Peace maintenance and political messages: The significance of walls during and after the Northern Irish ‘Troubles’

Abstract

The role of wall murals — as both territorial markers and as a means of maintaining and reinforcing identity — has been a frequent subject of study as a way of understanding the recent conflict in Northern Ireland, euphemistically known as ‘the Troubles’ (c. 1969—c. 1998). Whilst the heightened political and social relevance of murals and graffiti during civil conflict is undoubtedly a worthy subject of study, the role of their physical context — walls — has not been so thoroughly analysed and deconstructed. In the context of Northern Ireland, walls have had multiple uses and meanings — they can be not only blank canvases to facilitate communication but also physical barriers that solidify social relations and prevent interaction. This article examines the dual role of walls both during and in the aftermath of conflict as a means of highlighting their positive and negative attributes and de-essentializing their existence. It is suggested that there is a need to contextualize and consider the current and potential role of walls in the maintenance of peace and facilitating a ‘new’ Northern Ireland.