Northern Ireland

• Establishment:

  • Northern Ireland formed under the Government of Ireland Act 1920
  • Its parliament was in Stormont, Belfast
  • James Craig was the first prime minister
  • Nationalist party, led by Joseph Devlin, refused to take their seats, leaving Unionists without opposition
• Sectarianism:

  • Many Unionists were part of the Orange Order, which was an organisation aiming to keep Northern Ireland British. This was achieved by holding rallies and parades.
  • The RUC (police force) was set up in Ulster, mainly consisting of Protestants
  • The B-Specials were majorly Protestant
  • Due to these forces being mainly Protestant, discrimination against Catholics became common