Belfast Photo Gallery - Peace Wall

Protestants and Catholics did not get along in this part of the world during the 30 year era known as the "Troubles". While the Good Friday agreement in 1998 brought peace and reconciliation, walls that once separated these communities were not completely dismantled. When violence erupted in 1969, the army built barbed wire fences to separate the feuding religious factions with gates that shut at night.

According to a 2023 BBC news report, there are still over 20 miles of peace walls in Northern Ireland, with the majority in Belfast.

I went to a long stretch of high walls along Cupar Way west of the city centre for a look. They stand 14m tall, three times the height of the Berlin Wall.

While the walls and gates are still intact, this is now a tourist destination with sightseeing buses passing by the area. It is also possible to hire a taxi with an expert driver on the topic to tour the site.

It is fairly easy to reach the site on your own. From the city centre, take the G1 bus west and get off at Twin Spires. Continue west and head up North Howard Street and the wall gate will soon emerge.