The People
The people of Northern Ireland rely heavily on religion, partly because of their violent past between Catholics and Protestants. Even now, Catholics and Protestants usually live in communities with people of the same religion. This also creates a strong bond within communities, whether they are modern neighborhoods or small farm towns (Coulter). According to the 2011 census, 98% of Northern Ireland is white, and English is the main language for 97% of citizens. National identity can be a complicated topic for the people of Northern Ireland because of their history with Ireland, the United Kingdom, and other surrounding nations. 40% of Northern Ireland citizens consider themselves as only British, 25% consider themselves as only Irish, 21% consider themselves as only Northern Irish, and 9% think of themselves as some combination of the previous three nationalities ("Demography of Northern Ireland").
The Beauty
Northern Ireland has many naturally beautiful landmarks, but the land is also made beautiful by the history. Some of the natural wonders that Northern Ireland has to offer include Giant's Causeway, the Glens of Atrim, Rathlin Island, and Lough Neagh. Many of the historical sights in Northern Ireland are castles, some of which have been around for over 500 years. Some of the most well known castles are Dunluce Castle (which is said to have inspired the castle Cair Paravel from the Narnia series by C.S. Lewis), Belfast Castle, and Carrickfergus Castle (McG). Game of Thrones fans also enjoy visiting Winterfell Castle to tour where the show was filmed. Northern Ireland is also where the famous St. Patrick lived, and many people enjoy walking through the important places in his life (Discover Northern Ireland).
|
|
The Challenges
Brexit is currently creating many problems for Northern Ireland, mostly surrounding the border. Changing the soft border between Ireland and Northern Ireland would have negative impacts on Northern Ireland's economy, their relationship with Ireland and the United Kingdom. Another issue Northern Ireland faces is reconciling with their violent past. The Good Friday Agreement put an end to a difficult 30 year period in Northern Ireland history called the Troubles, which resulted in the deaths of more than 3,500 people. However, while the Good Friday Agreement put an end to the conflict at the time, it did not describe plans on how to solve the complicated problems left by the Troubles. Victims of these times feel aggravated at the government's failure to handle the past. Most Northern Ireland communities are still divided by religion due to this. Northern Ireland also has the highest suicide rate out of the UK, and alcohol and prescription drug abuse are continuous issues as well (Geoghegan).
Works Cited
Coulter, Colin, et al. "Northern Ireland." Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. , 14 Dec. 2018, www.brittanica.com.
"Demography of Northern Ireland." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation Inc., 25 Dec. 2018, en.wikipedia.org.
Discover Northern Ireland. Discover Northern Ireland , discovernorthernireland.com. Accessed 29 Dec. 2018.
Geoghegan, Peter. "Legacy of the Troubles still haunts Northern Ireland." Politico [Belfast], 11 Apr. 2018, www.politico.eu
McG, Ross. "19 pictures that prove Northern Ireland is the most beautiful place in the world." Metro, 23 Sept. 2015, metro.co.uk.
"Demography of Northern Ireland." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation Inc., 25 Dec. 2018, en.wikipedia.org.
Discover Northern Ireland. Discover Northern Ireland , discovernorthernireland.com. Accessed 29 Dec. 2018.
Geoghegan, Peter. "Legacy of the Troubles still haunts Northern Ireland." Politico [Belfast], 11 Apr. 2018, www.politico.eu
McG, Ross. "19 pictures that prove Northern Ireland is the most beautiful place in the world." Metro, 23 Sept. 2015, metro.co.uk.
Header from Land Lopers- https://landlopers.com/2016/05/31/causeway-coastal-route