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History Quiz - Northern Ireland: 1968-98 - Initial Divisions And Grievances (Questions)

In GCSE History students will look at the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland between 1968-1998. One topic that is covered is the divisions between Catholics and Protestants which bought the Troubles about.

The so-called "Troubles" in Northern Ireland began in 1968, and continued thereafter for nearly 30 years. The background to them is the partition of Ireland in 1921 and the resultant Protestant state. This caused divisions between Protestants and a disgruntled Catholic minority, who resented the numerous forms of discrimination which followed.

Learn more about the divisions between Catholics and protestants in Northern Ireland by playing this quiz.

1. A non-sectarian pressure group called NICRA began, in the late 1960s, to agitate for civil rights for all citizens of Northern Ireland. What did NICRA stand for?
[ ] Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
[ ] Northern Ireland Citizens' Rights Association
[ ] Northern Ireland Constitutional Rights Association
[ ] Northern Ireland Catholic Rights Association
2. All cities in the Province were segregated into Catholic and Protestant areas. Which of the following areas was the main working-class Catholic zone in West Central Belfast?
[ ] Andersonstown
[ ] The Shankill Road
[ ] The Divis Flats
[ ] The Falls Road
3. The civil rights activist, Austin Currie, staged a well publicised sit-in in a large empty house. What point was he trying to make?
[ ] That there was ample empty council housing available, but Catholics were prevented from becoming tenants of Protestant-controlled councils
[ ] That there were many large family homes for sale, but that Catholics faced discrimination from estate agents
[ ] That he himself was a man of means, who could afford a large home
[ ] That there was a glut of housing, both for sale and rent
4. The Harland and Wolff factory in East Belfast was a major employer that hired almost entirely Protestant workers. What did the factory make?
[ ] Clothing
[ ] Motor Vehicles
[ ] Ships
[ ] Railway locomotives
5. The main police force (the RUC) was supplemented by a small elite squad trained for dealing with public disorder, and enjoying a reputation for brutality. It also had hardly any Catholics in its ranks. What was its name?
[ ] The Special Patrol Group
[ ] The "B" Specials
[ ] The Special Branch
[ ] "A" Company
6. Which burly Unionist politician and preacher was an active opponent of the Civil Rights movement?
[ ] William Craig
[ ] William Faulkner
[ ] Ian Paisley
[ ] Lord Brookeborough
7. A new more militant group (People's Democracy) emerged, inspired by the events of 1968 in continental Europe and the Civil Rights movement in the United States. Which black American leader did they admire and try to emulate?
[ ] Malcom X
[ ] Stokely Carmichael
[ ] Ralph Abernathy
[ ] Martin Luther King
8. Later in 1969 a young Catholic girl was elected as a Westminster MP. At 21 she was the youngest MP, and she was briefly the darling of the British media. Eventually she became a strong supporter of the IRA. Who was she?
[ ] Maoire Drumm
[ ] Bernadette Devlin/McAliskey
[ ] Pat Hume
[ ] Evelyn Glenholmes
9. What was the most obvious difference between state schools in Northern Ireland and those in mainland Britain?
[ ] The ones in the Province were fee-paying. On the mainland they were free
[ ] In Northern Ireland all state schools were either Catholic or Protestant. This was not the case on the mainland
[ ] In the Province all state secondary schools were selective - either grammars or secondary moderns (with an 11 plus exam at the age of 11). On the mainland the majority were fully comprehensive
[ ] In Northern Ireland school meals were free to all pupils. On the mainland there was a means test
10. Before the arrival of British troops later in 1969, the security forces in Northern Ireland used a method of crowd control for the first time ever in the UK. What was this method?
[ ] Plastic bullets
[ ] Rubber bullets
[ ] Water cannon
[ ] CS gas

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Changing relations: Northern Ireland and its neighbours, 1965-98

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History Quiz - Northern Ireland: 1968-98 - Initial Divisions And Grievances (Answers)
1. A non-sectarian pressure group called NICRA began, in the late 1960s, to agitate for civil rights for all citizens of Northern Ireland. What did NICRA stand for?
[x] Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
[ ] Northern Ireland Citizens' Rights Association
[ ] Northern Ireland Constitutional Rights Association
[ ] Northern Ireland Catholic Rights Association
This body organised regular marches. It was often the victim of violence, but never advocated violence itself
2. All cities in the Province were segregated into Catholic and Protestant areas. Which of the following areas was the main working-class Catholic zone in West Central Belfast?
[ ] Andersonstown
[ ] The Shankill Road
[ ] The Divis Flats
[x] The Falls Road
This segregation meant that people on one side of the divide rarely met people from the other
3. The civil rights activist, Austin Currie, staged a well publicised sit-in in a large empty house. What point was he trying to make?
[x] That there was ample empty council housing available, but Catholics were prevented from becoming tenants of Protestant-controlled councils
[ ] That there were many large family homes for sale, but that Catholics faced discrimination from estate agents
[ ] That he himself was a man of means, who could afford a large home
[ ] That there was a glut of housing, both for sale and rent
Discrimination was a fact of life in post-war Northern Ireland. Catholics expected unequal treatment in education, housing, jobs, voting rights and other areas
4. The Harland and Wolff factory in East Belfast was a major employer that hired almost entirely Protestant workers. What did the factory make?
[ ] Clothing
[ ] Motor Vehicles
[x] Ships
[ ] Railway locomotives
This was a vital employer for the Province's economy, but it was in the grip of East Belfast's Unionist community
5. The main police force (the RUC) was supplemented by a small elite squad trained for dealing with public disorder, and enjoying a reputation for brutality. It also had hardly any Catholics in its ranks. What was its name?
[ ] The Special Patrol Group
[x] The "B" Specials
[ ] The Special Branch
[ ] "A" Company
This was a major Catholic grievance. They saw this force as sectarian and violent
6. Which burly Unionist politician and preacher was an active opponent of the Civil Rights movement?
[ ] William Craig
[ ] William Faulkner
[x] Ian Paisley
[ ] Lord Brookeborough
Protestants were frequently harangued by this man, determined never to "surrender" to Rome
7. A new more militant group (People's Democracy) emerged, inspired by the events of 1968 in continental Europe and the Civil Rights movement in the United States. Which black American leader did they admire and try to emulate?
[ ] Malcom X
[ ] Stokely Carmichael
[ ] Ralph Abernathy
[x] Martin Luther King
PD were keen on long marches, like those undertaken by the Civil Rights movement in the USA, like, for example, the one in Alabama from Selma to Montgomery
8. Later in 1969 a young Catholic girl was elected as a Westminster MP. At 21 she was the youngest MP, and she was briefly the darling of the British media. Eventually she became a strong supporter of the IRA. Who was she?
[ ] Maoire Drumm
[x] Bernadette Devlin/McAliskey
[ ] Pat Hume
[ ] Evelyn Glenholmes
A graduate of Queen's University Belfast, she was a shrill and articulate defender of the minority Catholic community, who soon made her mark in the Commons
9. What was the most obvious difference between state schools in Northern Ireland and those in mainland Britain?
[ ] The ones in the Province were fee-paying. On the mainland they were free
[x] In Northern Ireland all state schools were either Catholic or Protestant. This was not the case on the mainland
[ ] In the Province all state secondary schools were selective - either grammars or secondary moderns (with an 11 plus exam at the age of 11). On the mainland the majority were fully comprehensive
[ ] In Northern Ireland school meals were free to all pupils. On the mainland there was a means test
In Northern Ireland the independent sector was smaller and less influential than on the mainland. Supporters of the state system there asserted that it produced better academic results than elsewhere
10. Before the arrival of British troops later in 1969, the security forces in Northern Ireland used a method of crowd control for the first time ever in the UK. What was this method?
[ ] Plastic bullets
[ ] Rubber bullets
[ ] Water cannon
[x] CS gas
Disorder in the Province was getting badly out of hand in 1969, and the locally-controlled government felt that strong measures were needed