Prepared for Peace, Ready for War

The Troubles refer to the conflict in Northern Ireland between Unionists and Irish Nationalists from the late 1960s to late 1990s. Unionists wished to remain with the United Kingdom, while the Irish Nationalists wanted to leave the United Kingdom to create a united Ireland. For nearly three decades, Irish republicans and Ulster loyalists waged war on each other, until the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. The Good Friday Agreement ended the majority of the conflicts and stated that Northern Ireland would remain part of the United Kingdom unless one day the elected body in Northern Ireland decided they wanted to join the Republic of Ireland.