The concept of civil rights in Northern Ireland is as old as the state itself. Established in 1921, the new northern government inherited a deeply divided and disadvantaged society which its practices only served to deepen for half a century. 

To help us understand the complexities of this period I have enlisted the help and expertise of Dr Cormac Moore. Cormac is a resident historian with Dublin City Council, he is a columnist with the Irish News as well as editing its daily ‘On This Day’ segment, and he is the author of several books – the most recent being The Root of All Evil: The Irish Boundary Commission published by Irish Academic Press. I began by asking Cormac his opinion on the extent to which the Unionist government had inherited a deeply imbalanced society which they were incapable of fixing…

This episode was produced as part of At the Crossroads: The Campaign for Civil Rights in Northern Ireland, a project developed by The Linen Hall. This project is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund and has also received financial support from the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council.

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