Book Talk: Power, Politics and Territory in the ‘New Northern Ireland’

Dr. Elizabeth DeYoung recently discussed her new book Power, Politics and Territory in the ‘New Northern Ireland’: Girdwood Barracks and the Story of the Peace Process in an event hosted by Penn IUR and the School of Social Policy and Practice. DeYoung serves as a Research Scientist at the Center for Guaranteed Income at Penn. Dr. Vincent Reina, Professor of City and Regional Planning moderated the conversation. Together, they delved into the complexities of Northern Ireland's peace process through the lens of Girdwood Army Barracks in Belfast.

Dr. DeYoung explained that Northern Ireland's conflict stemmed not from religious divides, but from competing national identities—Protestant unionists identifying as English and Catholic nationalists identifying with Ireland. The violent conflict, known as The Troubles, was exacerbated by issues like housing for Catholics, and though the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 aimed to bring peace, it did not solve all challenges.

Girdwood Barracks, situated at the intersection of four divided neighborhoods, symbolized the region's deeply segregated communities, separated by "peace walls." When the British military demilitarized the site, hopes for its redevelopment into housing or community resources were dashed by political infighting. Instead, it became a "community hub," reflecting the broader failures of the peace process.

Dr. DeYoung, an ethnographer, shared her personal journey of discovering Girdwood through lost walks and engaging with local communities, learning the Irish language, and attending protests. Her work highlighted the continuing struggles, including the alarming rise in mental health issues post-Troubles, due in large part to inadequate services in Catholic areas. This event underscored the complexities of peacebuilding and the unhealed wounds still present in Northern Ireland today.

Students, professors and scholars from across Penn came to hear DeYoung and Reina’s conversation, engaging with a thoughtful Q+A Session. A reception followed, hosted by the School of Social Policy and Practice.