Although a very short trip I still managed to get around most of Belfast thanks to the many community groups who helped out. But even without such clues, it is not hard to get your bearings, for there is more vacant land on one side of the sectarian divide than on the other. Richard Wainwright Photography. But another artist, Susan Hughes from the south of the city, has just opened an exhibition at Stormont called quiet peacemakers. I’ll be making a return trip there next year to continue this story so below are some images taken during my time there. Joseph Hasett a Catholic resident on the Springfield road who lives opposite the peace wall separating them from the protestant Woodvale estate in West Belfast. VideoAmerica's Cup: The tech behind Ineos Team UK, French police station attacked with fireworks. At night, gates are closed to both traffic and pedestrians, effectively cutting off Protestant from Catholic areas. Cluan Place, a Protestant area surrounding the Catholic enclave of Short Strand in East Belfast. This street became the epicenter of violence during the early days of the troubles and most of the original houses were burnt down. That earthquake that was happening," he said. Enduring tensions and physical barriers between communities make it hard to match supply with demand. Prospective tenants are asked to specify two of more than 80 areas of the city where they would like to live. The relentless march of history is going to squash it under its heel. A peace wall and interface area in Protestant Glenbryn Park with Catholic Alliance Avenue on other side. Segregation permeates all areas of life both physically and psychologically, from housing where over 95% of social housing is either Catholic or Protestant to education where only around 5% of children attend integrated schools. Sit back and enjoy the show! They pick up what is happening underneath their feet. Four-fifths of Northern Irish people tell pollsters they would like to live in a mixed neighbourhood, but most social-housing applicants opt to live in their own communities. It also describes young Protestant men, a quarter of whom are jobless, as a seedbed for trouble. Mr Solinas acknowledged there is a sense of cultural warfare. The sectarian “Troubles” of 1968-98 reinforced the pattern, with “peace walls” built to protect each side from the other’s troublemakers. He said these figures from the 2011 census were finally published a week after the row erupted in Belfast City Council over the decision to restrict the flying of the union flag to designated days only. I really enjoyed shooting video for the first time and think the audio interviews I took really add to the sense of the place. Brian Feeney, an Irish News columnist, said unionist politicians are pretending the changes are not happening while fighting a losing battle. The mismatch cannot be solved by building in Catholic areas, which are already packed. Is 'black tax' a help or a burden? They are feeling they are trying to move forward and trying to be positive, but there are certain things that are holding them back," she said. This gate is closed at 5.30pm and opened at 7am. VideoSupreme Court confirmation hearing, 'I focus on earning money and then leaving Hong Kong' Video'I focus on earning money and then leaving Hong Kong', America's Cup: The tech behind Ineos Team UK. He points out that nationalists face similar problems of deprivation and problems around jobs, housing and regeneration. In many cases, people who live just meters apart, divided by a 20 ft high multi layered barrier have never met or even have the desire to meet each other. More unemployed Catholics than Protestants in NI, says census, Teachers turn to loudspeakers to beat Covid fears. “If you could just lift all the houses over there over here, it’d be OK,” she says. . And as it points out in the report there is peace, but no attempt at reconciliation whatsoever.". In a Catholic area the subject might be Bobby Sands, a republican who died on hunger strike in 1981. Whilst most of the violence of the 90’s has stopped, rioting in flashpoints still does occur and virtually all residents who live next to the peacelines and interface areas do not want the walls to come down. But, it’s complicated. All rights reserved. Middle-class areas have integrated a fair bit since the ceasefire, but social housing remains divided. I’ve finally recovered from jet lag and have started working on a few images from my recent trip to Belfast in Northern Ireland. The Protestant population is older and passing away and has dropped to 42%. IN BELFAST, THE past is constantly passed. One charity worker says people pay paramilitaries to put bullets through their letterboxes. There are young people working to bridge the divide through prayer, music and art. And they experience it as inequality. I’m also working on editing audio and video I shot. I met some fascinating people who have dedicated large parts of their lives to help understand and report on the consequences of these peacelines or peace walls and the overall situation in Northern Ireland. Among them is Ashley Holmes from Youth Initiatives. “The west is Catholic, the east is Protestant, the south is wealthy and the north is a mess,” says Mr Jarman. Supreme Court confirmation hearing. There is more on this story on The View, which is available .css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link{color:#3F3F42;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited{color:#696969;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited{font-weight:bolder;border-bottom:1px solid #BABABA;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:focus,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:focus{border-bottom-color:currentcolor;border-bottom-width:2px;color:#B80000;}@supports (text-underline-offset:0.25em){.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited{border-bottom:none;-webkit-text-decoration:underline #BABABA;text-decoration:underline #BABABA;-webkit-text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;-webkit-text-decoration-skip-ink:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;text-underline-offset:0.25em;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:focus,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:focus{-webkit-text-decoration-color:currentcolor;text-decoration-color:currentcolor;-webkit-text-decoration-thickness:2px;text-decoration-thickness:2px;color:#B80000;}}here on the BBC iPlayer. Most of West Belfast is Catholic, while most of North, South and East are Protestant. This forms the third part of my long term project on borders and barriers around the world. Ironically, since the peace agreement over 10 years ago, many more barriers have been built. Her vision for the city? Looking through the Workman Avenue gate into the Protestant Woodvale estate in West Belfast. The Shankill Road complete with British flags reflecting their allegiance to Britain. The Catholic population is young with the number rising to 49%. "It's been like King Canute. VideoAuthor shares his Covid-19 intensive care nightmare, India's Covid-19 outbreak in 200 seconds. “Things here move at glacial speed.”, This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline "Building blocs", Sign up to our free daily newsletter, The Economist today, Published since September 1843 to take part in “a severe contest between intelligence, which presses forward, and an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our progress.”. Gates in peace walls all over Belfast are locked at night separating the Catholic areas from Protestant areas. Any questions or comments you have please get in contact……, The main peace wall that runs for over 5km dividing the predominantly Protestant Shankill Road Area from the Catholic Falls Road in West Belfast. Loyalist community worker, Gerald Solinas, who also represents the Ulster Political Research Group, is critical of the report. It's basically similar to someone coming into your house, rearranging the furniture. He claims to support development, so that Protestants who left Belfast might return. They feel safer, at least physiologically, with these physical barriers intact which they say they now hardly even notice. On either side of the walls, life continues as normal and many people are happy to drive from one area to another but most said there are areas they would not feel safe to walk in. Mr Solinas and Dr Nolan agree that there is a lack of political leadership and vision at Stormont. "Our young people are feeling like they are holding everybody else's past on their shoulders. VideoIs 'black tax' a help or a burden? He thinks words such as "tipping point" are dangerous. I also met and interviewed participants of ‘The Troubles’, many of whom spent years in prison and were released as part of the peace process and now work in community relation groups. Often cited as evidence that Christianity inevitably causes division and bloodshed. Ms Delaney says someone “intimidated himself” out of a property by scrawling abuse on the walls. All rights reserved. Many Catholics will not consider moving to Protestant estates. On the east bank there is a largely unionist population, and on the west, a solidly nationalist and Catholic one, with significant sections of unionists in the north and south.