Young People Explore The History of Belfast and Its Communities

Young people from rural County Louth travelled to Belfast recently as part of the Community Restorative Justice Ireland Newry/Armagh PEACEPLUS Engagement, Wellbeing & Signposting Project, an initiative supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

The visit gave the group an opportunity to learn about how conflict affects communities and families and the different ways people experience and remember periods of conflict. It also provided an opportunity to explore how communities can move forward and work towards peace and reconciliation.

During the visit, the young people travelled through areas of West Belfast and visited a number of important locations, including the Eileen Hickey Museum, Milltown Cemetery, memorial gardens, Bombay Street, murals and Peace Walls.

At the Eileen Hickey Museum, the group was given a guided tour and saw a collection of material connected to the history of the period, with the visit providing an opportunity for the young people to ask questions and discuss what they were seeing.

The group also visited Milltown Cemetery, learning about its history and the many different people who are buried there. The cemetery provided another opportunity to look at the history of Belfast and the impact the conflict had on families and communities.

A big part of the visit was travelling through the streets of Belfast and seeing the murals, memorial gardens and Peace Walls. The young people were able to see how the history of the conflict is remembered within communities and how the physical landscape of Belfast still reflects that history today.

Importantly, the visit was not about simply looking at one side of Belfast. The young people were encouraged to look at different aspects of the history and to understand that people from different communities have different experiences, memories and perspectives.

For many of the young people, it was their first opportunity to visit the Peace Walls, murals and memorials, which gave them the chance to ask questions, have discussions and form their own understanding of what they were seeing.

The Belfast trip is one of a number of activities being delivered through the PEACEPLUS project, which aims to engage young people living in rural County Louth, improve wellbeing, build confidence and provide opportunities to learn, develop new experiences and gain a better understanding of the communities and society around them.

John Connolly, Lead Coordinator with Community Restorative Justice Ireland Newry/Armagh, said, “The Belfast visit was a really worthwhile experience for the young people. They got to see places they had heard about and learn about the history behind them. What was important for us was that the young people were able to see different aspects of Belfast and hear about different experiences. They were encouraged to ask questions and have open discussions about what they were seeing.

“Taking young people out of their own communities and giving them opportunities like this is a big part of the project. It helps build confidence and gives them the chance to learn about history and peace in a way that is much more real than simply reading about it.”

Community Restorative Justice Ireland Newry/Armagh will continue to deliver activities and opportunities for young people across rural County Louth as part of the project.