ABSTRACT
The role of Irish nationalism in the conflict in Northern Ireland is a matter of dispute. The most influential view today is that the conflict is essentially a nationalist one, but there are still important arguments that the roots of conflict lie elsewhere-in religious division, cultural opposition, and economic competition. If the conflict is essentially nationalist, further questions arise. The late nineteenth century saw Ireland divide into two rival political camps-nationalist and unionist-each pursuing a political project diametrically opposed to that of the other. The development of Irish nationalism played an important role in this conflict. The union had been passed in 1800 with the tacit support of Catholics. There is a sense in which nationalism was the proactive force in this process of escalation and unionism a reaction. Nineteenth-century nationalism and unionism emerged as part of a conflict that was already two centuries old. Nationalism also played a role in the civil rights movement.
