Breaking Barriers: Northern Ireland’s Journey from Violence to Unity through Tourism and Understanding

Jim White was only 14 years old when he lost his best friend due to an eight-meter high wall that separated Belfast’s Protestant north from its Catholic west. At the age of 69, he can now revisit the once infamous Catholic Springfield Road in west Belfast, but he prefers not to. While he acknowledges that a lot has changed since the troubles, he still values the Peace Wall gate on North Howard Street being closed overnight as a precaution.

Half a kilometer away from Jim White, Michael Culbert works with his association Coiste, offering political tours along the Peace Wall. Culbert, a former IRA member, has taken around 16,000 people to central points in Belfast to explore the history of the paramilitary. He aims to make things visible and stand up for politically condemned people like himself. Culbert joined the IRA at 23 after witnessing Bloody Sunday, a pivotal moment that led to his involvement in the conflict.

Tour guide James Ellison leads tours through Belfast’s conflict hotspots, sharing stories of pivotal events like the Abercorn Restaurant bombing and the emergence of spaces where young Protestants and Catholics could socialize together. Despite Belfast’s dark legacy, tourism in Northern Ireland has thrived since 1998, surpassing a billion euros in revenue. However, Ellison emphasizes that peace remains fragile, as evidenced by recent incidents of violence related to Brexit concerns.

While older generations remember Northern Ireland’s turbulent history with vivid clarity, younger residents like Gemma Gabbie and a group of teenagers are more focused on moving forward. Gabbie believes that the Good Friday Agreement has served its purpose and that it is time for walls no longer to separate friends in Belfast. Meanwhile, teenagers advocate for keeping open longer gates between communities in order to promote understanding and unity among different groups.

The future of Northern Ireland rests on finding balance between its tumultuous past and hope for a peaceful future where walls no longer divide friends or communities alike.