Vague in Northern Ireland: Examining Perceptions of Victimhood and Lasting Animosities in Northern Ireland

In 1998, the violent Troubles in Northern Ireland came to an end with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. Many in the world would believe that today, Northern Ireland exists in a state of peace. That idea, however, is far from true. Today, Northern Ireland exists in a state of negative peace with isolated incidents of violence occurring between Catholic Republicans and Protestant Loyalists. These groups continue to disagree on who is a true victim of the Troubles, creating a hierarchy of victimhood. With the collapse of the government in 2017, many wonder what will happen in the future between these two groups. This paper looks at the existing perceptions of victimhood between Catholic Nationalist Republicans and Protestant Unionist Loyalists, as well as the role of the media and international funding. Through examining these perceptions, it becomes clear that full peace in Northern Ireland may be far off if the two communities cannot come together to form one definition of victimhood.