ABSTRACT
The national flag of Britain consists of the three flags associated with the saints of England, Scotland and Ireland superimposed upon each other to form the Union Flag (sometimes incorrectly termed the Union Jack), thus symbolising the unity of the three countries. However, as is often the case with symbolism, this flag raises as many questions as it answers-in particular, why should Ireland, an independent country since 1922, still form an essential part of it? Clearly, it is not possible in this book to look at the whole history of the relationship between the Irish and the other nationalities inhabiting the British Isles, but it is probably appropriate to look at some of the main features of Anglo-Irish history in order to focus on the troubles that have been a feature of life in Northern Ireland since 1969.
