On the 22nd June 1921 King George V and Queen Mary arrived in Belfast for the official opening of the first Northern Ireland parliament. Fearful for their lives, they had come to a city scarred by bitter sectarian violence. The King’s visit to Belfast was the culmination of three centuries of history – and three years of political brinkmanship and brutal communal violence. The occasion marked the creation of the new state of Northern Ireland. A line had been drawn on the map – a new border that separated the north and south of the island. One hundred years on, this is the story of the dramatic events that led to the partition of Ireland. A story that continues to reverberate to the present day - and dominate relationships between the islands of Britain and Ireland.
The first episode of this major new series explores the political brinkmanship and bitter communal violence that led to the partition of Ireland.
The second episode of this major new series explores how political tensions and outbreaks of sectarian violence threatened to destabilise the new Northern Ireland state.
