The peace walls are a series barriers that were erected to separate Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods in Northern Ireland. They are located in areas in Belfast, Derry, Portadown and elsewhere. The purpose of the peace lines was to minimize the violent interactions between Catholics (most of whom are nationalists who self-identify as Irish) and Protestants (most of whom are unionists who self-identify as British).
The peace walls range in length from a few hundred yards to over three miles. They may be made of iron, brick, and/or steel and are up to 25 feet high. Some of the walls actually have gates allowing passage during daylight hours but they remain closed during the night.
History - The first peace walls were built in 1969, following the outbreak of the 1969 Northern Ireland riots and "the Troubles". They were originally meant to stay up for only six months, but they were later increased in number and spread through several locations. In recent years, they have even become somewhat of a tourist attraction.
In 2008, the possibility of removing the walls was discussed and in 2011, Belfast City Council agreed to develop a strategy regarding the removal of the walls. Although, a study indicated that 69% of residents believed that the peace walls should not be removed due to the continuing possibility of violence, several initiatives led by local communities resulted in the opening of a number of interface structures for a trial period.
In January 2012, the International Fund for Ireland launched a Peace Walls funding programme in an effort to support local communities to begin working on tearing down the peace walls. In May 2013, the Northern Ireland Executive committed to the removal of all peace lines by mutual consent by 2023.
According to the Guardian, a secret report conducted by the Northern Irish government criticized the speed with which walls, gates and fences were being constructed in Belfast to separate Catholics and Protestants. The report claimed that the walls created an “atmosphere of abnormality” in the city.
Although the walls were constructed to bring a sense of “peace” and prevent any forms of violence between both communities on either side, however, violence has persisted in some areas even after the construction of a barrier. Interface violence is particularly widespread during the summer months, when the marching season and the summer holidays start.
Recently, Jonny Byrne, a lecturer in politics at the University of Ulster, likened the Peace Walls to the Berlin Wall by saying, “The Berlin Wall had to come down for Berlin to be normalised. We have normalised Belfast without taking down the walls.”
North Belfast witnessed some of the worst violence during The Troubles.
Some efforts to restore mobility between both sides of the fences has worked since 2011 a “peace gate” was installed in the iron fence of Alexandra Park.
“The difficulty in any peace wall conversation is that a lot of the initial conversations revolve around a sense of loss. What will I lose?’ asks Ian McLaughlin of the Lower Shankill Community Association. The answer to Belfast’s peace wall conundrum lies in regeneration, says McLaughlin. “Our core business at one time was peace-building, but now we have a dual approach – regenerating our community and building relations with our neighbours.”
In August 2016, Belfast tore down its first peace wall 18 years after the Good Friday Agreement that brokered a peace deal for the region. By 2023, all of Northern Ireland’s 48 peace walls will be demolished.
American President Barack Obama once addressed the issue to a crowd in Belfast, “There are walls that still stand, there are still many miles to go.” He added, “You have to remind us of hope again and again and again. Despite resistance, despite setbacks, despite hardship, despite tragedy, you have to remind us of the future again and again and again.”
Northern Ireland’s government says it wants to bring down every wall by 2023. But it seems that the process can only happen slowly and gradually in order to placate all parties involved.
Dr Byrne, a University of Ulster academic, co-wrote a 2012 report on people’s attitudes to the walls. His report revealed that a total of 69% living near a wall would fear for their safety if it were ever torn down, while 58% say they would worry about the police’s ability to contain any resulting violence. But 58% also say they would like to see them come down “at some point in the future”.
Different places have different fears, Dr Byrne says, “Community safety, fear of being attacked. But also fear of the unknown. People don’t like to change. People are comfortable with what they know…[In] each community, the approach is so different. In some communities, the walls mark where some families who lost loved ones (during The Troubles).
Read more on the Belfast Peace Wall here -
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