E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Cathal Mcnaughton / Reuters
A section of the 'Peace Wall' that divides Catholic and Protestant communities runs along Alliance Avenue, north Belfast on Nov. 6.
Cathal Mcnaughton / Reuters
William Boyd, Protestant, poses for a picture at the side of his house in Cluan Place in east Belfast on Oct 27. When asked would he like to see the 'Peace Wall' that divides Catholic and Protestant communities taken down, Boyd replied, "It should be left the way it is. Why would they want to pull down these walls?"
Cathal Mcnaughton / Reuters
A section of the 'Peace Wall' that divides Catholic and Protestant communities runs along Cupar Way in west Belfast.
A so-called 'Peace Wall' has separated Catholic and Protestant communities in Belfast since 1969. The barriers were built following the Northern Ireland riots and the start of the conflict that is known as "The Troubles." They were built as temporary structures meant to last only six months, but they have multiplied over the years, from 18 in the early 1990s to 40 today and in total they now stretch over 13 miles.
Photographer Cathal McNaughton photographed sections of the wall and gained rare access to communities living on either side. In interviews with the residents he found that despite living in houses effectively caged in by a towering 20 foot high wall, these people do not want the wall to be taken down.
They live in fortress-like houses surrounded by metal fencing and barricades with an ever present symbol of their troubled past looming overhead. But to these communities - who live under the fear of attack every day - the wall is a necessary form of protection that they would not live without.
Read McNaughton's blog, 'A barrier to peace' at reuters.com.
Jean McAnoy, Roman Catholic, a care worker, poses for a picture in the back garden of her home in Bombay Street, west Belfast on Oct. 18. When asked would she like to see the 'Peace Wall' taken down, Foster replied, ""No way. I would like it kept the way it is."
Sonya Foster, Protestant, a care worker, poses for a picture in the back garden of her home in the Glenbryn area of Belfast on Oct. 27. When asked would she like to see the peace wall that divides Catholic and Protestant communities taken down, Foster replied, "Not now but in the future maybe. It would be nice to see it down."
Stephen McGarry, Roman Catholic, poses for a picture in the back garden of his home on Clonard Street in west Belfast on Oct. 17. When asked would he like to see the Peace Wall taken down, McGarry replied, "It never should be taken down. But mum would love to see holes in it to let the light through."
Leave a Comment:
The hardest walls to remove, are the ones in the hearts and minds of people.
My, what a grandiose one-sentence statement to encapsulate and resolve what is, at its core, the last vestige of British imperialism. The country of Ireland, though fractured in its evolving political structure, was invaded. Because of religion, and conquest. I'll tell you what. You invade MY state, based on any pretense, you would have yourself an insurgency, using very similar tactics that the IRA use(d). The Orange Order insists on having a yearly march straight through the territory that is, at best, friendly disputed. This pisses the Irish (mostly Catholic) off to no end. William of Orange died in 1584. It's time for the British to go about a path, gradual though it may be, toward withdrawing their troops from these 6 counties, healing old feuds, and eventually letting Ireland be a whole Ireland.
Look across the world and one sees that most wars, if not all, are religious in nature...
Guess it's true that more people die in the name of god... What a sickening shame...
gbic354869
I'm afraid 1584 has nothing what so ever to do with William of Orange. That predates the Ulster plantation, 1641 massacre of protestants, Cromwell, the boyne etc so I'm not sure who you are refering to.
The English were in Ireland long before they turned away from the catholic church. The Irish asked the England to come into Ireland in the 1100s to solve an internal conflict and from that time England had a large influence in Ireland. In 1155 the Pope asked the King of England to take Ireland and bring the Island under control of the Roman Catholic Church.
Control of Ireland was a stritagic importance to Britain 100s of years ago. Ireland was the back door to Britain where Britain feared the French or Spanish could launch an invasion from. Your date of 1584 is more closely connected to the Spanish Armada of 1588.
Today Northern Ireland belongs to the born and bred N.Irish. In the last N.I life and times survey only 16% of the population of N.I wanted a united Ireland. Over the last 3 years of the survey consistently 90% of protestants supported the union and support of the union by catholics has varied from 44, 47 and 52%. Northern Ireland will remain British unless the people of Northern Ireland deem otherwise.
@!$%#ing idiots. "Oh my way of praying is better!" "Oh well my invisible overlord has been around longer!" ugh. Religion always causes more problems than it could ever ever fix.
And I always thought the unrest in Ireland was about how much they were taxed and where those taxes were used.
"Invisible overlord"?
Spoken like a blind man in a roomful of furniture with hard surfaces. That troublesome furniture!
2/3 silly comments.Hope that doesn't continue into the hundreds.#1-blah blah I'm a pussy.#2 blah blah bad religion.Religion is everywhere on the planet.Always has been.Ours is much less barbaric than others.The non-violent ones are buried in cultures like china
...British people, in general, are stuffy and greedy. ...I say deport the remaining Brits out of Ireland. They don't belong there any more than the stolen country of Israel belongs in the Middle East.
Northern Ireland belongs to the N.Irish. If the majority of the born and bred N.Irish want to remain part of the UK it will remain British.
Is America not Stolen land?
I don’t suppose americans are willing to return to their predominantly European homelands and give the land they stole back to the native Indians? Animals such as the buffalo could return to their once great populations, rooming the plains (well avoiding the dust bowl etc) I’m guessing amerians feel american as much as the majority of northern irish fell british. Americans are the last people on earth who can criticise the situation in Ireland.