In this talk from Revolution Festival 2019, Shaun Morris discusses the period known as ‘The Troubles’ in the North of Ireland, which began just over 50 years ago when British troops were sent onto the streets of Derry.

In the decades that followed, thousands lost their lives as a result of sectarian violence, whipped up by the British ruling class and Unionist hardliners to divide working-class communities. On the other side, the IRA’s strategy of bombing and terrorism led the Republican movement into a complete impasse.

The Troubles were only brought to end decades later with the Good Friday Agreement. But, until recently, this power-sharing arrangement lay dead in the water. And whilst the Stormont Assembly has recently been revived, the spectre of sectarianism remains, threatening to rear its ugly head once again as a result of the crisis of capitalism.

In the Republic of Ireland, meanwhile, elections are taking place this weekend and Sinn Féin is leading in the polls. This will put the question of a border poll firmly on the agenda. But, as Shaun explains, only the fight for a Socialist United Ireland can offer a way forward for the working class.