Northern Ireland youth keen on a more integrated society but feel it is a long way off

Forty-eight young people aged between 15 and 25 were brought together in five groups by a Belfast-based think tank late last year to talk about the society they live in and the one they want.
The encounters, however, illustrate the road that Northern Ireland has yet to travel, marked by a lack of hope that things will change in their lifetimes and even caution about bringing about the very change that they say they want to see happen.
In conversations that took place in Belfast, Derry, Enniskillen and south Armagh in September and December, the groups gathered by the Pivotal think tank professed a striking sense of belonging to the local community where they live.
However, that sense of belonging partly illustrates Northern Ireland's still-continuing wider divisions, since most of the young people themselves volunteered that they live in segregated communities.
READ MORE
In the rural areas focused on by Pivotal, this typically meant that the villages or towns where they live are still dominated by people from one religious background.
In Belfast, the divisions live cheek by jowl: 'While people of different religious backgrounds lived there in closer proximity, they did not necessarily share spaces in an integrated way.'
Everyone, no matter how young, understands the meanings of murals and flags, which are 'widely understood' as ways to mark territory and intimidate outsiders.
In Belfast, the so-called 'peace walls' are clear symbols of segregation that they want to see end, yet they have mixed feelings about taking them down. Instead, they suggested that the walls' gates could be kept open for longer.
Some efforts to boost cross-community ties – such as 'special days' at school – are little more than window dressing, the groups felt. Instead, they sought more funding for youth clubs, sports and other settings to create sustained contacts.
'Instead of lasting progress, many grander initiatives both within and outside schools that aim to bring together young people from different backgrounds are too irregular to make a difference.
'Leadership is required if young people are to believe integration can be a genuine aspiration for their generation,' said Pivotal, which issued a report earlier this year that looked at the consequences of segregated schooling.
The priority for some of those involved was for younger students who are just beginning primary school, rather than believing that anything can be done to greatly improve the level of cross-community ties in their own lives.
'In primary school, that's where you make friends easier, that's where you first meet people. That's where you become friends with different people from different cultures and religions easier than you would in high school.
'Like, you're young and once you get to know them like nothing really matters. You don't really care about their religion or anything you just are like friends,' said a 15-year-old girl from south Armagh.
Some of the young people described their experiences of integration 'as an action, rather than a state of being' filled with 'temporary efforts' that they engaged in before returning to the background from which they came.
'
Do you remember the episode in Derry Girls where they were like, 'Right, we've 20 Protestants here, 20 Catholics there?' It's just unnatural, you know. You're forcing questions that maybe some people aren't comfortable in answering
,'
said one 22-year-old man from south Armagh.
Equally, the groups brought together by the think tank believed that Northern Ireland's segregated school system 'helps perpetuate division, with the mandatory teaching of religious education a particular concern for many', said Pivotal.
'However, while there was significant support for integrated education, this was not universal – and it was not seen as a cure all for current social division.'

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Irish Times

7 hours ago

• Irish Times

Politicians condemn attack on Belfast Islamic Centre while people prayed

Politicians have condemned an attack on the Islamic Centre in Belfast that was carried out while people were praying on Friday evening. A local MLA said a device was thrown into the building during evening prayer, forcing it to be evacuated. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said he was 'deeply concerned by the shameful attack'. 'Hatred of this sort has no place in Northern Ireland. If anyone has any information about this, please contact the PSNI,' he said. READ MORE Police said they attended a security alert on University Road in south Belfast on Friday night. A number of cordons were put in place and members of the public were asked to avoid the area. A 34-year-old man was arrested and taken into police custody. Alliance MLA for South Belfast Paula Bradshaw condemned the attack, which she said did 'not reflect the diversity of south Belfast in 2025'. 'This attack was again designed to cause fear among people inside the centre, who were at prayer at the time. 'Nevertheless, I am thankful for the intervention of a nearby passer-by and for the work of the police. Those were much more reflective of the true spirit of Belfast, where most people rejoice in diversity. 'I would like to express my solidarity with all those who were evacuated and my thanks to all those who worked to ensure their safety.' Sinn Féin MLA Deirdre Hargey said 'no one should ever feel unsafe in their place of worship'. 'Acts like these, fuelled by hate, spread fear and division, and target people who have come to our communities to build a life and call this place home. 'It's vital that all political leaders speak out and stand united against this disgusting behaviour.' Green Party councillor Aine Groogan condemned the attack as a 'cowardly and vicious act'. 'I am horrified to hear about the attack on the Islamic Centre during evening prayers,' she said. 'I want to pay tribute to the courageous passer-by who intervened and prevented what could have been a far more tragic outcome. 'It is terrifying to consider what might have happened and I sincerely hope that all those present are recovering from this traumatic ordeal.' She added: 'This attack is yet another reminder of the very real danger faced by our Islamic community. The recent rise in racist hate and violence on our streets is a shameful stain on our society. 'We must all take responsibility for actively challenging racism, misinformation and bigotry wherever it appears before someone is seriously hurt. 'I urge those politicians who continue to hide behind the notion of so-called 'legitimate concerns' around migration to reflect on the consequences of their words. 'Such narratives are as disingenuous as they are dangerous. They help foster a culture in which hate can thrive. Frankly, they should know better.' - PA

Irish Times

15 hours ago

• Irish Times

If our Geraldine can thrive in Trump's Washington, she might be a worthy winner of the race for the Áras

It's been no fun trying to whip up any sort of speculation about the forthcoming presidential election. The kites aren't flying the way they used to. It seems the vicious nature of recent campaigns is making potential candidates think twice about taking a tilt at the Áras, while the political parties, still weighing up their options, hope a shorter mobilisation might limit carnage. Nonetheless, some interesting names are floating about. A number of Fianna Fáil stalwarts have been mentioned: former taoiseach Bertie Ahern , former minister Mary Hanafin and MEP Cynthia Ni Mhurchú while Barry Andrews, her colleague in Brussels, has graciously ruled himself out. READ MORE Then there was talk of the party sounding out the former SDLP leader, Colum Eastwood , who said he wouldn't rule out running when he was sounded out by the BBC. The MP for Derry's Foyle constituency said he was mulling over his prospects because 'people have asked'. Fianna Fáiler Micheál Martin was quick to say he wasn't one of them. 'There's been no contact with me, there's been no engagement that I am aware of from the Fianna Fáil party and it hasn't been on the agenda at all,' he said. A candidate from outside the fold remains a distinct possibility. There are whispers in political and diplomatic circles about Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ireland's ambassador to Washington. Fianna Fáil sources say her name is getting a lot of traction. A hugely experienced diplomat with an impressive CV, Byrne Nason spearheaded Ireland's successful campaign for a seat on the UN Security Council in 2020. She is a former second secretary general in the Department of An Taoiseach, which made her the country's highest-ranking woman public servant at the time. She received Concern Worldwide's annual Women of Concern Award for 'her outstanding career as a female leader within the diplomatic and Civil Service and her unwavering dedication to advocating for women's rights at home and abroad'. She was awarded the freedom of her native Drogheda in 2020. A Fianna Fáil source said: 'There really is a dearth of good candidates out there. Geraldine would be an inspired choice. She would be a candidate of stature and if the party rows in behind her campaign we could be on to a winner. And she'd have the Louth vote sewn up.' Here's another interesting one. The businessman and founder of the homeless charity Tiglin, Senator Aubrey McCarthy, is also a name which keeps coming up when the presidential election is discussed. Senator McCarthy, who was elected to the Upper House for the first time this year, has not ruled out a run. One Leinster House observer tells us how Kildare-based Aubrey 'has been noticed on the Ferrero Rocher embassy circuit of late'. Meanwhile, he is holding a big bash in The Elms in Punchestown this weekend for friends and sponsors who helped him in his Seanad campaign. What better way for Aubrey to kick start a new campaign, if he really is thinking of throwing his hat into the ring? But surely Seán Gallagher has to be a long shot? The businessman who unsuccessfully contested the last two presidential elections – he looked set for victory in 2007 until his campaign imploded amid controversy over his connections with Fianna Fáil – was seen a number of weeks ago in the Dáil bar with Cathal Lee, a key member of his campaign team. They met a number of independent senators, according to our source. But it seems unlikely he would go for the hat-trick of runs. On the Sinn Féin front, Northern Ireland First Minister and party vice-president Michelle O'Neill has yet to rule out a run for the Irish presidential election. She said at the North South Ministerial Council that the party 'is working its way through deliberations on putting forward a candidate'. Fine Gael seems to be quietly coasting towards the campaign with front-runner Mairead McGuinness keeping a low profile while questions rage over which other candidates might join her on the ticket. But nothing has been decided yet. MEP Seán Kelly hasn't indicated whether he will contest the party's nomination. He is due to address the Association of European Journalists in Dublin next Thursday. Guests will be wondering if he chooses this occasion to bow out or make his first stump speech. And finally, Dr Mike Ryan, the Sligo-born public health specialist, is being lined up as a keynote speaker at next month's MacGill Summer School. The former deputy director general of the World Health Organisation – he became a household name during the Covid crisis and is an outspoken voice on the humanitarian cost of Israel's assault on Gaza – is being courted by a number of parties, including Labour , as a consensus Left candidate. If he makes it to Glenties, his speech may reveal all. Fox news The sad news of a fox perishing in the fountain outside Government Buildings in Dublin on Tuesday was one of the most-talked-about topics of the week. Not least because many of us feared it was Mildred, a fox regularly sighted strolling around Leinster Lawn haughtily ignoring the political and media wildlife trying to take her photo. Not to be confused with the other Mildred Fox, who was an Independent TD for Wicklow from 1995 to 2007. A number of people have been in touch since we reported the sad death, wondering how a creature as strong and agile as a fox could drown in relatively shallow water. Former Green Party minister Roderic O'Gorman has the answer. It was a fox cub, probably still getting used to going out exploring on its own. O'Gorman's office in the Engineering Block looks into an area at the back of Government Buildings, near the service and maintenance areas for Leinster House. There is an open basement area under the block where a family of foxes resides in a hidey hole under the pipes. 'I saw them originally about three weeks ago just peeping out of the den – still very small. But they are growing up fast.' he told us on Friday. 'When I see them now, it's just them on their own, so they are obviously big enough for their parents to let them out.' O'Gorman shot a video of them running around the place last week. 'I saw four of them playing then, but when I was looking down on them this morning [Thursday] there was only three.' The Merrion Street/Kildare Street campus is their playground. 'They can go through to the courtyard through the arches. One of them must have gone in there, which is awful.' Three government ministers held press conferences in the courtyard on Tuesday morning – Paschal Donohoe, James Browne and Jim O'Callaghan. There were large media contingents at the briefings. Strangely, nobody noticed the dead fox in the fountain. It was switched off the following day and thoroughly cleaned. 'It's great to see such amazing wildlife right here in Leinster House in the very heart of Dublin, but it's awful sad to see us losing one of the family,' said O'Gorman, the only Green TD in the Dáil. Just don't tell Danny Healy-Rae or Michael Collins where the rest of them are. Mildred, we are assured, is still around. Welcome to the wildly inaccurate Rose county Don't cry for me, Ballymena... Maria Walsh , a former Rose of Tramore, told the EU Parliament in the Brussels town of Strasbourg this week that Ireland and Europe must stand with victims of hate-fuelled crimes and 'show that diversity is a strength, not a threat'. The Fine Gael MEP for Midlands-Northwest referred to recent public order disturbances in the North during the 'One-minute speeches for matters of political importance' slot on Monday. With just 60 seconds to get her point across, Walsh, reading carefully from her one-page script, didn't notice a glaring error in her opening line. A microphone malfunction at the start wouldn't have helped either. 'Recent riots on the island of Ireland, which began in the town of Ballymena in Co Leitrim have morphed from concern about a tragic sexual assault allegation into xenophobic violence against migrant families,' she began. 'As Amnesty Northern Ireland director Patrick Corrigan said, we are just one petrol bomb away from racially motivated murder.' Luckily, Sinn Féin's eagle-eyed observers spotted her geographical gaffe and, in the spirit of comradely co-operation, a member of the comms team took to social media to point it out. 'Could someone please provide Fine Gael with a map of Ireland?' Luke O'Riordan asked, attaching a video clip of the moment. As it happened, the error was spotted a couple of days before this generous intervention. The clip Walsh posted to her own account had already been seamlessly edited with no reference to Leitrim, the Wild Rose County. AK-47 is reloaded and the safety catch is off Former Labour leader Alan Kelly is enjoying something of a renaissance these days, what with chairing the Oireachtas Media Committee and a nicely blossoming Dáil double-act with Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan . Kelly has suddenly become the man with the inside track on issues of concern in the world of law enforcement. He says he has told the minister more about what is going on than his Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris . He was talking about the overdue remedial work on Garda stations, particularly those affected by asbestos. Why has the Commissioner not given the minister details of people at risk and situations where the State may be exposed to claims? 'Does this not create a huge risk that you really need to put close to the top of your pile as regards the issues the Commissioner hasn't told you about? Maybe you need to have a truth and reconciliation meeting with the Commissioner. Perhaps you need to sit down and say, 'Hey Commissioner! Do you know what, you're out the gap there on the first of September. Is there anything else in the long list of issues that you haven't told me about?'' The following day, Kelly told the Dáil that he was the first person to inform the Minister that undercover gardaí supplied guns to Evan Fitzgerald, the young man who took his own life at a Carlow shopping centre on June 1st. He said he rang O'Callaghan on June 3rd to let him know of the involvement of undercover gardaí. 'Is it correct that I had to tell him to go to the Garda Commissioner and ask him about the full details in relation to this case?' He has already revealed information about garda holsters, importation issues with guns, drugs in HQ, thousands of missing fingerprints. 'I can guarantee you many of the other issues still have not been brought your attention,' he said, ominously. 'So I would encourage you to have that truth and reconciliation meeting very soon. Otherwise, I'm going to be coming in here on many many more issues that you're not bloody well aware of.' Justice Questions might be worth watching in the future.

Irish Examiner

a day ago

• Irish Examiner

Leaders on both sides of the border urge completion of Casement Park

Leaders on both sides of the border have urged all partners to 'find a way' to complete Casement Park. Northern Ireland first minister Michelle O'Neill said that it is now time for all those involved to sit around the table and find a way to start and complete the project. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the opportunity to build the stadium should 'be seized', while Tánaiste Simon Harris warned against looking back to see that the moment was 'squandered'. Earlier this month, a British government pledge of £50m for the development of the west Belfast GAA stadium was included in Chancellor Rachel Reeves' spending review. However, that pledge still leaves the project far from its funding target under current plans. Plans for a 34,000-capacity stadium at the site have been mired in uncertainty because of a major funding gap. Stormont ministers committed £62.5m to Casement in 2011, as part of a strategy to revamp it along with football's Windsor Park and the rugby ground at Ravenhill. While the two other Belfast-based projects went ahead, the redevelopment of Casement was delayed for several years because of legal challenges by local residents. The estimated cost spiralled in the interim. Speaking at a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in Armagh, Ms O'Neill said it is time for all partners to 'find a way to complete' Casement Park. Ms O'Neill said: 'We all have a role in making sure we get to that point.' Asked if the GAA should reconsider the plans for the west Belfast stadium development based on existing commitments for funding, Ms O'Neill said the stadium is now more expensive than if it had been built 'a long time ago'. She said the delays were due to a 'whole plague of problems' including planning and political issues. She said the redevelopment would bring 'major social and economic benefits'. Ms O'Neill added that Casement Park is an Executive flagship project. 'We now know what the pot of funding that we have on the table, but now it's time for all partners involved to get together and sit around the table and find a way now to complete and start the work on the project and to complete the project,' she added. 'I think we all have a role to play in terms of making sure we get to that point. 'But I think it's now time that we now know and understand the quantum of funding, that we now sit down together and actually work out the next step.' Deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly said it is 'now over to the GAA' to set out their expectations on their own contribution to the west Belfast stadium and any potential revisions to the development. She said there was a 'significant amount of need' in other sporting areas across the region with other facilities also needing to be upgraded. She added: 'We need to do so with fairness and equity. 'They are sitting on, I think, approximately £161 or £162m worth of public spending. 'It's now over to the GAA to decide can they cut their coat according to their cloth, or what their expectations are in relation to their own contribution.' She added that the GAA can 'do a huge amount' with existing funding commitments for Casement Park, and that the GAA should indicate what its contribution increase should be. Mr Martin said the Irish Government had given a 'very substantial' allocation to the project. 'I believe the prospect really exists for a stadium to be agreed and built and this is an opportunity that should be seized in a practical and realistic way.' Mr Harris said the recent British funding announcement was a 'huge step forward' for the project. He said the Irish Government stands ready to assist the project and warned against looking back to see that the moment was 'squandered'.