From Walls to Unity: Reflecting on Belfast’s Troubled Past and Building Bridges for the Future

Jim White was just 14 years old when he lost his best friend due to an unexpected eight-meter high wall that divided the Protestant north from the Catholic west of Belfast. Now, at 69 years old, Jim can visit the once infamous Catholic Springfield Road in west Belfast, but he prefers not to. Despite the significant changes that have occurred since the troubles, Jim still values the Peace Wall gate on North Howard Street being closed overnight as a precautionary measure.

Half a kilometer away from Jim White, Michael Culbert works with his association Coiste, offering political tours along the Peace Wall. As a former IRA member who joined at 23 after witnessing Bloody Sunday, Culbert aims to make history visible and stand up for politically condemned people like himself. He has taken over 16,000 people to central points in Belfast to explore the history of paramilitary groups and their impact on Northern Ireland’s conflict-ridden past.

Tour guide James Ellison leads tours through Belfast’s conflict hotspots, sharing stories of pivotal events like the Abercorn Restaurant bombing and spaces where young Protestants and Catholics could socialize together despite their differences. While tourism in Belfast has thrived since 1998, surpassing a billion euros in revenue, Ellison emphasizes that peace remains fragile due to recent incidents related to Brexit concerns.

Younger residents like Gemma Gabbie and a group of teenagers are more focused on moving forward than dwelling on Northern Ireland’s troubled past. Gabbie believes that the Good Friday Agreement has served its purpose but advocates for longer opening hours of Gates of Peace as a way to bridge community divides in Belfast. Meanwhile, teenagers argue for maintaining these barriers as they seek to preserve cultural identity while promoting unity among different communities.

The future of Northern Ireland rests on a delicate balance between its troubled past and hope for a peaceful future where walls no longer separate friends or communities.