Reconsidering the Troubles: An examination of paramilitary and state violence in Northern Ireland

Abstract

In the bitter sectarian conflict of the Northern Ireland Troubles, which spanned the years 1966- 1998, culpability has usually been firmly placed in the actions of the Irish Republican Army, a group seeking reunification with the Republic of Ireland. This thesis argues that the roles of Protestant loyalist paramilitaries and state forces such as the British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary were equally as important. That this importance is not demonstrated in dominant literature remains to be to the detriment of efforts towards reconciliation and the acceptance of shared responsibility, and perpetuates the sectarian divide between Protestant and Catholic communities.