Why did England keep the 6 counties?
Most northern unionists wanted the territory of the Ulster government to be reduced to six counties, so that it would have a larger Protestant unionist majority. They feared that the territory would not last if it included too many Catholics and Irish nationalists.
How long has Northern Ireland been part of the UK?
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom, (although it is also described by official sources as a province or a region), situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It was created as a separate legal entity on 3 May 1921, under the Government of Ireland Act 1920.
Will there be a frictionless border between Ireland and Northern Ireland?
Nor is this the only parallel in discussions about the border today and a century ago. In 2017, Brexiteers have taken a contradictory position in insisting that the UK will leave the customs union, but that a frictionless border will be in operation between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Is Ireland right not to trust the British on the border?
Ireland is right not to trust the British on the border. History shows why. Demonstrators dressed as custom officials at a border crossing between Dundalk in the Republic of Ireland and Killeen in Northern Ireland.
How did the troubles affect the Irish border?
The Irish border became both an actual and symbolic battleground during the Troubles. British authorities destroyed civilian crossings to make it harder to go back and forth, over fears the IRA was finding safe haven in the Republic of Ireland.
Is Brexit destroying Northern Ireland’s peace?
And now Brexit — the UK’s decision to leave the European Union — is threatening to rip open old grievances and unravel the fragile peace in Northern Ireland. At issue: the 310-mile Irish border, the land boundary that separates Northern Ireland — which is part of the United Kingdom — from the Republic…