The security presence in NI was very heavy indeed, and the intelligence gathering was extensive. Security and intelligence stopped NI degenerating into civil war. The position now is much, much better, but there's still a way to go, and both security and intelligence are far more high profile than anywhere else in the UK.
Americans travelling with people from the Irish Republic were seen as a particular risk. The bottom line is that most of the money that funded the terrorists of the IRA came from America, and there were cases of American "benefactors" wanting to see the carnage they were funding at close quarters. Banbridge is not a town that attracts many tourists of any nationality. It's also a bit more sensitive than most places, even by NI standards - a mainly protestant town though with a substantial RC minority, and very close to the IRA strongholds within NI in south Down. In effect parking wherever you parked was fine for Co Down number plates, but definitely not for a Co Cavan plate. A West Meath plate would have been as bad or worse - West Meath had (still has?) a ghastly reputation.
We now have an Irish economy that is in dire straights, and an NI economy that isn't a whole lot better. There have been a couple of terrorist bomb plots foiled recently - as well as two terrorist murders earlier this year. The peace process remains fragile - it needs prosperity to work.
Wales did breed its own terrorists, though never as much a threat as those in Ireland. There was a marginal extreme edge to Scottish nationalism. These issues are largely resolved. In the UK we have a political solution of autonomy for Scotland, Wales and NI, but it is not a federal system - there is no English parliament. Rather we have a system where Scotland, Wales and NI have varying degrees of autonomy on home matters, while English matters are decided by MPs from all four countries. It is an uneasy situation which is inherently unfair, but is tolearable because it holds the UK together.
In the affair of the release of the Lockerbie bomber I do think Brown should have over-ruled Scotland - but I also understand why he didn't. There would have been an enormous backlash from Scotland demanding independence. The SNP are already the government in Scotland. An incoming UK Conservative government would see the enormous advantage to the Conservatives of Scottish independence (Scotland returns lots of Labour MPs). We are at a time when an independent Scotland looks a possibility. This would have all sorts of issues and upheavals. If it happens it should be because the people of Scotland really want it, not as a quick political fix.
