Northern Ireland Conflict: Memorial/UnMemorial

Every day of the year marks the anniversary of someone’s death as a result of conflict in Northern Ireland.

About the Project

Memorial/UnMemorial: A Reflection on Conflict and Legacy

2024 marked the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, a landmark accord that officially ended the Northern Ireland conflict on April 10, 1998. This agreement laid the foundation for peace, constitutional settlement, and new institutions in Northern Ireland. However, the UK government’s “The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill,” passed in September 2023 despite opposition from victims’ groups, all Northern Ireland political parties, and the Irish Government, aimed to “draw a line” under future civil cases and inquests into Troubles-related offences.

In response, I undertook Memorial/UnMemorial, a durational performance spanning February 14, 2023, to February 14, 2024. Each day, I crossed the Irish border while reciting the names and ages of individuals whose deaths, fatal injuries, or disappearances occurred on that date during the Troubles. This ritual became a deeply personal act of remembrance and connection, shared with an ever-growing audience through daily one-minute video reels on my social media channels. Family members, friends of the deceased, and a wider community of followers joined in this ongoing ritual of memory.

 

Exhibitions and Film Premiere

Throughout the year, Memorial/UnMemorial was featured in exhibitions on both sides of the border. It was part of Vestiges at the Market Place Theatre & Arts Centre in Armagh, Northern Ireland, and Domhain Éile: Other Worlds at the Íontas Arts Centre in Castleblayney, County Monaghan, Ireland.

The journey culminated in a 3-hour 15-second film created from daily footage and soundscapes. The film premiered in March 2024 at Belfast Exposed Photography Gallery, presented within a reflective space designed for individual engagement. Visitors were invited to contemplate the legacy of conflict and the complexities of memorialization. Belfast Exposed, renowned for amplifying diverse voices and fostering inclusive dialogue, provided the perfect setting for this work.

The screening at Belfast Exposed on Donegall Street coincided with significant anniversaries, such as the March 20 remembrance of the Donegall Street bombings in 1972, which killed seven people and injured 148. This moment, alongside others, deepened the dialogue between past and present.

The choice of Valentine’s Day as the project’s temporal frame underscored a central belief: every person is a “loved one.” This intentional framing aimed to transcend perceived victim hierarchies and humanize the statistics of the Troubles through its ritual and symbolism,

Memorial/UnMemorial became not just a film screening but a conversation on collective memory, remembrance, and the legacy of conflict.

 

Panel Discussion and Further Recognition

A panel discussion, featuring myself alongside Dr. Gail Ritchie and Dr. Paul Mullan, was hosted by Deirdre Robb, Chief Executive of Belfast Exposed, on March 21, 2024, as part of the Imagine! Belfast Festival of Ideas & Politics. This event provided an opportunity to explore the themes of the work in greater depth, fostering dialogue on remembrance and reconciliation.

In November 2024, the work was showcased at the Irish Georgian Society in Dublin as part of the Soul Noir Festival, where it received the Audience Favourite Award.

 

Personal Reflections

Memorial/UnMemorial is deeply personal, rooted in my experience of living in Northern Ireland for nearly two decades. Engaging with its complex history and the enduring trauma of the Troubles has profoundly shaped my artistic practice. This work seeks to humanize the losses of the conflict, creating a space for dialogue, understanding, and reflection.

The daily border crossing was both a physical act and a symbolic gesture. It highlighted the transformation of the border from a site of division to a place of normalcy and routine. By including scenes of everyday life, the project emphasized the resilience of communities affected by the conflict and the ongoing evolution of this contested landscape.

 

Looking Forward

Memorial/UnMemorial is a tribute to those who were lost and a meditation on the present. It acknowledges the enduring legacy of the Troubles while highlighting the border as a living entity that continues to change. My hope is that this work contributes to how we navigate the sensitivities of remembrance and collective memory, fostering a deeper understanding of our shared history and its impact on our future.

PRESS coverage
project images
LAUNCH EVENT
PARTICIPANT quotes
THE ART OF RECONCILiation:
A DATAbase of ARts RELATED PEACEBUILDING IN NORTHERN IRELAND
BELFAST EXPOSED
IMAGINE FESTIVAL OF IDEA & POLITICS: PANEL DISCUSSION
MEMORIAL/UNMEMORIAL: A reflection on conflict legacy - FILM DURATION 03:12:00
MEMORIAL/UNMEMORIAL: A reflection on conflict legacy - individual daily reels

February 2024

Northern Ireland Conflict: Memorial/UnMemorial

15 Videos

Every day of the year marks the anniversary of someone’s death as a result of conflict in Northern Ireland. Today, 14th February, I remember 6 loved ones killed or who died from fatal injuries on this date during the Troubles.

Edwin Weston (20)

Anthony Doherty (14)

William Wilson (57)

Steven Kirby (22)

John Morrow (37)

John Davey (61)

January 2024

Northern Ireland Conflict: Memorial/UnMemorial

31 Videos

Every day of the year marks the anniversary of someone’s death as a result of conflict in Northern Ireland. Today, 31st January, I remember 12 loved ones killed on this date during the Troubles.

Philip Rafferty (14)

Gabriel Savage (17)

Terence McCafferty (37) 

James McCloskey (29) 

George Coulter (43) 

Hugh Woodside (60) 

James Moorehead (30) 

William Savage (27)

Thomas Bingham (29)

Martin Quinn (34) 

Mary McGlinchey (32)

Nicholas Peacock (20) 

December 2023

Northern Ireland Conflict: Memorial/UnMemorial

31 Videos

Every day of the year marks the anniversary of someone’s death as a result of conflict in Northern Ireland. As I cross the Irish border, today, 31st December, I remember 8 loved ones killed, fatally injured, died from fatal injuries or who disappeared on this date during the Troubles.

Alan Daughtery (23)  

Sylvia McCullough (31) 

Richard Beattie (44) 

William Scott (28) 

Sean Cairns (20) 

William Stephenson (50) 

Danny McIlhone (19)

Edmund Treanor (31) 

November 2023

Northern Ireland Conflict: Memorial/UnMemorial

31 Videos

Every day of the year marks the anniversary of someone’s death as a result of conflict in Northern Ireland. As I cross the Irish border, today 30th November, I remember 6 loved ones killed

on this date.

Gerard Gearon (22)

Noel Shaw (19)

Elizabeth Luney (36) 

Edward Taggart (19)

Sean Hagan (47) 

Mark Apsley (38)

October 2023

Northern Ireland Conflict: Memorial/UnMemorial

30 Videos

Every day of the year marks the anniversary of someone’s death as a result of conflict in Northern Ireland. Today, 30th October, I remember 16 loved ones killed  or fatally abducted on this date during the Troubles.

Norman Booth (22) 

Gordon Catherwood (44) 

Michael Meenan (16)

Eileen Kelly (6)

Stephen McCann (20)

Charles Corbett (22) 

John Maguire (56) 

Steven Mullan (20) 

Karen Thompson (19)

James Moore (81) 

Joseph McDermott (60) 

Moira Duddy (59) 

John Moyne (50) 

John Burns (54) 

Victor Montgomery (76) 

Charles Folliard (30) 

September 2023

Northern Ireland Conflict: Memorial/UnMemorial

30 Videos

Every day of the year marks the anniversary of someone’s death as a result of conflict in Northern Ireland. As I cross the Irish border, today, 30th September, I remember 16 loved ones killed or who disappeared on this date during the Troubles.

David Murray (49)

Patricia McKay (20) 

Francis Lane (23) 

John Kelly (43) 

Thomas Rudman (20) 

Patrick McKee (25)

James Gillen (21)

Joseph Lynskey (45) 

Ralph Laverty, (55) 

John Cameron (57) 

James Taylor (23)

Robert Shields (44)

Gerard O’Neill (28) 

Martin Peake (17) 

Karen Reilly (18)

Harry Black (27) 

August 2023

Northern Ireland Conflict: Memorial/UnMemorial

34 Videos

Every day of the year marks the anniversary of someone’s death as a result of conflict in Northern Ireland. As I cross the Irish border, today, 31st August, I remember 14 loved ones killed or fatally injured on this date during the Troubles.

Clifford Loring (18)

Patrick Devenney (27) 

Eamon McMahon (19)

Patrick Mulvenna (19) 

James Bryson (25) 

Joseph Reid (46)

William Smith (28)

Wallace Allen (49) 

Martin Vance (33)

Sean Dalton (54) 

Sheila Lewis (60)

Gerard Curran (57)

Francis Crawford (57)

Sean McDermott (37)

July 2023

Northern Ireland Conflict: Memorial/UnMemorial

31 Videos

The 31st July, marks 24 anniversaries of loved ones killed or fatally injured as a result of the conflict in Northern Ireland.

Daniel O’Hagan (19)

Daniel Hegarty (15) 

Seamus Bradley (19)

Kathryn Eakin (8) 

James McClelland (65)

David Miller (60)

Elizabeth McElhinney (59)

Joseph McCloskey (38) 

William Temple (16) 

Rose McLaughlin (52)

Joseph Connolly (15)

Arthur Hone (38) 

Fran O’Toole (27) 

Wesley Somerville (34) 

Harris Boyle (22)

Tony Geraghty (23)

Brian McCoy (33) 

Thomas Cush (52) 

George Walsh (51)

Thomas Harpur (30)

Peter Doherty (36) 

John Judge (34)

Joe Bratty (33) 

Raymond Elder (32)

Music Credit: @myuusic

June 2023

Northern Ireland Conflict: Memorial/UnMemorial

30 Videos

Every day of the year marks the anniversary of someone’s death as a result of conflict in Northern Ireland. As I cross the Irish border, today, 30th June, I mark the anniversaries of 5 loved ones killed on this date as a result of the Troubles.

Oliver Eaton (42)
Bernard Coyle (17)
James Keelan (34)
John Beckett (47) 
Gary Meyer (36) 

Music Credit: @myuusic

May 2023

Northern Ireland Conflict: Memorial/UnMemorial

34 Videos

Every day of the year marks the anniversary of someone’s death as a result of conflict in Northern Ireland. As I cross the Irish border, today, 31 st May, I mark the anniversaries of 13 loved ones who died on this date during the Troubles.

Michael Bruce (27)
Thomas Curry (50) 
Gerard Barnes (31)
Alfred Shotter (54) 
Eamon Molloy (22)
Frederick McLoughlin (48) 
Colin Dunlop (30) 
Michael O’Neill (34)
Patrick Cunningham (27) 
Paul Blakely (30) 
Robert Crozier (46) 
Sydney Hamilton (44)
Christopher Wren (34) 

Music Credit: @myuusic

April 2023

Northern Ireland Conflict: Memorial/UnMemorial

30 Videos

Every day of the year marks the anniversary of someone’s death as a result of conflict in Northern Ireland. As I cross the Irish border, today, 1st May, I mark 

the anniversaries of eight loved ones killed on this date during the Troubles. 

David Currie (26)

Frederick Lutton (40)

Ian Shinner (20)

Millar Reid (22)

John Baxter (21)

Andrew Grundy (22)

Alan Lundy (39)

Ronan Maclochlain (28)

Music Credit: @myuusic

March 2023

Northern Ireland Conflict: Memorial/UnMemorial

31 Videos

Every day of the year marks the anniversary of someone’s death as a result of the conflict in Northern Ireland. As I cross the Irish border, this morning, 31st March, I remember the 5 loved ones killed on this date during the Troubles.

Sean McAstocker (28)

David Ferguson (20)

Roderick Bannon (25)

John Pearson (23)

Paul Moan (15)

 

Music Credit: @myuusic

February 2023

Northern Ireland Conflict: Memorial/UnMemorial

15 Videos

Every day of the year marks the anniversary of someone’s death as a result of the conflict in Northern Ireland. Today the 29th February marks the anniversaries of 4 loved ones killed on this date.

Henry Dickson (46)

Brendan McLaughlin (32)

Brendan Burns (30)

Brendan Moley (30)

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