What are peace walls in Northern Ireland? Why were peace walls originally erected during the Troubles? Why are communities in Northern Ireland breaking down peace walls today?
Although armed conflict has ended in Northern Ireland, Protestant and Catholic communities in the country remain divided in many ways today.
From 1968 to 1998, Northern Ireland was marked by a period of armed conflict known as the Troubles. The conflict was between Protestant unionists, who wished for the country to remain part of the UK, and Catholic nationalists, who wanted it to be part of the Republic of Ireland. The violence of The Troubles devastated Northern Ireland, killing some 3,600 people and injuring over 30,000.
During the Troubles, authorities erected what are known as ‘peace walls’ in order to separate Protestant and Catholic communities from one another to prevent conflict.
Today, nearly 100 peace walls remain in the country, mainly in Belfast. In 2012, the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) launched its Peace Barriers Programme (formerly Peace Walls), which aims to bring communities living near peace walls to the point where they feel comfortable in talking about the softening of or complete removal of them.
Seamus Corr, project manager at Black Mountain Shared Space (BMSS) in Belfast, spoke to Peace News Network (PNN) about IFI’s work with communities and its struggles to help them feel comfortable without the walls.
Can you first tell me what inspired this project?
This project grew from the reality of life along one of Belfast’s most sensitive interface areas — where the Nationalist Upper Springfield community meets the Protestant neighbourhoods of Springmartin and Highfield. For many years, this boundary has been a place where tensions could flare quickly, often leaving residents feeling vulnerable and unsure of what might happen next.
The project was born from a shared determination to reduce risk, strengthen relationships, and create a safer, more confident environment for everyone who lives along the interface.
Interface Communities, or Protestant and Catholic communities that border each other, still face sectarian gang violence, as well as parading and cultural celebrations. Can you describe these issues, and how they relate to bringing down the walls?
In Belfast’s interface communities, the legacy of division remains visible. Despite significant progress, these areas still experience periods of tension. Sectarian gang activity, intimidation, and disputes surrounding cultural traditions can quickly unsettle residents, serving as a stark reminder of how easily old patterns resurface.
These incidents, whether sparked by parades or provocative displays, carry a heavy emotional weight. For families living near interface boundaries, they reinforce a generational sense of vulnerability, while young people, often influenced by inherited narratives, can be drawn into confrontations that escalate rapidly.
However, we have spent years developing robust, trusted mechanisms to manage these situations. Through close cooperation between community workers, residents, youth providers, and statutory partners, we have established a rapid-response network that has significantly reduced both the frequency and severity of incidents.
Can you walk me through the process of getting communities more comfortable with the complete removal of the walls, or at least with talking about it? What does the process look like? Maybe you can discuss some community activities.
Supporting communities to even talk about the removal of peace walls is a gradual, relationship‑driven process. It begins with people, trust, and the space to speak honestly about their experiences.
From the outset, community workers spend time on the ground listening to residents and showing them that their concerns and wellbeing are a priority. When people feel heard and supported , they are more open to exploring sensitive topics including wall removal.
We want residents to feel connected to this process so its important that there are regular updates, support and shared information. When there is clear communication, confidence grows and then that allows us to introduce conversations about the future of Peace Walls in their area.
We also include all age groups to build confidence in a range of inclusive workshops, cross-community events, programs, and even social events to help people meet one another.
Communities are more willing to engage when everyone’s voice matters. These activities also help to create positive memories and relationships.
These discussions are emotional, challenging, and deeply personal but they are also transformative. Walls begin to feel less like protection and more like a reminder of pain that communities are slowly learning to move beyond.
The Peace Barriers Programme aim was to bring communities living near peace walls to the point where they feel comfortable in talking about the softening of or complete removal of them. How many communities have you worked with, and in how many of these communities have the walls been broken down?
I have worked closely with ten interface communities across North and West Belfast. Each area has its own history, its own challenges, and its own pace of progress and work has always been shaped around the needs and readiness of local people.
Through long‑term engagement, relationship building, and consistent communication, six of these communities have now reached the point where Peace Walls have been softened, reduced, or fully removed. In each case, this has only happened after residents felt confident, informed, and genuinely involved in the process.
Can you point to any instances of improved relations between communities following the breakdown of walls? In communities where the walls are still up, can you point to instances where your activities improved relations between communities?
There is clear evidence that when peace barriers are removed and communities are properly supported, relationships improve in visible, tangible ways. Our work at Black Mountain Shared Space (BMSS) is a testament to this transformation.
Since the removal of the peace barrier at Ballygomartin Road and Springfield Heights, the area has moved from a symbolic dividing line to a thriving shared hub. Following an £8 million investment in the former Finlay’s site, our new shared building opened in June 2024. Since then, over 25,000 people have participated in programs and events. Crucially, both communities now use this space equally, with no sense of ownership or exclusion. It has become a beacon of hope, where families walk through the same doors and young people mix naturally—a reality that would have been unthinkable a decade ago.
Even where physical walls remain, our engagement work, spanning dialogue programmes, youth initiatives, shared training, and cross-community events, has driven significant progress. We now have:
- Better communication between residents on both sides of the interface.
- Reduced tensions during traditional flashpoints.
- Increased collaboration on local issues.
- Greater understanding of one another’s histories, fears, and aspirations.
What’s the biggest challenge of this project? Have any communities given you a lot of pushback?
A major challenge is ensuring the long-term sustainability of our work. Reaching this point has required years of dedicated trust-building, but the next phase is equally critical. For residents who have lived beside Peace Walls for decades, consistent support is essential to maintain their engagement with the prospect of change.
While we have encountered pushback, it typically stems from uncertainty rather than opposition. Having lived with these walls for generations, many view them as symbols of safety and control so its natural for change to feel unsettling.
Attitudes shift when people feel included. We have seen individuals once strongly opposed to barrier removal now actively participating in Black Mountain Shared Space programs. Their involvement is a powerful indicator that fears soften when people experience the tangible benefits of a shared environment for themselves.
Keywords: Northern Ireland, Ireland, Belfast, Peace Walls, peace, conflict, conflict resolution, breaking down walls
Seamus Corr
Seamus a prominent community development leader and the long-standing Project Manager of the Black Mountain Shared Space Project (BMSSP) in West Belfast. Since the project’s inception in 2009, he has been a central figure in one of Northern Ireland’s most complex interface areas, working at the physical and social boundaries between the Upper Springfield and Springmartin/Highfield communities.
Born in April 1973, Seamus has spent decades working in the heart of West Belfast. Beyond BMSSP, he has been involved with several local organisations, including serving as a director for the Gort na Mona Sports Association, reflecting his commitment to utilising sport and recreation as tools for community engagement.
Tara Abhasakun
Tara Abhasakun is Peace News Network (PNN)'s managing editor. She is journalist based in Christchurch, New Zealand, and formerly in Bangkok, Thailand. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
