Northern Ireland's Violent History

Last month, a report claimed that violence would return to Northern Ireland if there's a hard border due to a no-deal Brexit. The research was conducted by Irish Senator Mark Daly together with two UNESCO chairmen and its findings are echoed by many residents living along the fontier, many of whom have first-hand memories of The Troubles.

The conflict erupted in the 1960s and is generally agreed to have ended with the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, though instances of sporadic violence have occurred since then. It was fought on political and national grounds, encompassing ethnic and sectarian dimensions. The report stated that many young people have no first hand knowledge of the conflict or its consquences, and that some have been given a romanticised account of it. That could result in a return to arms if the UK crashes out of Europe without a deal.

According to The Conflict Archive on the Internet, or CAIN, 3,568 people died during the conflict in Northern Ireland from 1969 to 2010. 1,879 were civilian and 1,117 were members of the British security forces. A further 300 were republican paramilitaries, 162 were loyalist paramilitaries and 11 were Irish security. With only four weeks to go until the UK leaves the EU, the stakes are incredibly high for the UK and Ireland.