The Troubles refer to the ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted from the late 1960s to 1998.

The conflict was between the mainly Protestant/Unionist community, who wanted to remain part of the United Kingdom, and the mainly Catholic/Nationalist community, who sought a united Ireland.

The conflict began with a civil rights movement protesting discrimination against the Catholic minority.

The situation escalated into a low-level war involving paramilitary groups on both sides.

The main republican paramilitary group was the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA).

The main loyalist paramilitary groups included the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).

The British Army was deployed to Northern Ireland in 1969 to maintain order, a deployment that would last for decades.

Key events included Bloody Sunday in 1972 and the 1981 hunger strikes led by Bobby Sands.

The conflict resulted in over 3,500 deaths and tens of thousands of injuries.

The peace process culminated in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, which established a power-sharing government and brought an end to most of the violence.