1. Devolution in Northern Ireland
Second-Year Law – Class 11
Devolution in Northern Ireland

2. 2012 Belfast City Council vote – and riots Since 1906, the Union Jack had been flown every day of the year. The vote means that it will now be flown no more than 18 days a year. Riots by Ulster loyalists lasted for two months.

3. The two Irelands Northern Ireland: part of the UK.
The Republic of Ireland: independent country, sovereign state.

4. Video (here)
The marching season is the time of year when Protestant Unionists parade through the streets of major cities in Northern Ireland to commemorate a series of historic events.
These parades commemorate historic events. They are a form of tradition but are also a matter of preservation in preventing the “other side” i.e. the Catholic side from “taking over”. (See the comments made by the couple interviewed in the video.)
Belfast Shankill is a Unionist enclave in North Belfast surrounded by Catholic neighbourhoods.

5. Video (2)
Martin McGuinness, once a militant IRA commander, is the Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland executive (co-leader of the power-sharing government). He is very positive about the Peace Process.
Neil Jarman says that the Peace Process “has brought Sinn Fein and the IRA out of the political wilderness and into the institutions of power” but that it did not deal with some of the issues of Northern Ireland which are segregation and hostility between the dominant communities (especially working-class communities). Parts of the province remain divided and on edge.
Irvine represents the interests of the Protestant community. He says that cultural, religious and political differences between the communities have to be acknowledged. He defends the parades. He condemns violence and advocates discussion in order to achieve reconciliation. For Murphy, on the other hand, the parades symbolize the triumphalism of Protestants over Catholics.

6. Video (3)
As an outreach worker, Murphy runs field trips on 12 July to remove Catholic youngsters from Belfast so they are not caught up in the protests against the parades. This initiative aims to prevent young people from getting a criminal record and from being exposed to sectarian violence.
90% of schools in Northern Ireland are segregated.
This year’s 12 July parade will end earlier to avoid clashes. Protestant politicians found the Northern Ireland Parades Commission’s decision outrageous. The Catholics thought that it did not go far enough.

7. Comprehension of the Facts
1. The Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century.
2. They created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. From then on, Irish affairs were administered directly from Westminster.
3. A million people signed the “Ulster Covenant” in 1912, and pledged to use “all means that may be found necessary” to resist Home Rule. Indeed, the predominantly Protestant population feared that Home Rule might be a first step towards an independent Catholic Ireland.

8. Comprehension of the Facts (2)
4. The Government of Ireland Act (1920).
5. The Northern Irish Civil Rights Association organized non-violent protests and marches, notably against a weighted voting system that heavily favored Protestants.
6. A Nationalist is usually from a Catholic background, rejects the Union with the United Kingdom and is in favor of a United Ireland. A Unionist is a person usually from a Protestant background who wants to remain British and part of the United Kingdom.

9. Comprehension of the Facts (3)
7. In 1972, Prime Minister Heath removed control of security from the government of Northern Ireland, and appointed a Secretary of State for the province: this was Direct Rule. The system was criticized by Northern Irish representatives from all sides, and sectarian violence reached new heights.
8. The Sunningdale Agreement (1973) provided for a Northern Ireland Assembly and a Government where Protestants and Catholics would share power, and encouraged the involvement of the Republic of Ireland in order to harmonize economic relations between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

10. Comprehension of the Facts (4)
9. The Good Friday Agreement gives prominence to the “principle of consent” which affirms the legitimacy of the aspiration to a United Ireland while recognizing the current wish of the majority in Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK.
10. The possibility of a hard Brexit has led to concerns about a return to a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. It would also have serious implications on the economy of the province, and raise citizenship questions.

11. Murals in Belfast

12. Sentence Completion
1. Although the Third Home Rule Bill was voted in 1914, it did not come into force as its implementation was postponed due to the outbreak of World War I.
2. Unlike Nationalists, (who campaign for a United Ireland), Unionists are members of the Protestant community who consider themselves British and want Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK.
3. Pursuant to the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, a Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive where representatives of the Protestant and Catholic communities share power have been created.
4. The Government of Ireland Act (1920) established partition between the predominantly Protestant and Unionist “Northern Ireland” (made up of the six North- eastern counties), and the rest of the island.
5. Since the Good Friday Agreement was implemented the Northern Ireland Assembly has been suspended four times, because the IRA was suspected of not having fully decommissioned its weapons (which was an essential part of the process of negotiation of the Agreement).

13. Exercise 3: Discussion about a “United Ireland”
More people in the Republic of Ireland seem to support the idea of a United Ireland in the long term.
However, Irish People in the Republic are not necessarily keen to see this reunification happen in the near future.
In Northern Ireland, 30% of the population would like to see a United Ireland, contrary to the Unionists who are traditionally against a United Ireland.
Interestingly, 52% of Catholics in Northern Ireland would like to see a United Ireland. This suggests that the living conditions of Catholics in Northern Ireland have improved significantly in recent decades, which speaks to the achievements of the Peace Process.
Note that this poll was conducted before the Brexit vote. Concerns relative to the Free Movement of People and citizenship may substantially alter the results of the survey.

14. Text 5: “Dissident Republicans in Northern Ireland seize moment to fight partition”
They are members of the IRA who disagree with the terms of the Good Friday Agreement and with Sinn Fein’s strategy to share power with representatives of the Unionist community. They oppose a political solution and will accept nothing less than a United Ireland.
Some hardliners welcome the Brexit vote because it illustrates their contention that the people in Northern Ireland are disenfranchised. Indeed, a majority of the Northern Irish population voted to remain in Europe, but because the overall population of the UK voted in favor of Brexit, Northern Ireland will also have to leave the EU. It suits their strategy of destabilization of the Peace Process.

15. Text 5 (2)
The border between the Republic and Northern Ireland is now imperceptible. However, the possibility of a hard Brexit makes a hard border a likely possibility. This shows that, although imperceptible, the border is nonetheless real. The fact that Sinn Fein’s call for a border poll (which would pave the way for a reunited Ireland) was dismissed by the First Minister and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland shows that the balance of power lies heavily in favour of the Unionists and of the UK and that Sinn Fein’s strategy is inoperative.
Those concerns are at odds with those of the population of Derry as the latter is much more preoccupied by the economic consequences of Brexit. A number of infrastructure projects had been financed by the EU, but Brexit would imply a cut in European funds which had greatly benefited the province.

16. The Queen and Martin McGuinness shook hands in 2012.
It was the first time the Queen visited the Republic of Ireland.
Martin McGuinness used to be an IRA commander.
Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton described the handshake as "the most remarkable sign of change yet" in the Northern Ireland peace process.

17. Homework for next class Legal professions
Read the lesson ps
Complete the comprehension of the facts exercises 1, 2, 3.
Complete the grammar exercise p. 114.