This July, I was a visiting student at the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security, and Justice.  This experience was made possible by the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies Visiting Summer Scholar Award to visit Queen’s University Belfast, and is part of the Queen’s University Belfast – Notre Dame Strategic Partnership.  As a political science undergraduate student and international security fellow, I am required to complete a year-long senior thesis.

Having studied abroad in Jerusalem for the summer of 2023, I was always interested in writing a thesis about the Israel-Palestine conflict.  It wasn’t until the fall of 2023 that I began to engage with literature comparing the conflicts and peace processes in Israel-Palestine and Northern Ireland.  Admittedly, I did not have a strong understanding of the Northern Ireland conflict, so I began to educate myself over the next several months, watching documentaries and reading books such as Making Peace by Senator George Mitchell.

In April, a professor of mine encouraged me to reach out to Keough-Naughton for guidance and potential contacts in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.  The faculty at the Keough-Naughton Institute went above and beyond, advocating for me and supporting me in my academic ambitions.  Through the partnership between the universities, I was paired with Dr. Ronit Berger-Hobson who kindly agreed to oversee my research.  Her expertise aligned perfectly with my interests; I couldn’t have asked for a better match!

Upon arriving at QUB, I was warmly welcomed by Dr. Wendy-Louise Smith.  She showed me around the campus and took me to the Botanic Gardens—I immediately felt embraced and supported.  That same day, I met Dr. Ronit Berger-Hobson and I left our meeting feeling inspired and eager to get started.  She helped me focus my research question on one that was less broad and more appropriate for the required length of my thesis.  My research will examine the role that security guarantees played in persuading paramilitary groups to support the peace agreements in Northern Ireland and Israel-Palestine.

During my 10-day visit, I found myself doing an equal amount of learning and unlearning.  I arrived in Belfast with assumptions and perspectives about the conflicts, which were immediately challenged by my encounters with locals, interviews with scholars, and the sites I visited.  I went on the classic Hop-On Hop-Off bus a couple of times and had the opportunity to go on a private political black cab tour of Belfast.  I visited the International Peace Wall, Shankill Road, Falls Road, Garden of Remembrance, Crumlin Road Jail, Clonard Martyrs Memorial Garden, and Clonard Monastery (to name several).

I also visited a few exhibitions on the Troubles during my time abroad.  The first was at the IMW North in Manchester, just a couple of days before I arrived in Belfast.  The second was the Ulster Museum, and the third was the Museum of Free Derry.  I had not originally planned to visit the museum in Derry, but I stumbled upon it during my day trip.  All three were certainly unique and insightful in their own ways, it was interesting to compare my experiences in each one.

Toward the end of my time at QUB, Prof. Richard English, Prof. Adrian Guelke, and Dr. Ronit Berger-Hobson graciously agreed to formal interviews.  Prof. Richard English noted that security guarantees were more impactful in Northern Ireland compared to Israel-Palestine, where the continued militarized security in the West Bank led to a lack of trust among Palestinians, diminishing the effectiveness of the guarantees.  However, Prof. English also contextualized the conflicts and explained that while the security guarantees were important, they were not the main factor that drove the peace processes.  Prof. Adrian Guelke shared a similar perspective that security guarantees had a limited impact on the paramilitary group.  Rather, he discussed the characteristics of the deeply divided societies and other factors that were perhaps more impactful.  At the beginning of my interview with Dr. Ronit Berger-Hobson, she discussed the subtle signals that led paramilitaries to gain more trust in the British government.  This particularly stood out to me.  One example she gave was the transition from soldiers wearing helmets to berets, which were seen as less threatening.  Dr. Berger-Hobson made me realize that the seemingly 'smaller' details of conflicts add important context.  She also filled many of my knowledge gaps that I didn't realize I had.

When I was not at the Institute or reading in the McClay Library, I went on walks around the campus and the greater Belfast area (I averaged 8-12 miles a day).  The contrast between the loyalist and republican communities was stark.  Having never visited Northern Ireland, I did not realize just how many flags, symbols, and murals I would encounter.  I went on a solo day trip to Derry and I was in awe of the political murals and symbols.  I made my way to the Bogside murals and I noticed that a man was repainting the Free Derry Corner.  I introduced myself, and he briefly told me his story.  He was 12 years old during the Battle of the Bogside—I can’t begin to imagine what it was like.  This unexpected encounter really humanized the conflict for me.  Reading history is one thing, but putting a face to history is so much more powerful.

The connections I made at Queen’s and the insights I gained will undoubtedly shape my senior thesis and future endeavors as I discern my post-grad path. My time in Northern Ireland was transformative, and I’m eager to bring this renewed energy back to Notre Dame as I continue my research and learning.

The Strategic Partnership with Notre Dame is a programme driven and funded by Queen’s University Belfast to create international research and education linkages and collaboration.

Each year one Postgraduate Taught student from the University of Notre Dame is invited to work with an academic staff member at QUB.

This exchange has many benefits, including the study of Northern Ireland, increased visibility and cooperation, and exchange capacity of both institutions.