The International Fund for Ireland support programmes in areas divided by peace walls working with local residents to support changes or in some cases removals. Fund chairman Paddy Harte said there has been major progress in a number of areas including the opening of a gate at Flax Street in north Belfast as well as talks around a barrier at Adam Street, also in north Belfast. “We have in Moyard where there was a run down playground at a peace wall, now social housing is going up. Like everything success is contagious and as good stories come out, there are more signs of movement,” he said. Mr Harte said they first started collecting statistics around peace walls in 2017 when 68% of people wanted peace walls down, which went to 76% in 2019 and 83% in 2022.

Source: The Herald December 31, 2023 16:59 UTC