grand Committee (House of Commons)

Peace process

Co-operative bodies British–Irish Council (BIC) British–Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC)

Key steps in the peace process Sunningdale Agreement (1973) Anglo-Irish Agreement (1985) Downing Street Declaration (1993) and principle of consent Establishment of the IICD (1997) Belfast Agreement (1998) Amendment of Articles 2 and 3 (1999) Establishment of the Independent Monitoring Commission (2003) IRA ceasefire and decommissioning (2005) St Andrews Agreement (2006)

Cultural and religious organisations

Religious Roman Catholic Church in Ireland Church of Ireland (Anglican) Presbyterian Church in Ireland Methodist Church in Ireland Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster

Sporting The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)

Politico-religious fraternal organisations

Unionist/Protestant The Apprentice Boys of Derry The Orange Institution The Independent Orange Order The Royal Black Institution

Nationalist/Catholic The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH)

References