Belfast

Question 1

Belfast’s economic structure?

Answer 1

• Former industrial heartland (Harland + Wolff Shipyard)
• These industries now declined (deindustrialisation + global shift to South Korea)
• Today, economic growth outstripping most UK cities (only behind London) - FDI from USA, high tech industries, tourism

Question 2

What percentage of the NI population are in Belfast?

Answer 2

38% (650,000)

Question 3

What is the name of the sectarian violence between Republicans and Unionists and who wants what?

Answer 3

• The Troubles (1960s - 1998)
• Republicans want to be part of Ireland, Unionists want to be part of UK

Question 4

How many deaths did The Troubles cause?

Answer 4

1600

Question 5

What are the global influences on Belfast?

Answer 5

• Global shift in ship building industry to South Korea - Harland and Wolff Shipyard closed
• Containerisation = reduced port traffic
• The Troubles conflict between Loyalist and Republican communities killed >1600
• Refocus on engineering R+D - Queen’s University Belfast
• Polish/Chinese/Indian/East European migration
• Titanic Quarter redeveloped - NI’s largest tourist attraction
• HBO Studios opened on derelict harbour land - Game of Thrones filming
• 1998 GFA ends the Troubles
• Belfast City Airport 1983
• Continued competition for Belfast Town Centre against online shopping
• Brexit = border between UK + NI - more admin barriers for imports/exports - but Windsor framework 2023 counters this
• Number 1 location for FDI for US cyber-security firms

Question 6

What’s the division in Belfast?

Answer 6

• South is richer (where the university is)
• West is poorer (e.g. Shankill Road)
• Catholic/Protestant segregation in West shown by flags/graffiti/murals = violence on interface areas (Peace Walls constructed)

Question 7

National, regional, local influences?

Answer 7

• Physical location - accessible for trade + shipbuilding = working class migrants during industrial revolution - being in periphery of UK limits number of foreign born nationals moving to Belfast vs Slough/London
• Access to key UK cities - e.g. Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow through airports and ferry ports influences cultural diversity, trade and tourism
• Skill of migrants - Queens University attracts students from rest of NI and GB and produces high quality engineers + lawyers + medics
• The Troubles - sectarian conflict between Nationalists/Unionists = sharp social segregation, divided communities, less investment
• The Good Friday Agreement (1998) - peace agreement between political parties = economic dividend, investment + regeneration

Question 8

The Troubles in a nutshell

Answer 8

• Violent sectarian conflict (1960s to 1998)
• Protestant unionists/loyalists vs Catholic nationalists/republicans
• Street fighting, bombings, sniper attacks, roadblocks - characteristics of civil war
• 3600 people killed, >30,000 injured
• GFA in 1998 = power-sharing arrangement at Stormont (gov)

Question 9

Main things GFA involved

Answer 9

• Most people in NI want to remain part of UK, most people in ROI and some in NI want a united Ireland
• Devolved decision making to Stormont government - power-sharing arrangement between loyalist and republicans
• Demilitarisation
• Release of prisoners (428 by 2020)
• Equality for all groups in NI

Question 10

Lingering divides in Belfast?

Answer 10

• > 90% children attend schools largely segregated along religious lines
• 94% social housing segregated along religious lines
• Less than 10% marriages are Catholic/Protestant marriages

Question 11

Evidence that counters lingering divides?

Answer 11

• 2021 consensus increase in proportion of ‘Northern Irish’ identities (20%)
• Alliance Party 3rd largest in 2022 NI Assembly election

Question 12

Economic dividend in Belfast?

Answer 12

• Lower unemployment, economic growth since GFA
• BUT changes mirror rest of UK - might not be due to GFA
• NI lagging behind other regions of UK in FDI, fiscal deficit
• GFC 2008 + pandemic + Brexit = limits extent of economic gains felt since 1998

Question 13

Social dividend in Belfast?

Answer 13

• GFA = fewer deaths due to security situation
• Segregation still evident but falling - falling dissimilarity index score

Question 14

Belfast 2022 NI Assembly

Answer 14

• 2022 turnout marginally lower than 2017
• Sinn Fein (Republican) largest single party for first time
• Largest parties are still 2 of more extreme parties on either side (SF for Republican and DUP for Unionist)
• Significant growth of Alliance Party