War


                   
















Division

The Troubles started in an already classist, poverty-stricken society that did not care for the working or under class. These issues were then exacerbated when division between the Catholics/Nationalists/Republicans and the Protestants/Loyalists/Unionists started a war over religion, opportunity and politics. Many hardly knew what they were fighting for - some starting as early as thirteen years old in opposing sides - the Irish Republican Army (IRA) or Ulster Defense Association (UDA). For decades the war between religion and politics destroyed Northern Ireland and no one cared enough about this working class conflict to put a stop to it until The Good Friday Agreement, reached by political parties in Northern Ireland. 

Unfortunately this division still exists in working class communities and symbols like this fist are seen on the side of buildings throughout Northern Ireland. They continue to instill fear, mark territory and represent the past of Northern Ireland and The Troubles that still haunt the country. It seems that it is difficult to move past the division that separated the country for so long because of the poverty and voicelessness that still heavily impacts the working class. Many believe that this division has only worsened since the peace process began (Coulter, 2014). Images like the ones above just show a small glimpse of the many representations of division that still exist.

Coulter, C. (2014). Under Which Constitutional Arrangement Would You Still Prefer to be Unemployed? Neoliberalism, the Peace Process, and the Politics of Class in Norther Ireland. Studies In Conflict & Terrorism, 37(9), 763-776. doi: 10.1080/1057610X.2014.931212

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