To provide students with a comprehensive grasp of the origins and nature of the 'Irish Troubles' from the birth of the Irish Republic to the 'Good Friday Agreement'. The course traces the evolution of the political crisis in both Irish jurisdictions, with reference to the British perspective. Themes will include the Anti-Partition League, Clann Na Poblachta and the United Nations; Saor Uladh, Sinn Fein and the IRA during the 'Border Campaign'; Unionism and Loyalism, Cathal Goulding and the move to the Left; special powers and civil rights; Official and Provisional IRA; 'Bloody Sunday' at home and abroad; counter-insurgency in the two jurisdictions; Long Kesh, Portlaoise and Wakefield; Ulster Defence Association, Ulster Volunteer Force, Red Hand Commando and Ulster Resistance; Saor Eire, Irish National Liberation Army, Irish Republican Socialist Party and Irish People's Liberation Organization; The Hunger Strikes, 'Ulsterization' and the 'Long War'; Section 31, propaganda and 'D notices'; Foreign Affairs, the White House and United Nations; Abstentionism, rise of Sinn Féin and the origins of the Peace Process

The course is divided into seminars which address key concepts, events and dynamics of the period. The student will learn to assess the role of such organizations as the Anti-Partition League, Saor Uladh and Sinn Fein in relation to the partition issue. Other themes of the module include Unionism and Loyalism, special powers and civil rights, Official and Provisional IRA, 'Bloody Sunday', counterinsurgency, Long Kesh and paramilitary imprisonment, Hunger Strikes, 'Ulsterization' and 'The Long War', Section 31, and the origins of the Peace Process.

On successful completion of the course the student should: Understand the salient issues underlying the Irish Troubles Identify the major political organizations and groupings engaged in the conflict Critically assess the propaganda of the period Explain the major policy shifts of leading protagonists Contextualize the Irish experience in conflict resolution

On completing the module students will have acquired the ability to identify and critically assess key historical texts, including printed primary and ephemeral sources. Students will be capable of discerning trends and nuances within the specialised historiography of contemporary history.

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Seminar: one three hour session per week to comprise lecture, primary source discussion, and in-class practical exercises. Understanding the complexity of societies in the past involves a number of skills that students master. Seminars form a single part of the process of historical understanding alongside reading and research. Seminars are designed to introduce a student to a number of themes and events but will never provide the all of the information necessary for achieving the objectives of the module. Seminars will facilitate and provide a context for personal reading and research that students must undertake in order to fully comprehend the experience of warfare in the past.