The long period of Ireland's history known as the Troubles, which occurred mostly along the border of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland from the late 1960s to the late 1990s, is one of the most misunderstood and intricate conflicts of modern history. Fought along lines of religion, ideology, ethnicity, and loyalty, the Troubles dragged an already divided island into a period of guerilla warfare tactics, terrorism, violence inflicted by neighbor upon neighbor, and the horrible deaths of scores of civilians. The complicated history of the Emerald Isle has only been further convoluted by the ever-shifting ideals and loyalties of the Troubles, but it is an era of history absolutely essential to grasp if we are to understand the modern condition of the island of Ireland.
Read on for a crash course on the conflict known as the Troubles.