Wow. This is a heavy question. The depth we could cover in attempting to explain this is intense. First off, I do not at all agree that the situation could never be resolved. How do we know what the future holds? Even based off of a detailed examination of the past there is no indication that Ireland will exist in a sense of perpetual state of hopelessness. If that were the case then we would never have witnessed the Good Friday Agreement. Anyhoo, I digress. This is going to be the very brief version.

Beginning in 1169 the Normans ("English") began colonizing Ireland. In the 17th century the English, in an attempt to curb Irish resistance, began a processes known as Plantations in which Scottish and some English settlers were transplanted to Ireland. This primarily took place in the north, Ulster. A few more centuries of conflict and we get to the 1800 Act of Union which merged Ireland with Great Britain. By the end of the 19th century Ireland was predominately separated as Protestant in the north (due to economic development, particularly surrounding linen and shipping industries around Belfast) and Catholic throughout the rest of the island. Several failed Home Rule bills later and in 1916 the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Republican Brotherhood staged the Easter Uprising. This failed but led into the Anglo-Irish War, which eventually led to the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty: this established a form of Irish Home Rule but separated the Protestant north from the rest of Ireland. A Civil War ensued but the pro-treaty forces eventually prevailed. In 1969 the Bogside Riots in Northern Ireland (among other issues) led to the Troubles, a period of intense conflict between Nationalists fighting against British occupation and Unionists supporting a strong British presence in Northern Ireland. The 1998 Good Friday Agreement essentially ended the Troubles and has led, with a few bumps along the way, to a joint Catholic-Protestant government. Popular elections could lead to the North joining the Republic but as of now there is a rough 60-40 split.

VERY TL:DR - Northern Irish Nationalists view the English as colonists and oppressors, but the English and Irish Unionists don't see themselves as such.

Does this answer your question? Very brief answer, I know, but this is on my phone so if you need specific clarification then please do not hesitate to ask and I will provide what information I can once I am back on my computer.

hi! Other contributions are more than welcome here, but FYI, there have been some great threads in this sub on the topic. Get started on these:

• Having trouble understanding the Troubles.

• Could anyone give me a brief, modern history of the conflicts between Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the UK?

• What are the main reasons behind the insurgency in Northern Ireland? ('The Troubles') how did it play out? Also, why were British Army casualties so high throughout the conflict?

• What started the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland?

• Was there a civil rights movement, comparable to the one in the US, in the UK?

• What are the causes of the ongoing tensions in Northern Ireland?

• Can someone Explain to an ignorant American the flare up of the Irish troubles post-WWII? What led to the Londonderry Massacre and the attempted Assassination of Margaret Thatcher?

The historic legacy from Oliver Cromwell's actions towards the Irish and the British government's response to the famine may also contribute to the animosity some Irish feel towards the English.