The Northern Ireland Conflict

The Troubles, a conflict that raged in Northern Ireland, claimed the lives of almost four thousand people, the majority of whom were civilians. Additionally, forty-five thousand individuals were injured in bombings and shootings, making it the most intense conflict experienced in Western Europe since the end of the Second World War, relative to the population size. The central question posed in this book is fundamental, yet it is one that has rarely been asked: Who was primarily responsible for the prosecution of the Troubles and their attendant toll of the dead, the injured, and the emotionally traumatized?

Liam Kennedy, a Belfast resident throughout most of the conflict, was initially hesitant to raise this question and its implications. However, after years of reflection and research, he has brought together elements of history, politics, sociology, and social psychology to identify the collective actors who drove the conflict onwards for more than three decades, from the days of the civil rights movement in the late 1960s to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

The Troubles in Northern Ireland are a world-class problem in miniature, as the combustible mix of national, ethnic, and sectarian passions that went into the making of the conflict has its parallels today in other parts of the world. "Who Was Responsible for the Troubles?" is an original and controversial work that captures the terror and the pain, but also the hope of life and the pursuit of happiness in a deeply divided society.

Liam Kennedy's work is a thought-provoking exploration of the complex and often-overlooked factors that contributed to the Troubles. By analyzing the historical, political, and social dynamics of the conflict, he aims to shed light on the collective responsibility for this prolonged and devastating period in Northern Ireland's history. The book's innovative approach and willingness to tackle the difficult questions surrounding the Troubles make it a valuable and insightful contribution to the understanding of this significant chapter in the region's past.

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