Recently, Brexit has been in the limelight; journalists, academics, politicians and a fair amount of the European population have been discussing the causes and impact of the decision, taken following a referendum on June 23th, 2016. The decision was very important for groups like the Scottish or the Northern Irish, who did not exactly have the chance to influence sufficiently the outcome, although it affects them in many ways. Brexit brought to the fore issues and tensions within the United Kingdom that may not have been sufficiently voiced recently, and the impact of the decision concerns not only the United Kingdom and Ireland, but Europe as a whole.

The relations between the parts that make up the United Kingdom have always been quite tense indeed, and this is particularly true with Ireland. The conflict between Ireland and England has its roots way back in history. And whereas this conflict today is, evidently, more about nationalism, religion played an important role in the past events that shaped it along the years. It is important to note that the Irish are not English at all: they are different peoples, with different religious and cultural backgrounds. The Republic of Ireland is largely Catholic, while in England and Scotland the popular religion is Protestantism.

Despite the Northern Irish conflict, as it is often mentioned, being one that has lasted for centuries, the area to which we refer by the name Northern Ireland was only created in 1921 by an act of the British parliament, which separated the island into Northern and Southern Ireland. The latter constitutes the Free Republic of Ireland, but the Northern Irish are officially part of the United Kingdom.

Taking a look at the area's history, it seems that the conflict started as early as the 12^th century, when England invaded Ireland to turn it into one of its first colonies. This resulted in two very different populations living together in a small island. Religion was introduced into Irish politics with the reign of Henry VII, whose break from Catholic Rome resulted in escalating tensions with Catholic Europe. Because the colonizers encountered difficulties ruling the Irish, and in the North in particular – also referred to as Ulster, they sent Protestant English settlers to take over the land, a strategy which did yield results: in the beginning of the 18^th century, the Catholic Irish were but a minority. Thus, in the 1801, Ireland became part of the United Kingdom following the Act of Union.

The Irish, however, would not compromise their vindications, and several uprisings took place in the area, only to be put down by the English government. In the beginning of the 20^th century, groups such as Sinn Fein ('Ourselves Alone') or the Irish Republican Army (IRA) were established to support the wish for independence. After a period of armed conflicts, Ireland did achieve independence, but Ulster in the North was to remain as part of the UK. The majority of the population there were, in fact, unionists, Protestants, who did not wish to be part of the Irish state. The Irish were not happy about this decision: the unrest peaked in the 1960s, as the Irish, feeling suppressed, demonstrated for equal treatment. The period after those years is referred to as the 'Troubles' and it starts after 1969, with the arrival of British soldiers in the area – who, unfortunately, did not remain impartial, resulting in violence coming from both extreme Protestants and extreme Catholics. The Good Friday Peace Agreement in 1998 did promote peace, but the main issue remains unresolved to this day.

It is important to note that the conflict is not so much about religion, but rather about history, cultural and social values. Historically, the Catholic Irish have been oppressed and poor, and the English Protestants on the other hand have represented more privileged classes. Economic and political inequality constitute an important factor among the causes of the issue.

Moreover, there is no unanimity regarding whether the conflict is more of a settler-colonial or ethno-national nature. Ireland has been ambiguously between the metropolitan and colonial spheres. In any case, the forms of conflict were very different at different points in time (the period of colonization, the 18^th century, the Union, the partition, etc.). Considering this, and the length of the span of time in which the Northern Irish conflict extends, it would be best to avoid generalizing. The system of relations between the two sides has many levels, and comprises structures of dominance, dependence and inequality.

Nowadays the future seems uncertain: in order to finally resolve the issue, there must be willingness for cooperation from both sides. The consequences of Brexit are yet to be revealed fully. Generally, there is a tendency within European communities to break apart from bigger entities – Euroscepticism is part of many politicians' lines of thought, and a lot of minority groups have recently been stirring in their quest for independence. How perceptions of national and European identity will change remains to be seen, but either way, conflicts are not likely to cease.