The peace walls are high barriers, some with wire fences, made of concrete, brick and steel that separate the Nationalist (Catholic) and Unionist (Protestant) neighbourhoods in the city of Belfast. From the early 1920s when Northern Ireland was classed as a part of the United Kingdom, there has existed a strong political and religious division between these two communities.
This division resulted in a civil war in the late 1960s through to the late 1990s which saw violent outbreaks involving bombs, shootings and over 3,000 deaths in total. This dark period in Belfast’s history is named ‘The Troubles’.
A move towards peace came when the Good Friday Agreement was set up in 1998 by the British government and Northern Ireland’s political parties. This mainly established the use of peaceful ways to solve disputes and the decommission of all paramilitary weaponry. Since this time outbreaks of street violence have lessened dramatically but not disappeared completely, despite the agreement.
flickr/Sally Bowe
Cupar Way Peace Wall in Belfast
Belfast’s peace walls were initially erected to deter fighting and protect the citizens of the Unionist and Republican neighbourhoods who live in interface areas, i.e. directly next to each other. During the day some walls have gates which are opened to give workers free access to the streets but at night the gates are locked.
flickr/Shaun Dunphy
One of the Peace Wall gates
There are over 100 peace walls in Belfast, some are relatively short but others can range up to 5 kilometres in length. The earliest peace wall was erected in 1969 and consisted of a barbed wire fence. This is now a concrete and wire barrier eight metres high which runs 2.5 kilometres between Shankill Road and Falls Road.
flickr/ZECIZM
‘Peace by Piece’ Graffiti written on the Cupar Way Peace Wall
This central Belfast peace wall is the most famous and a major feature of Belfast tours. It has colourful peace murals; visions of hope by local and international peace activists and school children, and also memorials to the deceased. The Shankill Road and Falls Road peace murals can be visited and photographed during the day as part of an organised bus tour, or you can easily walk there from Belfast central. It is not advisable to visit here at night.
The peace walls of Belfast serve as a stark reminder that peace is far from a reality in this conflicted town. It is hoped that all peace walls can be removed by 2023 but this remains to be seen.
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