Background to Northern Ireland in the 1960's

In 1920 the GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT divided or PARTITIONED the island of Ireland into TWO . Before this, Ireland was one country ruled by Britain

1) NORTHERN IRELAND

This was made up of 6 of the 9 counties of Ulster. Fermanagh, Armagh, Tyrone, Derry/Londonderry, Antrim and Down.
This remained a part of the United Kingdom (UK)
This partition gave Northern Ireland a PROTESTANT majority population (60%)
However, a significant minority (40%) were ROMAN CATHOLIC
Northern Ireland had its own Parliament at Stormont in Belfast. It could make its own laws but still remained part of the UK.

2) IRISH FREE STATE
(Republic of Ireland in 1949)

The remaining 26 counties in the South of Ireland became the Irish Free State
They were largely independent from the United Kingdom
They had an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic majority of over 90%
They never agreed with the Partition of Ireland and always aspired to a United Ireland.
In 1949 the Irish Free State became a completely independent REPUBLIC OF IRELAND.

BBC Partition explained link

WHAT ARE UNIONISTS AND NATIONALISTS & WHAT DID THEY BELIEVE?

In Northern Ireland partition was understandably viewed from two entirely different viewpoints

As you can see below, the Unionists, who now completely controlled Northern Ireland due to their built-in majority, began to introduce 4 things to ensure that they controlled the nationalist community in Northern Ireland:

The minority Catholic community struggled against a variety of low level discrimination designed at 'keeping them in their place' and 'neutralising their threat to the existence of Northern Ireland' These actions were based more on the fear many Protestants had about the threat of a united Ireland rather than on sectarian hatred. (Although this did exist in places)
This discrimination would only serve to stir nationalist anger at the injustice. In the long term it would lead to the outbreak of the 'Troubles'
TIP: YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE OF THE 4 TYPES OF DISCRIMINATION BELOW.

YOUTUBE VIDEO EXPLAINING NORTHERN IRELAND IN THE 1960'S

Relations between Northern and Southern Ireland were never very good
The leaders of the two states never met until the 1960's - despite sharing the same island!

In 1949 the Irish Free State declared itself and independent REPUBLIC - This cut all links with the United Kingdom. It placed a PRESIDENT as head of state.

WHY WAS THIS IMPORTANT?

It made the division even greater between Unionism and Nationalism making a compromise or united Ireland less rather than more likely.
The 1937 IRISH CONSTITUTION also contained ARTICLES 2&3 which claimed control over Northern Ireland and declared that Ireland should be one country - a fact that many Unionists were deeply bitter about

Between 1956 & 62, a low level, but well publicised campaign of shootings and bombings by the IRA (Irish Republican Army) took place.

This was barely supported by any nationalists and was ended in 1962 with an IRA admission that partition and the border issue did not seem to be important to many nationalists.
Despite this it played on unionist fears of nationalists plots to bring about a united Ireland by violence.
Many unionists remained deeply suspicious of nationalists and this prevented any progress towards reform and indeed increased discrimination.