Abstract

Since its formation, Northern Ireland has become a country synonymous with conflict. Political and religious differences have transcended into sectarian violence and warfare, most recently during the Troubles, which has been ongoing since 1969. Official accounts argue that this conflict ended in 1998 with the unionist and nationalist peace process, however this article discredits that assertion and shows that from the perspectives of politics, policing, and victims, this conflict is an outstanding issue in Northern Ireland today. Using secondary data, this paper demonstrates that though policing has evolved in structure, many of its threats, concerns, and roles have changed very little from those apparent during the conflict. The victim perspective argues that the extent of loss and pain will always hold the Troubles open and present and that motivates many in activism, whose political landscape has decayed since 1998. The idea of social identity theory has brought such issues forward and contributed to the understanding seen in this article. The overarching theme of this paper is that the Troubles is held in a paused position for different reasons from each perspective, but that when combined a long-term understanding of the conflict can be harnessed in order to highlight and combat recurring themes of the conflict to aid in bringing an end to such a brutal episode of Northern Ireland's history.