Divided by a peace wall, united through friendship

A group of young people from different communities in Belfast are lobbying to keep a so-called 'peace gate' open longer.

The gates are mostly located at peace walls in Belfast, acting as dividing lines between predominantly unionist and nationalist areas.

Most are at interfaces which experienced some of the worst violence of nearly 30 years of the Troubles.

Opened during the day, the closure of the gates at night is a familiar sight.

Now a group of young people from both backgrounds, either side of the gate at Northumberland Street in west Belfast, are trying to extend some peace gate opening times.

They are part of the Empowering Young People Programme run through Active Communities Network, which received funding from the National Lottery Community Fund.

The Northumberland Street gate had been closing at 18:30, but the group successfully lobbied for a pilot to have it open to 19:30.

They are now campaigning to have it open later again until at least 20:30 for pedestrian access.

This particular gate separates the largely nationalist Falls Road from the mostly unionist Shankill Road.

Peace lines like this are symbolic of how some communities are still split along sectarian lines, 25 years after a peace deal largely ended Northern Ireland's Troubles.

The conflict lasted almost 30 years and cost the lives of more than 3,500 people.

Aiden is 16 and from the Shankill Road and Tia is 16 and from the Falls Road.

They believe it is unlikely they would ever have met had they not been members of the Active Communities Network youth committee.

Aiden said: "I'm from a mainly Protestant community and Tia's from a mostly Catholic community so we just wouldn't have had the opportunity to mix.

"The group has been great for making these connections, but when some programmes run later and the gates close it's harder for me to get back to the Shankill."

Tia believes it is important to break down barriers.

"Having the opportunity to make new friends from other communities is really important," she said.

"Obviously the older generation went through a lot and there are still problems with peace in parts of the city, but our message is to change those attitudes, and the walls and gates can be a barrier to that."

Aiden added: "We're the new generation and I think it's our job to educate people who maybe have these prejudices about people on the other side of the gate."

Katie-Louise is 18 and from the Shankill Road and Nadia is 17 and from west Belfast.

They have become close friends through their work campaigning about the peace gates.

"I honestly think the gates and walls just being there can create this stigma that we shouldn't like people on the other side and it's not right," Nadia said.

"The idea of campaigning around the gates sounds like a big deal, but we're just trying to normalise the gates being open that bit later, take it a step at a time."

Some homes beside the peace walls are still covered by metal cages, a sign that some residents on both sides believe the walls are necessary to prevent violence and enable them to continue living there.

Katie-Louise believes the gate opening times should be extended but understands there might be hesitance from some residents.

She said: "I know they were there during the Troubles and those very difficult days and a lot of people probably felt they were necessary to keep them safe.

"But then that can become like a safety net where you think nothing bad can happen if you're locked into your communities.""

There are still over 20 miles of peace walls - or peace lines - across Northern Ireland, the Majority across Belfast.

In 2023, about 60 remain, scattered mostly across Belfast, but with one or two others in Londonderry and Portadown.

At the outset of the Troubles in 1969 they were easy to build - often starting as barbed wire fences erected by the Army.

But 25 years after the Good Friday Agreement they are proving difficult to bring down.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) is responsible for about 40 structures and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive a further 20.

The DoJ said 18 peace lines had been removed over the past decade.

A similar number have been reduced in size or modified.

The department determines peace gate opening and closing times.

Requests for extensions require four weeks notice and will involve contact with the police as well as local elected and community groups.

Commenting on the Northumberland Street peace gate opening times a DoJ spokesperson said: "DoJ will continue to work with those affected and will keep the opening times of gates under review.

"We welcome the views of all local stakeholders, and are always keen to hear the perspective of those from a younger generation."

Peace gates were the backdrop for some of rioting in Belfast in recent years.

In April 2021, rioting at a paceline at Lanark Way in Belfast was described by police as on a scale not seen in Northern Ireland for years.

The Lanark Way peace line currently stays open to 22:30.

On Thursday afternoon, the group launched a mural at the dividing part of the peace wall at Northumberland Street.

Active Communities Network programme manager, Vicky Moore, said: "The mural has the gates in the picture with a lock and chain painted across the city.

"And what the young people are saying with it is that they know the walls aren't going away anytime soon, but when the gates close they hinder us to connect with each other."

Raicheal, Grace and Ella are all aged 16 and attend the same school in west Belfast.

They are part of the youth committee that helped design the mural.

"The mural is about symbolising and unlocking friendships and there shouldn't be a barrier between friendships by closing these gates at a certain time," Raichael said.

Grace said: "If they're just going to keep the gates closed early, people won't be able to make new friends as easily and that's not fair."

Meanwhile, Ella added: "I just think this issue is really important, not just for us, but for future generations too."