Northern Ireland: Belfast: The Troubles

“The Troubles” is the name given to the violence that involved republican and loyalist paramilitaries, Northern Ireland police, the British military, and others in Northern Ireland from the 196os through 1998…

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History of The Troubles

The conflict was between two camps:

• Irish Republicans, who supported the unification of Northern Ireland (County Ulster) with Ireland as an Irish Republic with total independence from Great Britain and
• British Loyalists, who supported allegiance of Northern Ireland to Great Britain as part of the United Kingdom.  It is important to note that Northern Ireland remains part of the UK.

While the Troubles have been transformed into half a generation of relative peace, such peace can never be taken for granted. Here are a few thoughts on the subject:

• While Sinn Fein has representation in British Parliament, the clearly stated goal of Sinn Fein–a United Irish Republic–remains unrealized.
• My sense is that most citizens of Northern Island simply want to move on with their lives in peace, but as you can see from the murals, strong and highly visible Republican and Loyalist sentiments remain.
• Peace is fragile in the sense that a minority of extremists have the power to derail the entire peace process in opposition to the wishes of the majority. A single isolated incident could reignite endless cycles of tit-for-tat violence.
• Belfast still remains largely segregated. The peace walls still stand and the peace gates still close at night.

In summary, there are reasons for cautious optimism but there is still lots of courageous work to be done in the direction of reconciliation.

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This photo essay could never do justice to the complex history of and current political state of Irish-British relations. I will leave that task to you. My goal is simply to raise some awareness, to pose some questions with sincerity and concern, and to highlight the importance of peace-making in our daily lives.

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Europa Hotel

The Europa, “the most bombed hotel in the world”, suffered thirty-three bombings by the Provisional Irish Republican Army during The Troubles. The bombings were announced in advance as the IRA’s goal was not to murder, but to create enough disruption to British political and economic interests to bring them to the negotiating table.

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Falls Road

No matter one’s opinion of the IRA and their tactics, the conviction of the hunger strikers and their impact on public opinion is unquestionable. But my visit invited me to go deeper… to consider the moral dilemmas and horrific anguish of their friends and families. Did their families dare save their loved ones against their will? Did they consider this to be martyrdom or suicide? If their act was indeed suicide, how could their families allow this to occur in the face of their religious beliefs? And would they dare save the strikers at the risk of being ridiculed as traitors to the Republican cause?

Falls Road Solidarity Murals

The highly visible solidarity murals along [Republican] Falls Road encompass a variety of emotionally charged images and messages…

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Peace Walls and Peace Gates

Although many consider The Troubles to have ended in 1998, the “Peace” Walls still stand and the “Peace” Gates, while open during the day, are still closed at night.

The continued existence of these walls begs the questions: Are these barriers still necessary in order to keep the peace? If yes, what developments would make it prudent to take them down? Is their existence actually an obstacle to reconciliation?

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Shankill Road

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Graphic Memories of notable IRA bombings

What do young people born in the loyalist neighborhoods feel when they see this mural? Is it a necessary reminder and history lesson or an obstacle to reconciliation?

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Reasons for Hope?

An insightful lesson in divisive politics… and an invitation to see that we are all brothers and sisters.