We delve into some Irish history with Prof Liam Kennedy. Liam has published a myriad of books on Irish history. We look closely at his 2020 book "Who was responsible for the Troubles".

These are some of the questions we try to answer:

• What is a brief definition of the Troubles?
• What period are we looking at?
• Is Ireland part of the UK?
• What is at the heart of the violence of the Troubles?
• Which events led up to the Troubles?
• How did the division/partition of the island of Ireland come about?
• Why are the Troubles often described as a religious conflict?
• How does Irish English differ from British English?
• What are the roots of the ancient Gaelic language? What does it sound like?
• How did markers like Catholicism and Protestantism perpetuate divisions?
• Why does this division not extend to the Irish rugby team?
• Which events between the 1920s and 1960s laid the foundation for the Troubles?
• What was the nature of the Civil Rights Movement in Ulster?
• How successful was the Civil Rights Movement in bringing about equality in Northern Ireland?
• How did the IRA differ from the provisional IRA?
• Did the Republic of Ireland support the provisional IRA?
• What was the international extent of the Troubles?
• Why is December 1969 considered a turning point in the start of the Troubles?
• What was the nature of the conflict during the Troubles? What were Bloody Sunday and Bloody Friday?
• Who is responsible for starting/perpetuating the Troubles?
• Who were the leaders of the IRA?
• Why is the role of regional paramilitary groups so obscure?
• Why can't the Troubles be seen as a binary conflict?
• How did the Good Friday Agreement come about?
• How did Brexit change the dynamic on the island of Ireland?
• Who is the new IRA?

Please send your questions and suggestions to highschoolhistoryrecap@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @WilliamHPalk or @C_duPlessis.

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