peace line

barrier

Also known as: peace wall

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July 22, 2026

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The term "barrier line" can refer to a line on a roadway guiding traffic, especially one that vehicles should not cross. However, in the context of Northern Ireland, "Peace Walls" or "Peace Lines" were erected starting in 1969 to separate Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods during "The Troubles". These barriers were a response to the violent conflict between unionists and nationalists.12

While initially intended to create separation, these walls were criticized for fostering an "atmosphere of abnormality". The Good Friday Agreement in 1998 aimed to establish peace and power-sharing in Northern Ireland. As part of this peace process, the Northern Ireland government committed to dismantling all Peace Walls by 2023, with the first being removed in 2016.21

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the Troubles
Internment, peace walls, and Bloody Sunday
…into brick and steel “peace walls,” some of which stood 45 feet (14 metres) high, segregating loyalist and republican enclaves, most famously the Falls Road Catholic community and the Shankill Protestant community of Belfast.
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…into brick and steel “peace walls,” some of which stood 45 feet (14 metres) high, segregating loyalist and republican enclaves, most famously the Falls Road Catholic community and the Shankill Protestant community of Belfast.
Read More