More Troubles Ahead?

1. Set Focus 
Pose this essential question: What can cause lingering tensions to suddenly erupt again in a society?

2. Read and Discuss 
Have students read the article, marking key ideas and questions. Then ask them to answer the following questions, citing text evidence:

• Describe the conflict known as “the Troubles” in Northern Ireland. What caused the conflict and how was it resolved? (The Troubles was a violent three-decades-long conflict in Northern Ireland caused by a disagreement between Catholic nationalists, who wanted to rejoin the independent nation of Ireland, and Protestant loyalists, who wanted to remain part of the United Kingdom. In 1998, the Good Friday Agreement set up a power-sharing government between Protestants and Catholics that ended the fighting.)

• What recent events have led to an increase in instability in the region? (For the past seven years, the legislature has been hindered by walkouts staged by Protestant political parties. The pandemic has also inflamed tensions because the government refused to punish Catholics who violated Covid restrictions, and Brexit put the European Union border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.)

• The article begins with an account from a victim of a 1998 car bombing. Why do you think the author begins the article with this account? (Answers may vary but students may mention that the description of violence shows how dangerous and painful sectarian conflict can be and what it was like during the Troubles.)

3. Core Skill Practice
Print or project the activity Religious Tensions in Northern Ireland. Have students use it to sequence events described in the article.

4. Writing Prompt
Write a brief essay, based on the article and your own research, summarizing the effect of Brexit on stability in Northern Ireland.

5. Classroom Debate
Would religiously integrated schools lead to less tension in Northern Ireland?

6. Quiz & Skills
Use the quiz to assess comprehension.