Northern Ireland has been the victim of a tremendous amount of horrible violence, in its long history. Protestant- unionists- and Catholic- nationalist- tend to not get along very well, and the peace wall that was necessary between the two communities speaks to the extent of mistrust between them. The peace wall was put in place in order to stop the violent conflicts that regularly occurred between the Protestant and Catholic communities of Shankill Road and Falls Road. The wall itself runs 2,624.6 meters.
The communities of Shankill Road and Falls Road also have a gate that accompanies the wall that separates them. This gate is heavily monitored by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). They keep track of the goings and comings of those who cross back and forth through the communities through meticulous surveillance. On a walking tour of the communities, I was informed that the gates have been closing at 8 pm every night. in order to keep the two communities separate and stop troublemakers from getting in to each community. The presence of a gate that locks Protestants out of the Catholic community and vice versa shows that the conflict between the two communities is not simply what one would deem a petty squabble. It is dangerous and can escalate at a moments notice.
To those who are not aware of the years of conflict between the two opposing sects in Ireland, the wall may seem imposing and over the top, but it is an integral component in maintaining peace between the Catholic and Protestant communities. While on the walking tour of the wall in the Shankill Road community (Protestant), my tour guide, an ex- combatant, stated that the wall was simply a barrier that stopped the two communities from finding common ground and getting to know each other. He said that he believed that the wall would be down in 2023, so that the new generation would be able to learn to work and live together. His belief is that the wall is a part of the problem and that it is why the two communities continued to be so segregated.
In contrast, my second tour guide, a Catholic ex – combatant, stated that he did not see the walls coming down anytime soon. To him, the walls are still a form of protection for the Catholic community and not simply a barrier to the integration of the two communities. In the photo above, if one looks closely, one can see that there is a fence like structure covering up the backyard of a person’s house. This photo was taken in the Falls Road Catholic community. People in the Catholic community who live close to the wall often had bombs and such thrown over into their backyards, and this was the solution to the problem. So for lots of Catholics, the walls are simply more than a means to an end; they are a blanket of safety.
In this way, the wall comes to be seen in the two communities as two different things. It is either a savior or a hinderer. But, I think that such a dichotomy may be too simple. The Peace Wall is complicated and perhaps is a combination of both savior and hinderer to progress. What I do think, though, is that until both communities come to understand how the other views the wall, the wall will remain in place.
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