Everyday Life
The traumatic events of the years after 1968 touched almost everyone who lived here and many others from further afield. Ordinary lives were lived out against an extraordinary backdrop of violent campaigns, community tensions, vigilantism and intimidation. For some the impact was devastating, resulting in the loss of life, homes, or jobs. For others, everyday life was overshadowed by the constant threat of violence or intimidation and the need to remain vigilant at all times.
Back to ExhibitionDuring the Troubles everyday activities such as shopping or travelling on public transport were regularly disrupted. At the extreme level, explosions and direct attacks on civilians took place. More commonly, routine life was disturbed by bomb hoaxes, roadblocks, and security searches.
In 1969 the first peace walls were erected as a temporary measure, later they were refurbished all over the city and territories were again being marked out. A government initiative to dismantle the walls by 2023 created dialogue among concerned interface groups, examining ways to create the conditions whereby the walls could eventually come down, but political stalemate has meant that few walls have actually been removed.
