Kara LeMarie and Ian Darrow spent two months last summer exploring the tensions that have separated the Protestants and Catholics of Ireland for centuries. The pair focused on the political conflicts that divide the country between those who favor Northern Ireland’s reunification with the Republic of Ireland, and those who favor British rule of the territory. They also studied the area’s progress since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
Their trip was funded by the Davis Projects for Peace, an initiative that encourages American undergrads to work toward peace. While Lemarie interviewed the people of Ireland to hear of their struggles and their hopes for the future, Darrow documented the journey in photographs. On the following pages, the pair tell the story of Belfast, a city in transition.
The Orange Order, a Protestant fraternal organization, is one of the primary participants in–and advocates for–the Whiterock Parade, one of nearly 3,000 parades that weave their way through Belfast during Marching Season every spring and summer. What was once a notoriously violent event now epitomizes Northern Ireland’s push toward a cautiously peaceful coexistence.
A Catholic man stands along the Falls Road, exercising his right to protest the Whiterock Parade as it passes his home. He covers his face, wary of residual tensions. Every year, the Catholic community expresses its disdain for the parade, and for what they feel is an invasion of their territory. Despite this, Protestants continue to observe their long-standing tradition of crossing into Catholic territory, claiming it as their celebratory right.
The Whiterock Parade kicks off on Protestant Shankill Road and ends on the exclusively Catholic Falls Road. But before the marchers reach the Catholic side of town, they must pass through this interface wall, built in the 1970s as an attempt to keep peace between the dueling groups. For the marchers, the wall draws the line between the parade’s cheering Protestant crowd and an unwelcoming Catholic community on the other side.
July 12th marks the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, a historical victory for Protestants and Loyalists in Northern Ireland. Now colloquially referred to as “The Twelfth,” the holiday is celebrated with a day-long series of Protestant parades throughout Northern Ireland, as well as dozens of bonfires the night before. Last summer was the first time in 30 years that the military was not deployed to watch over the July 12 events due to several years of celebrations without incident. Here, two men enjoy a beer as they watch crates blaze to embers.
As rector at Holy Cross Parish in Ardoyne, North Belfast, and chair of the Board of Governors of Holy Cross Girls’ Primary School, Father Aidan Troy has seen young girls face daily demonstrations by Loyalists who objected to Catholics walking to school through Protestant territory. In the past, his church has been marked by paint bombs and other forms of vandalism, and his parishioners often fell victim to verbal abuse as they made their way to Mass. Today, much of the violence has ceased, but the tension is ever-present.
Afterword
While Belfast was relatively peaceful during our visit, recent events remind us that there is still work to do in Northern Ireland. In March, two British soldiers were killed and two soldiers and two civilians were wounded by Republican dissidents. Days later, a British policeman was shot in the head by a second guerilla group. Despite the surge in attacks, political parties from both sides pledge to continue to strive for peace.