Catholics, the second major element of the equation, made up the other one-third of the population and in the main viewed themselves not as British but as Irish. Most of them regarded Northern Ireland as an unsatisfactory and even illegitimate state, believing that an independent united Ireland was the natural political unit for the island. The heart of the Northern Ireland problem lies in this clash between two competing national aspirations. This basic competition is complicated by issues of power, territory and justice.
