The Troubles: Unravelling Northern Ireland's 30-Year Conflict
In 1968, conflict broke out in Northern Ireland; the Troubles" had begun. In this documentary, we explore the waves of political violence & sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland, and the roots of the divide between British Unionists & Irish Nationalists.
The Troubles | Northern Ireland Conflict | Irish Conflict | IRA | UVF | Belfast Conflict
This period saw rise of paramilitary groups like the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Ulster Volunteer force (UVF), the deployment of the British Army in Northern Ireland under Operation Banner.
In this video, through interviews with former IRA & UVF prisoners, I’ll walk you through the conflicts roots during the “Plantation of Ulster”, it’s triggers, like "Bloody Sunday”, and where things stand now since the Good Friday Agreement saw the start of peace and reconciliation and a lasting peace process.
In Belfast, we spoke with ex-members of the paramilitaries in Northern Ireland - former IRA prisoner Michael Culbert, and former UVF prisoner Billy Hutchinson - to try and understand the violence that swept across Northern Ireland.
Sectarian Violence | Impact of The Troubles | Historical Unrest in Ireland.
"The Troubles”, a name that does not sit well with some of those who were involved in it, has left behind a collective trauma in Northern Ireland that will be felt for decades to come. The legacy of the Troubles shapes modern Northern Ireland’s communities today, with peace walls dividing catholic and protestant, unionist and republican neighbourhoods.
Troubles Documentary | Troubles History
What were the troubles? Who are the IRA? Why is Northern Ireland part of the UK? And how safe is Northern Ireland today? This is the story of Northern Ireland’s 30-year conflict, as told by former members of the IRA & UVF who fought in it.
00:00-02:02 - The Troubles: Northern Ireland's 30-Year Conflict
02:03-06:34 - Irish Republicans, British Unionists, & the History of Ireland
06:35-08:37 - What Did Republicans & Unionists Want?
08:38-11:55 - The Irish Civil Rights Movement & IRA Recruiting
11:56-13:05 - Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland
13:06-14:31 - The IRA Makes a Comeback
14:32-16:41 - Operation Banner & Loyalist Paramilitaries
16:42-17:55 - Should we call the Conflict "The Troubles"?
17:56-20:19 - Do Former IRA & UVF Fighters Regret Their Actions?
20:20-23:07 - The Good Friday Agreement - Did it Solve Everything?
23:08-25:41 - How Brexit Impacted the Good Friday Agreement
25:42-27:19 - The Windsor Framework & Northern Ireland Protocol
27:20-30:26 - Peace Walls & Segregation Remain in Northern Ireland
30:27-32:42 - Remembering Civilian Casualties
32:43-34:51 - What Now for Northern Ireland?
#thetroubles #northernireland #irishhistory #northernirelandconflict #irishrepublicans #britishunionists #belfast
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.
“There is evidence that some loyalist attacks were armed and/or allowed by British Security Forces”. The deadliest attack of the troubles was the Dublin and Monaghan bombings in May 1974, killing 33 innocent people and injuring close to 300. Some of those involved in this attack were also involved in the Miami Showband attack. The identities of the attackers are widely known. Yes they were loyalists, but they were also serving members of the UDR and, in most cases, paid informants of the BIC and/or the RUC Special Branch. The MoD even named Captain Robert Nairac, a former British soldier who was abducted and killed by the Provo’s, as probably been involved in these killings. Brian Nelson is another name that you should look up. The Glenanne Gang were another outfit that were made up of loyalists and serving UDR soldiers and RUC officers. Weapons from UDR and RUC arsenals somehow disappeared only to end up been used in loyalist attacks against innocent Catholics. The British Government continue to hide behind “National Security” whenever FOI requests are made for documents on many of the atrocities committed by all factions involved in the conflict - republicans, loyalists and British Security Forces. The Dublin/Monaghan bombings, the Miami Showband massacre, these happened in ‘74 and ‘75. Many of the perpetrators are long dead. How is any of this a current risk to National Security?
@@arthurgoodness7865 all involved signed off on the good Friday agreement. Let it go. Always some people bleating on. Leave it and move on.
@@biggerteddybears not all involved signed off on the Belfast Agreement and not all paramilitary groups decommissioned their weapons.
@arthurgoodness7865 if not they should all be hunted down and put through the justice system
This post alone shows us that u are trying to be as factual, balanced and as fair as possible when discussing the topic. If you want a full appreciation of this centuries old conflict I would suggest you read as many different accounts from as many perspectives as possible. My personal recommendation would be a book called 'Northern Ireland The Orange State' by Michael Farrell. It's an old book (1976) so there is plenty that isn't in it but as to the foundation of the statelet of NI I would say there are few that would rival it in its detail and wealth of information. Told from an Irish Republican Socialist perspective, its a must read if you want to balance out the usual British narrative. We are all well ingratiated with the 'official' British take on the subject which to be perfectly honest is riddled with inaccuracies, serious omissions and outright lies, primarily when it comes to the British states central role in the conflict so I could suggest a number of books written by people who were born here and would hold a directly opposing view to that of Britain and the unionists in Ireland. So fair play mate, great effort at explaining the truth of what happened between our two nations for far too long.
It's strange why people never mention the Loyalist bombs and only ever seem to mention the IRA. In the McGurk's Bar Bombing alone, there were 15 people murdered, more than Bloody Friday, in one bombing. Conway;s Bar was also bombed. The Dublin And Monaghan Bombing was the worst day of The Troubles, with 33 people murdered, apparently carried-out by the UVF and MI5.
That's because of the good ol British bais. You don't tend to hear much of British crimes in other territories either
The loyalist paramilitaries killed more loyalists and civilians than the IRA and INLA combined.
The Ira scum started the war and also killed more innocent catholics than the 2 loyalist groups combined
@@DunkopfMight have something to do with the fact that there were many more republican bombs killing many more people, since they had a ready supply of gelignite and ammonium nitrate from the Republic.
You don’t really hear about darkley when the inla went into a church and killed people while they prayed but sure you look at with you’re green tinted glasses
From someone who is from Belfast and my own father murdered in the troubles by loyalists thank you for covering this. Love live the peace process.
Sorry for your loss, lad. May be rest in peace.
Long Live Freedom 🇮🇪✊ Don’t let such a big sacrifice in your family be in vain ☯️ Take care bro
God bless your father 🇮🇪 RIP.
sorry for your loss may your father rest in peace, i had an uncle who was in the police force blew up in newry by the IRA
@@MsDboyyAnd my police officer uncle and his son was murdered by the PIRA but nobody bats an eye...
My grandparents first child was the 18 month old baby killed in the balmoral showroom bombing. His name was Colin. My grandparents carried the grief and trauma with them throughout their whole lives and my grandas main focus and goal was to get justice for Colin. He never got that justice. Every letter he wrote was replied with a we can’t help you. He died nearly 2 years ago but he never found peace with what he went through during the troubles. My granny is still alive but she can’t talk about it, she’s still very traumatised.
Unfortunately many people went to their graves without ever getting justice for their loved ones who were murdered during the troubles by republicans, loyalists and British Security Forces. Go dtuga sé suaimhneas dó. 🙏
I’m truly sorry for your loss. I offer my condolences to you and to your family. May he find eternal respite in Heaven.
God bless you and may God God hold and keep baby Colin in the palm of his hand. May perpetual light shine upon him and his Grandda. God bless you and yours. 26+6=1 ♾️
RIP I can believe people support this terrorist group
& humanity never seems to learn from these horrific atrocities. The world is still going to war, to profit a few, power hungry psychopaths.
As an Irish person who grew up close to the border in the 70's and 80's, this has to be one of the best and even handed accounts I have seen, skilfully portraying the views from both sides of the conflict. This is an important piece of work.
Grew up near the border myself about 15 minutes away and as you probably heard before, ETA depends on if you were getting chased if so border only 2 minutes away lol...
The interviews were surreal. On one hand you have a man that had enough of being oppressed and did what he did out of retaliation for the peaceful options ending in violence every time conducted by the opposing forces, and on the other you had a man who got roped into it because he was caught in the crossfire and watched as people around him died with the fear of "am I next?" billowing overhead every day. All this because a handful of old hags in a big building decided "we want your dirt."
Jesus Christ is the only hope in this world no other gods will lead you to heaven There is no security or hope with out Jesus Christ in this world come and repent of all sins today Today is the day of salvation come to the loving savior Today repent and do not go to hell Come to Jesus Christ today Jesus Christ is only way to heaven Repent and follow him today seek his heart Jesus Christ can fill the emptiness he can fill the void Heaven and hell is real cone to the loving savior today Today is the day of salvation tomorrow might be to late come to the loving savior today Holy Spirit Can give you peace guidance and purpose and the Lord will John 3:16-21 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. Mark 1.15 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Hebrews 11:6 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Jesus
@@DuSlothster I think he's refering to the original colonial politicians who decided to invade Ireland
@@DuSlothster I was referring to the initial invasion group that wanted said dirt.
Same story across all current and British colonies. The British were evil as hell.
@TekkyWolf that's every country in the world throughout history. Doesn't make it right or good or just. It just is
"What nationality are you?" "Well, I'm English." That was the most intense fraction of a second ever.
The way the IRA guy leaned back folded his legs and change of demeanour was pretty intense
Not English a colonial thug it’s empire disintegrating
Indeed @@toolongjohn
That old Ira fellow had the look. Seen some s. Done some s.
@briandavey1139 3 generations stillready if sunak wants to put the royal parasitic army into Ulster
The IRA man killed a soldier, the UVF "man" killed 2 civilians, imagine my shock.
The IRA killed plenty of innocents. Don't kid yourself, they were and are terrorists.
It's not about numbers.
@@violetanndoherty6872 I know? The point stands
@@violetanndoherty6872it seems the comment was about the killing of civilians vs the killing of an armed soldier.
The IRA killed more civilians than soldiers. They burned a pregnant woman alive and civilian informers. They were the worst for killing their own.
Costa Rican here. Have always been in love with Ireland. Visited twice. I’m merely halfway through the video as I write this, but already I feel the huge urge to thank you. I have been digging through many video essays like this trying to understand the Troubles, and this is the first of countless videos I’ve seen that I feel explain them masterfully.
Not gonna lie, I thought this was a reuploaded BBC documentary for the first ten minutes, you have a serious talent my man. Probably one of the best videos I've seen on the topic.
Wow, thanks for the kind words, so glad you enjoyed the video!
I also fought so. So similar to that style.
What a powerful documentary. It really shows the human side of things. The two men you interviewed are telling their stories from their own perspectives, and I really feel sympathy for both of them.
Except one of them is on the right side of history, and another one isn't. Just because some time has passed, conquest, subjugation and ethnic cleansing does not become acceptable. Freedom and self-determination for a United Ireland 🇮🇪
@@daod8286indeed 🇮🇪
Lmao. Bro one sucked the boot of his oppressor because his brain was melted by conservative nationalism
Your right the IRA were nothing but terrorists, time doesn't change that.
They need to be armed. Peaceful reunification is not an option
Bro as a Belfast man and technically a protestant but who thought was quiet well versed on our history dam you wouldn't even get this in school let alone years of research in the topic, absolutely brilliant mate thanks i enjoyed this 👍
I had done a project on the troubles in high school, but thank you so much for finding these two men who actually lived through this conflict on two different sides and getting their personal stories and histories
As someone who was raised by parents from eastern Germany/eastern Berlin it is striking to see the parallels and deeply saddening to see a major European city being divided by walls emplaced by (foreign) politicians, the very fresh generational trauma of divided countries, the discrimination (...). A very insightful documentary.
Belfast is a small city.....but Irish history is depressing.... maybe not as depressing as 20th centery German history but still sad and although Germany has moved on, Ireland will never move on
Yes. I don't suppose there are many EU citizens aware of a physical wall still segregating a European city. It's very sad.
@@jackietreehorn5561 Ireland's history is more depressing than modern German history. They were treated as subhumans by the English, who did the same with the Scottish and Welsh. Even today, there are anglos who believe themselves superior to the Irish, Welsh, Cornish and Scottish. This by far more violent than any modern conflict, specially because we can't exactly make up the number of how many Irishmen died in all these centuries of Anglo occupation. And the Irish don't need any special law to remember it, unlike the Jews.
there is a pretty big difference though Berlin was cut in half politically (and eventually economically) while this city was cut in half socially aka the citizens themselves tried to kill each other, instead of the government keeping them apart (until they had too)
@@CalacaRoja I grew up there in the north in the 80s and 90s....depressing definitely. Everyone benefitted enormously from the gfa no doubt and place is unrecognizable now. Long may it reign.....the third Reich in Germany in my opinion was much more horrific.... subhuman treatment only scratched the surface....look what Dr death done as experiments on captives... pretty gruesome stuff
In Derry the owner of the largest furniture shop in the city and the deputy postmaster general couldn't get mortgages to buy a house simple because they were catholics and they both ended up staying put in their council houses. A lot of people forget how fresh the memories of the troubles are. My uncle was a knights of malalta medic on bloody sunday and my da was the head altar boy at the mass funeral. My grandfather was picked up off the street when he was drunk walking home, beaten up in the back of an army truck and dumped out while it was moving. Their home phone was tapped because their surname was mcguinness. My uncle was hit by a rubber bullet in the leg when he was 13 and he still has a limp because of it. I'm glad that I was born just as the troubles were ending and thankfully im the first generation of my family to not have felt the compulsion to join an armed movement since the 1890s.
Londonderry also seen the greatest forced movement of people since the second world war. Not many protestants left on the other side of the bridge.
The Troubles never ended
@@dreamteami.l5253 "forced" lol shutup mate we forced the local natives out by actual force, there was never many of them on the foyle side to begin with, just the fountain.
where's Londonderry? Never heard of that place @@dreamteami.l5253
I understand your point about being glad that you were born after the Civil War ☯️ But honestly if none of the problems are solved and they still are Not then there’s no reason it can’t just all happen and start all over again 🤷♂️ (I don’t say the troubles because that’s obviously a name the British gave it to sugarcoat it)
England should have just left. Let Ireland be free and united.
This documentary has to be presented at cinema festivals. Absolutely amazing, very well narrated and explained. Brillant. ❤
I wanted to make a joke about how the IRA is now compared to how it was back in the day but I was not expecting this documentary to be so powerful and moving. This is seriously one of the best edited and produced indie docs I have ever witnessed in my time.
The joke is you thinking you have enough concept of the subject to make a joke. Guessin that’s why you just ended up trying to be cute.
@@mrkingjesse378Prick
@@mrkingjesse378calm down lad it’s not that serious
@@mrkingjesse378nice one embarrassing yourself in a public comment section for anyone on the internet to see. weirdo.
"What is it like having a Peace Line in your back garden?" "It darkens the house down terribly" Absolutely perfect summation of Belfast. No notes.
No one else has covered this topic so comprehensivly and unbiasedly im 35 minutes. This is great stuff. From a cycling channel, wow.
To think after experiencing a crippling famine (it wasn’t a famine as food was taken from us) that this is the shite generations had to put up with.. fuck the British government
As a young person growing up in Northern Ireland, thank you for exploring both sides without any bias. Sick of learning about history just for it to be boiled down to 'Britian bad' or 'Ireland bad' without even discussing both sides of the fighting ❤
There's no discussion, the Brits invaded, stole land, discriminated against and destroyed their culture
Yeah but Britain are bad lmao. People that say people fighting a war for their independence are bad are insane. The British caused many genocides across the world, including in Ireland. Don't give me this both side bull shit. And the northern guy has bought into propaganda. He said it would be worse then Afghanistan or Iraq if they united. He ant serious. Plus he killed civilians the other guy is convicted for killing soldiers. The north killed way more civilians then the south. Try to think next time.
Like I said in your other video, these videos really have the atmosphere of proper, old school documentaries. And the OC footage is so much better than some bland animations or stock footage.
Thanks so much, makes my day to read feedback like this! 😁
To the author, thank you for making and sharing this video. You cannot please everyone, however, in your production, I suspect you will please most. Well done and thank you.
@@TieranFreedman tiernan do you agree with killing women and children in maternity wards?
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
@@TieranFreedman so no answer?
As someone born and brought up in Northern Ireland now living in England I want to thank you for this well balanced documentary. Hope your trip is going well.
Thanks so much for the feedback, it's great to hear this from someone who grew up there. The trip is finished now but it was a crazy ride! Several more videos from it to come 😁
@@TieranFreedman looking forward to the last couple of videos
Do you think a bomb at a maternity ward killing women and babies is a proud IRA fighting the black and tans?
what the acid one
@@sj_boydaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasassssasssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Thank you for telling the story from more than one perspective. For centuries the English have exploited & oppressed the Irish, as well as the Scottish, Welsh, and the many many other territories & colonies.✊🇮🇪🇮🇪
Incredible impartial documentary. For the effort and execution of this quality video your getting a sub. Well done from Australia 🇦🇺
Nice
Tge Irish Americans gave billions to tge ura until Reagan tried to stop it to appease the witch 59 % welsh 59% Scot’s always had a safe house for the freedom fighters That’s why we stand for Palestine F?..the 👑👑👑👑🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🤮🤮❤️🔥🤮👑👑👑👑👑👑😱😱😱👑👑
As a Northern Ireland veteran, I think your documentary is very well done, I was based in Ballykelly for two and a half years, and I have to say I met people from both sides who were absolutely lovely. They called it the troubles because they didn't want to call it a war even though we had trenches, which you don't get in troubles. Northern Ireland is a beautiful place and looking over the border is the same for the Republic of Ireland, one day I hope to return on a holiday with my wife. I have friends from both sides of the border they a wonderful people who get on very well with each other.
Same with us in Scotland and the Jacobite Wars being called “rebellions”, they were full on wars, but the English never want to admit that
@@ZombieSazza I totally agree
What?.., nobody was based over here for two and a half years.., away and give yourself a shake mate.
@@formhubfar Welsh Guards April 1992 to August 1994 in Ballykelly
@@mikegriffiths4300 My apologies mate, thought you meant during the troubles.
My best mate was a Queen's Own Highlander who did a tour or two in the 70s/80s and I would always ask him WHY were the Brits there. I could never wrap my head around it. He did manage to explain it to me, but this doco has answered a few more queries. Good doco, and I wish ALL the best to the people of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Peace soon and for always.
Sadly that won’t happen. Peace is never achieved with the simplistic act of putting down arms. For there to be any kind of peace, there must reconciliation and the Irish will Never do that.
@@suolasfilmsyou mean the British? Have you studied British history?
@@georgerickman9314To say "the Irish invaded" is a bit of a stretch. Ireland at that time was an island with multiple kingdoms and tribes. Most of the 3-4th centuries are considered prehistoric in Ireland, and contribute more to Irish Folklore than the historical record. I get your point, but we are talking about an Irish culture that at that point was just starting to form a written alphabet(ogham script). It was not nearly the same as the kind of government/kingdom that Britain had when they invaded Ireland centuries later. That's not to say there weren't actual military campaigns carried out by Irish tribes in Britain. It just isn't as simple as Ireland invaded.
@@georgerickman9314I'm not trying to paint either as worse or better. My apologies if it came off like that. Simply stating at that time Ireland was barely beginning to have some sort of cohesion and formation into what we know it as today. Most of the culture and language is forming across the island. The modern counties, or at least their roots are forming im the kingdoms and lore from that specific time period. As opposed to like you stated, when England invaded they were unified or at the least starting to really become what they've been known as for centuries at this point.
People tend to migrate to nearby islands, especially islands that are fertile ans especially if those islands are smaller ans weaker than their homeland that smaller island ends up getting conquered. The French conquered the channel islands for a time, conquered England, then conquered Ireland and before that the vikings settled countless small islands before conquering parts of England the Ireland. The Japanese conquered honshu, Hokkaido, and Okinawa. Ireland's been under at least partial English control since the dark ages and they started settling there in the middle ages, by the time independence kicked off there were already tons of British protestants that had settled there so unlike 99% of British colonies they weren't willing to just abandoned it. They might have cut and run if it weren't for the fact most settlers lived in a small geographic area, if they were spread out across the island it wouldn't make sense to keep control of part of the island but with Ulster being mostly protestant it made logical sense to keep part of the island. Islands rarely get split up but the same happened to Hispanola for similar ethno linguistic reasons
This really is an exceptional piece of journalism. Brilliant betrayal of the conflict in my personal opinion, just want to thank you for all your efforts. For an English man you hit the nail on the head!
Having been to both north and south, I noticed one thing: People. They all have lives and are more than just a "controversial topic" the lads in the south took me drifting. The north took me to a gig. Either way you on the emerald aisle are fantastic people. I love all of you and wish you peace
Just got back from NI studying the Troubles about a month ago. I actually had the same privilege to talk to Michael about the IRA and his experience. He was part of a panel that included him, a former UVF man, and a former British Soldier. Your coverage of this topic that goes back to the Plantation of Ulster is top notch work and I've been so excited for this video.
Correct.....for hundreds of years the people have been divided
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it! That's great, how long were you there for? I found it really eye-opening to visit, so much I should have known beforehand, but it hardly ever gets talked about over in Britain. Michael did mention he'd taken part in panels like that. It is great to see so much emphasis on discussion and dialogue in Northern Ireland nowadays.
Taking a father's life in front of his wife and child. Lovely....
@@biggerteddybearsyes pat finucane a solisitor shot in his family home in front of his wife and kids by loyalist gun men with British state collusion another horrific tragedy that happened on both sides
@affiliateukelele yeah I mean nothing justifies doing that. It's just good that those involved in the violence have, for the most part, committed to the peace process and are engaging in dialogue instead of armed campaigns. There are other conflicts elsewhere in the world where that is still a very long way off.
As someone born in the 90s I've been in dire need of a documentary that covers this and explains just what/why/how things got to the point of the bombings etc, and have fallen short until now. Thanks for making this
Between The Troubles of Ireland, The Years of Lead in Italy, and how other parts of Europe were (The Cold War) it’s a wonder Europe was stable
Agreed. All we were taught was IRA was equal to what the Taliban is. Just another terrorist group. We weren't taught about the unjust taking of the land by Britian. The guy was correct. When people invade your land, you should have a right to defend against them. Britain is no better than what Russia is doing to Ukraine right now.
This is nothing. Read on the evils of England.
@@sawtooth808 the iron curtain
I was born in the 1960s, and I had never found a thorough explanation for the conflict until now. I remember hearing about “Marching Season” on the radio in the 1990s, but it was difficult to find resources in Midwest US that sufficiently explained why the Irish were killing each other.
A well done doccie. I learned a lot. Thank you.
What an incredible documentary this was. You did a phenomenal job explaining this to someone who had only the barest awareness of this conflict and your documentarian skills (what you chose to highlight and how) are fantastic.
As a Irish person who has friends who live in Northern Ireland I would like to thank you for making this video I feel that videos like these about not just the history of Ireland but the history of Northern Ireland are more important than ever especially now because of the chaos of Briexit I live in county Louth which is in the Eastern part of Ireland which isn't too far from Newry so I hope that peace in Northern Ireland will continue for the future.
Why would you be friends with a Northern Irish person?
@@aadamkhan5217 Most of my Northern Ireland friends are very neutral on the whole Unionist Vs Nationalist bullshit they told me that they find it stupid and a complete waste of time the only party they vote for is the Alliance Party because the Alliance Party doesn't care if you are a Unionist or a Nationalist they just want to make people's lives better.
@@Touhou-forever I don't see how it's possible to be truly "neutral" given that implies you're for the status quo and thus, pro UK.
@@Touhou-forever yes well said if makes no difference between apple cider and grapes 👍
@@citysightswalk6361 Yes indeed and I know that the people of Northern Ireland are sick and tried of the Dup and SF and the whole Irish sea border bull shit
This was absolutely incredible. I dedicated an entire research project on "The Troubles" back in highschool and its really great to see someone make a documentary that is so level headed and presents both sides of the war in detail. Its not something we are taught about in the US, most knowledge boiling down to "British bad" or "IRA bad".
Thanks for the kind words! In the UK we're not really taught about it either which is kind of crazy. So making this video was also very eye-opening for me personally.
English journalist called Peter Taylor is one of the most important impartial life long commentators on the Irish conflict
@@TieranFreedman If Britain taught their own people the truth about their 'glorious Empire' and the 'Glorious Actions of Our Redcoats and Bluejackets' - there would be a revolution amongst their own people.
British bad indeed though
And you still don't or won't know half of it, no matter how seemingly well put together or researched a documentary is. It's funny that how in the 70's an 80's, IRA and Taliban were the good guys to you Americans. Now they're all tarred with the same brush = terrorist. The British establishment here in the north of Ireland banned the image and voice of elected Republican (our republicans are not the same as your politics, BTW) politicians on TV by blacking them out and dubbing over their voice. Imagine being an Irish nationalist and not being allowed to see or hear the people that represent you politically. That is what the British were doing in Ireland as recently as the 80's and most people either don't know this or forget it. Today, this would be seen as a gross civil and human rights abuse and censorship in the same way your government looks at places like North Korea and China.
An excellent presentation of the history and politics. Extremely evenhanded and fair to all sides, thank you and well done.
Thank you Tieran for a very informative and accurate Docco
I'm from the Republic, and I have seen so many crap documentaries about the war in the North that I gave up watching them. Yours is the one and only really good impartial look at both sides, and I commend you for it. It's real documentary making. I hope some day for a united Ireland that Unionists wouldn't hate to live in.
"a united Ireland that Unionists wouldn't hate to live in" - never going to happen. It is part of their DNA.
@arthurgoodness7865 No doubt, man. It's going to be a wild ride when unification does happen.
Current polling has a United Ireland by the people of Northern Ireland at 30% and the people of Republic of Ireland at 67% support. However when asked the people of Republic of Ireland to change their flag, anthem, join the commonwealth, pay more taxes and set a block of seats for Unionists in the Dail then the majority said no. A United Ireland is a long way off if ever.
@@Admiralofthedeeps Probably a new civil war and alot of new bloodshed is going to happen if a United Ireland happens.
@@plugsocket9432 never going to happen. If a border poll is called, it will be rejected in NI. A Referendum in Ireland would probably be rejected too if the flag, anthem et al are properly considered by the electorate. I would not support it.
As someone who is not from the region, I've always heard about this conflict but I felt like nobody ever really gave me the full picture. I think I finally understand it, or at least as much as a foreigner can understand it.
Thank you for this well-done cursory review of this conflict. It’s refreshing to hear from level-headed folks who were on the front lines. Sometimes the media talking heads format gets played out.
Thank you for your excellent work on this and the corrections.
American here, but your documentary is well made, offering perspective from both sides of the conflict, offering history and context to the conflict. Well done!
Thank you!
Very solid work here, serious effort went into the research, live action footage and the interviews. Speaking as an Irishman, this is very in depth work beyond the efforts of some big broadcasting companies.
Thanks so much for the feedback, glad you enjoyed the video!
@@TieranFreedman You start with the Plantation, but you need to go back further. As far back as Cromwell, to fully understand the degree of ethnic cleansing perpetrated on our ancestors, by the Brits.
@@TieranFreedman reported for glorifying terrorism
@@toker6664 yes the British were the terrorists, Chichester, mountjoy, burning crops to cause starvation, one of your queens said I sent to wolves to Ireland instead of shepherds
@@toker6664loser
This was well done. Thank you
Subscribed to you’re channel before even finishing the video amazing documentary completely unbiased and informative. You deserve so much more subs
Correction: In Ulster the majority of British settlers were Scottish (hence the identity of Ulster Scots) not English.
A lot were from northern England tho, just majority of Scottish descent
@@DirlewarnglerBrigade vast majority were scottish, look at our names
@@gege4707 From northern england and scotland. But scotland has been in northern ireland for ages with robert the bruce invading there and the stuart plantations. Plenty of non scottish protestant names. Church of ireland anglicans are almost as many as presbyterians. The guys name is the english hutchinson.
Remember that the people in Scotland are mainly descended from people who lived in the North of Ireland. The Scotti people went to Northern Britain and drove out/killed the native Picts. Many Scots who came over during the Plantation were returning to their native roots.
@@curlywurly1767 I dont think so. Talk about rewriting history, lol.
This is a really quite good documentary. There are a few "Problems" with it but its fine cuz its mainly because its such a complex topic a few things have just been simplified to complexity and time sake. And on another note, the comment section is surprisingly calm and level headed, i was expecting to see war between IRA and Unionist LARPers, but to my surprise its genuinely quite calm which just proves how good this video was. 🙏 God bless you bro
Thanks for the kind words, so glad you enjoyed the video! I have pinned a comment with a couple of corrections and some additional context.
The IRT, they are no army, have never been, and they've never had 'soldiers', and never will.
This was a great video and was really helpful i have been very confused about this for a long time . Thanks
I'm English. I was never taught by anyone about this. It was right on my door step and I had no idea.
Great video. As an American, it's really hard to understand the conflict and history here, but you've done a really great job making it easier to understand. Thanks!
For real! I’m from Los Angeles and we are very segragated without walls. But the parallels are the same none the less, a lot of this comes down to old politics not being able to merge with today’s living standards. We all want something different and we don’t want to share that privilege!
Not really it mirrors a little bit of the American revolution
@@projectc.j.j3310 whatever that even means. Anyways we are comparing it to our modern struggles we aren’t comparing history with history. Would you like to add anything meaningful?💀
@@HotMochaCake history? U mean what a lot of the video is talking about? Lmao shut your la as up
@@HotMochaCake are you really that stupid that you don’t know what a simple sentence means?😂😂😂 “WhAtEveR ThAt MeAnS”
I’ve been looking for an approachable well-rounded introduction to the Troubles, and this is so good. So well done. Thank you.
It's important to know history, especially one's own. But because history repeats itself regardless of place, learning what happened elsewhere helps to reflect on other countries as well. Great interview and explanation
Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it.. to paraphrase George Santayana. Sad part is that revisionist history is being taught in schools today.
@@adamkiehl2316revisionist history. Agreed. History is rewritten by those in power, globally it seems. Signed, History minor
I think this is beautiful, as a native I’ve also felt Ireland is a fellow indigenous group.
Very good documentary I have to say, adding in the interviews when others simply just read and recite information from books and the internet makes it far more unique than other documentaries on the subject. Obviously slight few errors but nothing that break the video or take away from the overall message, which is the most important. Really enjoyed it! The only two gripes I have with it really is that 1. The beginning of the "troubles" and the start of the "conflict" part of it is a slight bit more complicated. While yes there were initially civil rights movements for equality in education, housing, employment, voting etc..., there was growing sentiment in the Unionist community that these were a 'cover' for an actual United Ireland movement, which as Michael pointed out, was not the case but simply looking for equality. When some of these marches were then opposed and then turned to violence, that's when the British army were brought in to basically protect the people who were marching but then it turned out that the army actually didn't do that well of a job and often were also violent towards the people and so the IRA was 'reformed' if you want to put it that way in order to protect the people and then of course, the UVF and others were 'reformed' in order to protect Unionist communities from the IRA and then it escalated. 2. is something that is rarely discussed in these types of videos but is quite important relating to how British security forces often colluded and worked together with Loyalist paramilitary forces in order to kill Catholics, often not having anything to do with the conflict. Through various investigations, it has been found that British security forces gave information to Loyalist groups of the whereabouts of certain people and often armed those groups in order to carry out these murders. Obviously I will admit bias on this subject but I think that relaying that some people were killed by groups with the help of their own government forces who are there to protect them from such atrocities shows that there was confirmed collusion which shows that while it can be called an ethnic conflict between two sides with differing identities, it had elements of it that were sponsored and supported by the government itself. The government and security forces would condemn Loyalist forces for killing people whilst quietly supporting them with information and weapons. Now while the vast majority of this collusion between security forces and paramilitaries was between RUC / British Army and others with Loyalist forces, it would be remiss to not include examples of confirmed collusion between Gardaí (Irish Police) and Republican forces also, often looking the other way, leniency etc... and also the obvious funding and arming of Republican forces by the Irish government. This collusion and often aiding by governments and security forces also gives credence to Michael's argument that the Troubles nickname belittles the importance and the actual gravity of the situation in the north rather than this simple, localised, petty argument. But besides those two, which as a person who has studied the conflict in great detail, I really enjoyed it. I usually watch these and cringe or go into it not expecting much but genuinely, really impressed. I hope you do more on related topics in the same vein!
Thank you for the feedback and for sharing your thoughts, glad you enjoyed the video! Fair criticisms, I actually had an original cut that mentioned collusion, but I felt weird mentioning it so briefly without properly going into detail on it. I have since added a pinned comment that does just that ironically haha. Interesting point about the civil rights movement. I didn't know that. Definitely hoping to go back some day for another visit because it feels like there's a mountain of stuff still to learn. For a first-time visit though I found it incredibly eye-opening. In regards to future videos like this one, my channel follows me as I cycle around different parts of the world documenting stories along the way. So each one is different, but if you enjoyed this one, you might be interested in the one about a Welsh nationalist group that bombed a dam in Wales the 1960s (you can find it on my channel).
@@TieranFreedman The conflicted in Ireland goes back over 400 years
@@michaelhawkins7389 more....12th century to be more accurate
...did the Irish Government ever turn a blind eye to republican terrorism along the border? Is that collusion?
Point #2 is some BS. What you call "collusion" didn't go after "Catholics often not having anything to do with the conflict". It was British Intelligence handing Loyalist gangs actionable intelligence on legit IRA operatives who were then targeted by the Loyalists. The reason Republicans whine about the practice so much was because of one reason - results. It was one of the main reasons the IRA was finally forced to the negotiating table because they knew "the gloves were off" and that despite of their very insular command structure British Intelligence was damn good at identifying members of IRA Active Service Units and Loyalists were damn good at taking them out. Same thing goes for the whining about the "shoot to kill" orders.
Excellent, concise documentary, thank you. I'm from Finland, so I'm pretty far away from the subject but close enough to have always been intrigued by it. I've tried to figure out why there was a long, bloody war in such a civilized country. It still sounds like a really difficult situation, but your documentary helped in putting a lot of it into perspective.
Finland was occupied by Russia as well & i believe - correct me if I am wrong - there was also a civil war in Finland following that. Far away yes - but not that different
@@dearbhal Well, Finland was occupied by Russia between 1809 - 1917. And yes, there was a civil war in 1918. I understand your point, but in my mind these are totally different scenarios. The conflict in Northern Ireland has been going on for decades now, and it's still brewing. I guess it's somehow comparable to the situation in the Balkans.
Great job on the video. Thoroughly explained and concise.
Old Billy's main concern regarding a united Ireland is his fear that a nationalist majority would treat loyalist communities in the same manner that the loyalists persecuted nationalists, a main contributing factor to the NI civil rights movement and the Troubles. I'd dare say a United Éire would be a lot more welcoming of our loyalist neighbours than they'd like you to believe
His viewpoint was a prime example of the propaganda some loyalists have been fed. Scary, really!
the only difference between the persecutors and the persecuted is power... very often the persecuted turn things around and do unto others what has been done unto them... its not just propaganda its basic human nature...
We're so far removed from this that if a united Ireland happens in the next 10/20 years there would hardly be persecution of "loyalism", SF the main nationalist party tried to get a loyalist assigned to the Seanad in the 26 counties only one side currently doesn't want to work with the other and it's the loyalists @@jerichostevens2711
@@jerichostevens2711 Which is why leaders who was able to overcome that great problem are the greatest leaders not only to their country but also for the world.
Excellent documentary. Very powerful, especially when he asked for the interviewer's nationality and found out he was British. My heart skipped a beat! Thank you for your work.
as a half Irish half English catholic, thank you very much for this. My mums family (Irish) are republicans and it's very interesting to hear from the Unionists as this is not a side I hear very often. Very balanced and non-biased way to talk about the troubles for someone who only knows one side of the story
Thank you for sharing! I just finished Rainbow Six and am now in the middle of Patriot Games, and Tom Clancy references the Troubles heavily. Came here to learn about this episode in Irish/UK history!
This video genuinely brought me to tears watching. A lot of videos on the troubles are either heavily biased or very badly made but you done this justice. Thank you
let me guess, they them?😢
@@yungprodigy4070 what? I live in Ireland, my family was involved in the troubles like many other Irish families. Learn to be less ignorant
hahaha@@yungprodigy4070
Wow, it means a lot to hear that it resonated with you so much. Thank you for your comment 💚
@@yungprodigy4070did you just like your own comment?
Glad to see this is blowing up, this was very well done ❤
Thank you!
Outstanding documentary! Well done!
This was very informative. Great content chaps
This was so well done. Thank you 🙏🫶🏼
I'm Polish, only just came back from a wonderful week in Dublin. Two wonderful tour guides did a great job explaining the history of the Republic of Ireland, and the video helped me see things from the other side of the border with more detail as well - thank you! It's so sad that an old act of political greed would drag on and fester for so long, hurting so many. The actual, common people had nothing to do with this (as is usually the case). Neither side is wrong here, it all boils down to the individual now. I hope the process will continue peacefully, with referendums that show (justly) the will of the people. A very interesting story, and I can see many parallels with the history of Poland - over a century of occupation in our books, forced division, brother against brother, all for the sake of a few little men's complexes. To both the Irish and Northern Irish, after our visit: that's a wonderful, beautiful island you live on. I sincerely hope to see it again as soon as will be possible. Poland is pretty in a similar way, but somehow all the GREEN just hits different on the Emerald Isle. Thank you for your hospitality, and I wish you all the best :)
Your English is amazing, wow! 🙌🏻😎👍🏻
A great summary of a very complex and confusing situation. Even still, it’s hard to follow how and why things got so bad. Nice job.
I wish all information and news was delivered this way. Working through the general facts, touching on the gray areas and seeing both points of view..
This is a really well made documentary. Unbelievable its made by a lad with 11k subscribers. You've earned yourself another one and I can't wait to see all the rest of your projects on this channel.
Wow, until you pointed it out I genuinely thought this was made by a TV network
Thanks for the comment and support! Many more videos to come 😊
What an incredible piece of journalism and documentary skills. Rightfully earned my subscription.
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it!
@@TieranFreedmandude this is an epic doco! Excellent work and probably the best intro to the conflict that I've seen.
Wow, what a concise and informative video. I'm from Dublin myself but my Mam grew up in Belfast so I have lots of family there. I hadn't been up in about 6 year until last year and I took a black taxi tour, would highly recommend ANYONE to take this tour. Was highly informative and tbh, most of it probably didn't stick in my mind, it was just so crammed with info. Such is the life of a sheltered Dublin boy in peacetimes. Loved that you got an interview with men from both sides, and tbh as someone who dreams of a united Ireland (brits out), being reminded of all the bloodshed caused by the IRA is something i needed to see. brits out
That was a brilliant watch.. Thanks
My Grandad was a soldier who was deployed when it first kicked off as he moved from Ireland to England for a better job, he ended up joining the army and wanted to go to the north as it reminded him of home he was one of the first as he wen't in around 1969, he came in straight after 'the battle of the bog side' but we don't know what he did there as he refused to talk about it. All we know is that he shot someone and he had witnessed people being gun downed in the streets by paramilitaries and soldiers a like. Awful conflict.
Fantastic insight for those of us that are uneducated on this unbelievable period of history. Very well made. I'm just starting out on my KZhead journey and this content and format gives me great motivation.
Thanks so much. Good luck with your videos!
never ever have I seen such a great explaining video
Beautifully made documentary. Knew next to nothing about this era in Ireland's history save for a few terms like the IRA and the Troubles, and I shed a tear by the time the 71% referendum result was announced and the crowd reacted as they did. Immediate follow, looking forward to watching more!
ive never been able to understand the troubles and this video explained it really well. nice vid
That was a fantastic documentary, thanks so much! I'm loving your travel ones as well, as I've followed a similar route the other year, so it's interesting to follow your trip.🌞
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it! Oh cool, how long were you on the road for?
Very good video. Really helped a total outsider get a good overview of the situation - unlike many other videos
thank you for this video! what a tragedy..
I wrote my dissertation on the American influence on the Troubles. You did an excellent job with this documentary.
Thank you, glad to hear that! Must have been a fascinating project
Older American here. What was the American influence in this situation? I doubt I'm the only person who would like to know.
@@user-nk7yp8sj6o Provided funding for the IRA and Republican groups
Well balanced and professional documentary. I think your insight into Brexit without a plan for the Good Friday agreement were spot on.
Damn EU.
This is a fantastic documentary - beautifully balanced, and states the facts. I’m from NI and it’s scary when I occasionally remember that even though we have the peace deal, it’s still a very tense situation. Thankfully, things seem to be getting better but with no government, Brexit stirring the pot again, and people starting to talk about reunification again, it often feels like we’re still on a knife edge.
As a Irishman from the south in his early 30's. I even learned one or two things I didn't know. Excellent work and very impartial.
A fantastic video, I learned more watching this than I ever did in my years of education👏🏻
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it!
A no bullshit documentary, important for both sides to watch this. Thanks for making it.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it
Thank you for this thoughtful video
Good video! Well put together
You've done a really good job making this, well done!
Thanks so much!
Wonderful documentary! I appreciated how you looked at both sides of this conflict. I’ve seen other documentaries on the Troubles that try to emphasize one side over the other, but you made the wise choice of giving us the bigger picture. In fact, this is the first documentary I’ve seen that made me think how I’d be during this complicated time. I’ve been interested in this subject for some time, and I’ve got some personal reasons why. I’m an American, but I used to live in London studying abroad about 10 years ago (pre-Brexit UK), and one weekend, I took a trip to Belfast. I’d been to each country of the UK except Northern Ireland, so I thought I’d knock it off my list. I’d also been to Dublin, and it was really interesting to see the difference of the two sides. When I was in Dublin, I never heard much about the Troubles, but in Belfast, I definitely got more of an education on the subject. I remember doing one of those bus tours that loop all day around the city, and the tour I was on went through the neighborhoods right by the Peace Wall. It was surreal to say the least. The community was peaceful, but I could feel the tension in the air as our bus drove past the Wall and all the murals on the sides of buildings of IRA paramilitary members clad in black with rifles ready in hand. I remember seeing a huge mural of Bobby Sands himself. As we drove past that mural of Sands, our tour guide opened up to questions, and I had one specific question. When I’d arrived to the UK, my flight actually landed the day of Scotland’s independence referendum election where they voted 52/48 to stay in the UK. There was a lot of frustration over the results in Scotland, but no civil unrest - just regret (especially when Brexit came along!). So I asked my tour guide what would happen if Northern Ireland had a similar independence referendum and had similar results (52/48 for either result). Now this tour guide was a middle aged native Belfast man who was very pleasant and knowledgeable all throughout the tour. In fact, as we were driving through that neighborhood, he said “The 20th century was a difficult time for Northern Ireland, but the 21st century has been a great period so far for us!” But when I asked him that question, his demeanor went from pleasant to serious, and he said “If we had a vote, it’d have to be 99-1 either way. Anything less, and the Troubles would start all over again.” Definitely a chilling moment, and I say all this to say your work here evoked that memory. And I thank you for that! History is about the bigger picture and all the complications within it, and you did that excellently! Keep it up and God bless!
Wonderful reporting!
I recall as a teenager thinking how crazy and glorious it was that in 1993 Zombie gave me a glimpse into the Troubles and then, just like that, it was over and the Accords were signed. We didn't know much about NI in Brazil but we knew it was an incredibly bitter conflict. I hope it remains firmly planted in the past only
Impossible
Brazil an amazing country
Amazing how often those who fight to be their own people are the ones painted as being "problematic" by those who are trying to control them.
Superb. Thank you. WDC, USA
Excellent documentary. Well done on staying completely objective. I wish more stories were covered as objectively as this story was covered.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the truth. 🎉🎉🎉❤.
Dobry dokument, obiektywny. Jestem polakiem/brytyjczykiem, który mieszkał wiele lat w Belfascie i miał przyjaciół po obu stronach barykady. Życzę pokoju Północnej Irlandii i jej ludziom.
The IRA split between pro treaty and anti-treaty in the civil war. Not all of the IRA were against the treaty.
yea west brit fine gael traitors , shocking they have the balls to use the word Gael when alot of them arent actually gaelic but norman and anglo irish , absolutely the worst politcal party in the whole of ireland , i would vote DUP before fine gael , at least DUP have the honesty to say they are british
@@tomtomftube🇬🇧☘️
True, but only to an extent. What was the IRA during the War of Independence split, and the Pro-Treaty side became the Free State Army. The Irregulars (Anti-Treaty) maintained the use of the name IRA.
The IRT, they have never been an army, and the mindless thugs within have never been, nor will ever be, soldiers.
Irt right
Super good video. Lots of stuff I should have known, but didn't. Thank you.
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it!
Very informative video. Thank you. I went to Ireland a few years ago and a kept hearing about the troubles. I was curious so I looked it up went I got back to my hotel.