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Orangemen rule the North
Although Protestant Unionists were in the majority, there were still thousands of Catholic Nationalists living there. Many refused to accept the split. Between July 1920 and July 1922 there was fierce fighting in Belfast and 453 people were killed.
Northern Ireland had been given its own parliament. Since the Protestants were in the majority, they had control of the Stormont Parliament and the government.
Catholics found it difficult to get good jobs and decent council houses. They also felt they were treated unfairly by the police. The Northern Ireland government introduced new laws and a new part-time police force as a defence against the IRA.
Partition: the effects in the North
Hopes of peaceful change 1950-1968
Between 1956 and 1962 the IRA started a new campaign of violence in the North. It failed mainly. Many IRA leaders were imprisoned.
The North explodes 1968-1972
In 1967 a group of young Catholics got together and set up a Civil Rights Association. From October 1968, they organised a series of protest marches. These marches ended in violence and bloodshed between Catholics and Protestants. Civil Rights marchers were opposed by followers of the Protestant preacher, Ian Paisley.
By August 1969 fighting between Catholics and Protestant police was out of control. The British government stepped in and sent British troops to restore order.
Return of the IRA and UVF
In 1956-1962 the IRA were back and now controlled the Catholic streets of these cities. This time there was a new group of young IRA men calling themselves "The Provisional" IRA. The Provisionals had broken away from the old "Official" IRA in 1969-1970.
On the other side of the barricades were the Protestant paramilitaries, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Ulster Defence Association (UDA). They were determined to fight to keep Ulster British.
Bloody Sunday and Direct rule 1972
In 1970 a group of Catholic Nationalists set up the Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP) to campaign for peaceful change. The SDLP became the largest Nationalist party but they were not able to stop the violence.
On 30th January 1972 thirteen unarmed people were shot dead by the British army during a Civil Rights march in Londonderry. This day is called "Bloody Sunday".
So the British government suspended the Northern Ireland government and parliament and began to rule the province direct from Britain.
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