Belfast_Diary

In the book Belfast Diary (1995) by John Conroy the author writes about the political situation in British Ruled Northern Ireland .Conroy‘s (1995 ) purpose in writing this book was to portray life in Belfast , Northern Ireland in as fair and non-biased a perspective as possible. This book chronicles the time between 1979 and 1980 that the author spent living in one of the Catholic neighborhoods in Belfast. He listened to people on all sides of the conflict in Northern Ireland in an attempt to get at the root causes of the problem that has been creating chaos in Northern Ireland since the turn of the 20th century. Conroy (1995) points out that the political situation in Northern Ireland is tremendously complex. It is not simply a matter of Roman Catholics coming into conflict with the Protestants of Belfast. It is also a matter of Loyalists to the British Throne versus those who wish independence for Northern Ireland. These two fairly major issues combined with class, and economic issues create an extremely volatile situation in Belfast. It is very difficult to know who is in charge in Belfast. There are IRA (Irish Republican Army) forces, British Military forces, and forces representing the government of Northern Ireland. There are also assorted street gangs attempting to gain control of the sociopolitical situation in Belfast. This book provided a fairly accurate depiction of life in Belfast .Conroy‘s (1995) descriptions of the people and neighborhoods are vibrant, and he defines the conflict in a clear and concise manner. The personal way in which Conroy (1995) puts a personal face on the people on all sides of the conflict in Northern Ireland is absolutely marvelous. The major problem with this book is that it has not been updated since `1995. Since 1995 the political situation in Northern Ireland has changed a great deal. First and foremost, is that the British government and Sinn Fein (The diplomatic branch of the IRA ) have made a concerted effort along with the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England have made concerted efforts to forge a lasting peace . The conflict in Northern Ireland was one of the most difficult political situations on the international level during the 1980‘s. There were other international issues of course, including the Famine in Ethiopia, and the last remainders of the Cold War. However, the conflict in Northern Ireland was one of the longest standing international conflicts of the 20th Century. The political situation between the IRA and the British government as well as the conflict between the two major religious groups in Northern Ireland impacted the lives of several thousand young Irish people. It destroyed the national infrastructure, the educational system, and created housing problems that have lasted several decades. It is only when a lasting peace is truly forged that Northern Ireland can begin to rebuild from a century of conflict. Conroy‘s (1995) book shows that the conflicts in Northern Ireland will continue to be problematic for years to come.