Economic disruption was by design. One goal of any insurgency is to prevent normal political or economic activity. The IRA was able to do this. the impact on the nationalist population was minimal, given the discrimination in housing and employment rampant at the time. When shipbuilding, textiles and a few other industries were booming the nationalists were largely frozen out. No reason to think new investment would have benefitted them. The changes in fair employment and housing practices are more a result of the troubles than in spite of them.
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