Troubles

Abstract: The origins of the term "Troubles" to describe war in Ireland have a history that is difficult to pin down with any degree of precision. But what we do know is that, in historical terms, the word is not specific to the violence that erupted in the streets of Derry and Belfast in the summer of 1969. One can find the term being employed by a variety of actors to describe conflict in Britain and Ireland as far back as the seventeenth century. The ambivalent, even evasive term remains deeply embedded in contemporary Irish culture. Understanding its use offers perspective into both Ireland's past and present.