Northern Ireland came into existence as a result of a campaign for Irish Home Rule, which began in the 1870s. At that time the whole island of Ireland was governed by Britain and sent MPs to Westminster, which is the home of the British Government in London. Home Rulers wanted a separate Irish parliament but their campaign was defeated by a number of groups, including Irish unionists, who wanted to remain under British rule. A bill granting Home Rule was passed through its parliamentary stages but was postponed because of the outbreak of the First World War.

In current events, Northern Ireland is still battling with the Republic of Ireland. Most recently, the battle has affected the youth of Northern Ireland. Objects such as bricks have been thrown at children. Police escorts have been mandatory requirements for protection. An explosion of verbal abuse has been called out into the street and at passer-bys constantly. As a result, many children were hurt, sides developed more hate for the other, murders have followed, and rioting continues in residential areas. Recent riots in Belfast have caused several police officers to be hurt. The riots are known to be caused by loyalist’s paramilitaries. On September 26, 2001 33 officers were injured by Protestants. Police fired four rounds at a crowd of approximately 300 protestors, but it still didn’t stop the protestors. There were six homemade grenades and 125 bottles filled with gasoline lit on fire.

Leaders from all regions of Britain and Ireland met on November 30, 2001 to seek common ground as the province\'s 1998 agreement proposed. The gathering was led by the prime ministers of Britain and Ireland, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern, included representatives of the fledgling regional governments in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, plus long-established administrations in Britain\'s Channel Islands and Isle of Man. The Northern Ireland government has been running efficiently thanks to the Irish Republican Army \'s decision in October to begin giving up weapons. That breakthrough also cleared the ground for the long-delayed session of the British-Irish Council. The meeting symbolized a key principle of the Good Friday pact in action, by developing a web of relationships in which British and Irish politicians work together in equality.

In 1956 the IRA emerged again with a campaign of violence along the border. But it was poorly supported and the governments in both parts of the island introduced confinement without trial to round up terrorist suspects. The IRA eventually called off its campaign in 1962. But outbreaks of serious violence continued, particularly in Belfast and Londonderry, forcing the British Government to send in troops to keep the peace. The measure failed and as bombings and shootings increased in number, the North Ireland parliament introduced captivity to round up republican suspects. The even that triggered the situation was Bloody Sunday in Derry in 1972 when 13 civilians were shot dead by the army during a protest march against internment. Stormont ministers refused to hand back control of security matters to Westminster so British Prime Minister Edward Heath announced the suspension of the North Ireland parliament in March 1972.

In 1985 British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and Irish prime minister Garret Fitzgerald signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement, under wh

Some topics in this essay:
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