Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Guerilla result of religious Guerilla warfare in Northern Ireland stems from a com bination of religious, economic and political problems, says a USC history professor. "Sectarian religion is orobably more important to X.N4 warfare political problems the Irish then to any other people In the Western World," says Dr. Charles Coolidge, professor of contemporary British and Irish history who received his Ph.D. from the University of Dublin. Now at Shoni America's fave SE "Bad feelings have existed between the Protestants and Catholics -in Ireland ever since the Presbyterians first moved there from Scotland," he said. "They came in the 16th and 17th centuries and pushed the native Irish from their lands In the north." "The problem of Irish nationalism has also been around for a long time," Coolidge explained. "The Irish like to talk about 700 years of oppression." A large number of Irishmen, he said, have always wanted separation from Great Britain. Their opposition culminated first in the 1916 Easter Rebellion and then in the Irish War for Independence which X.. y's n rite oubl-dec IAL 9 or '4' continued until 1921. "At the end of the war Great Britain and Ireland signed a treaty setting up.the Irish Free State,' Coolidge said. "But the effect of the treaty was to exclude the six counties of the north of Ireland from the new republic." This was done, he said, because a large number of Protestants in the north feared rule by the Catholic majority in the south and wanted to retain ties with England. Many Catholics, however, were in cluded within the boundaries of Northern Ireland. "Ever since 1921," Coolidge said, "the Republic of Ireland has taken the position that they JJShoney's N> h mpo Y I/ >~ were forced to sign that treaty and has claimed that the northern counties should be a part of the republic."' "On top of these religious and nationalistic differences are . general economic problems which make the situation a very complex one," he said. "Businessmen in Belfast do not want to join the Irish Republic because they fear they will lose their business ties with Great Britain. "'The present bloodshed in Ireland encourages extremism on all sides," he added, "and I'm inclined to think the situation will remain tense as neither side shows any signs of giving up." HOME OF THE BIG bOY