A2
History
Country Profile
Profile on Northern Ireland Fill the gaps
1 Complete the gaps with the following words. Belfast Giant’s Causeway* million pound smallest Titanic
1 Northern Ireland is the ................ of the four countries that form the United Kingdom. 2 The largest city and capital is ................ . 3 It has a population of almost 2 ................ people. 4 The currency is the ................ sterling. 5 Northern Ireland's top tourist attraction is the ................ . 6 The ....... ......... was built in Belfast.
Reading comprehension
2 Read the text about the recent history of Northern Ireland and underline the parts that answer the questions below.
The recent history of Northern Ireland has been very violent. When Ireland got independence from England in the 1920s, an area in the top north-east of the island became Northern Ireland and remained part of the United Kingdom. This caused big divisions in the community between Nationalists (who were mainly Catholics) and Unionists (who were mainly Protestants). The Nationalists wanted independence from Great Britain and reunification with Ireland. The Unionists wanted to remain part of the UK. The late 1960s to 1990s was the time of the Troubles. This was when there was lots of violence, bomb attacks and people were killed in the two communities. In 1998 the two groups signed an agreement* to stop the violent fighting and find a solution to their problems. Since then the situation has been a lot better. 1 What did the Nationalists want? 2 What did the Unionists want? 3 When were the Troubles? 4 What happened during the Troubles? 5 Why is 1998 important?
SÈamus Heaney
➜ Did you know...? The U2 song Sunday Bloody Sunday describes the horror of the Troubles and asks how long people have to continue killing each other.
1
Séamus Heaney is one of the most famous and successful poets writing in the English language today. He has won many awards including the Nobel Prize for literature in 1995. Lots of his poems describe historical events, including the Troubles and Irish mythology. His poems are also about his childhood and growing up. He grew up on a farm with 8 brothers and sisters. One of his most famous poems, Digging*, contrasts the physical work of his father on the land with his own profession, writing.