The army built walls called “peace lines” to separate predominantly Protestant neighborhoods from predominantly Catholic neighborhoods. Earlier that summer, civil rights marches calling for an end to anti-Catholic discrimination and police brutality ended in violence. That operation, by the way, lasted until 2007 and is Britain’s longest military operation. That year, British Armed Forces were deployed to Northern Ireland as part of Operation Banner.
Religion played a role, but it wasn’t the reason for the Troubles. It is often characterized as a religious conflict-because the republicans were Catholic and the loyalists were Protestant-but it’s much more complicated than whether or not you go to a priest or a minister. It lasted for decades, from 1966 to 1998 at least. The conflict was between loyalists who wished for Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom and republicans who wished to be united with Ireland and independent from British rule. That should, unfortunately, be a pretty low bar to clear. Let’s see if I can explain the Troubles better than my AP European History class did *coughs* years ago.
In Belfast, a family with a charismatic son named Buddy debates leaving their hometown as it becomes more and more violent.
This period of history is often misunderstood and misinterpreted. Although if we’re being honest, it’s more of a sliver than a slice. When you’re not being dazzled by how gorgeous Jamie Dornan and Caitríona Balfe are in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical film Belfast, you’re presented with a slice-of-life tale about the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
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