The nature of the relationship between Britain and Ireland from 1100 to 1922
The relationship between Britain and Ireland from the year 1100 and 1922 has always been strained. This is due to conflict and disagreements over issues such as religion and power, which as been present throughout British and Irish history.
Firstly, Britain and Ireland had a hostile attitude towards each other due to religious divide. This is because Ireland was originally a Celtic country until the 12th century, until the English crossed to Ireland and conquered the area around Dublin called "The Pale". Then in the 16th century England became a protestant country. Although, "The Pale" was only a small area in Ireland that was now protestant and the rest of the country remained Celtic, it was the first step the caused Ireland to have a religious divide. Next in 1609, most of the Catholics of Ulster were driven from their homes and the area became protestant, thus meaning that a noticeable religious divide was being created between the Protestants in the North and the Catholics in the South of Ireland.
A map highlighting the (former) United Kingdom of ...
Satellite photo: Ireland is the island on the left...
English: Satellite image of snow-covered Great Bri...In addition to this, the settlers had different cultural backgrounds to the Irish, which caused conflict and meant that there was an obvious split. Still today there is a religious divide in Ireland due to the conquering of the English in the past. In addition to this, many British, protestant landowners are living in the south of Ireland. This has caused tension in the country, as the British Protestants were seen as foreign in Ireland.
Secondly, the relationship between Britain and Ireland has been strained throughout history due to the desire for power and control over Ireland. The English colonised Ireland in the 12th century and for almost 800 years oppressed the indigenous people through force, as...