Paper short abstract:

This paper will discuss time, memory, and identity as agents producing and shaping space in contemporary Northern Ireland. The 'walking interview' will be examined as a method in practice, exploring how the connection between memory and place illustrate Lefebvre's idea of space as a social product.

Paper long abstract:

For Henri Lefebvre, the centre of a city defines both social centrality and the peripheries of exclusion. The grounds of Belfast City Hall are often considered by the Nationalist minority in Northern Ireland to be under Unionist hegemony. In 1993, during the first major Nationalist event permitted in Belfast city centre, Gerry Adams proclaimed, 'you have the right to your city, the right to your city hall' (Irish News, 9 Aug 1993).

This paper will consider time, memory, and identity as agents producing and shaping space in Northern Ireland twelve years after the signing of the Agreement that marked an end to decades of violence known as the Troubles. The focus on integrating society and dismantling the physical barriers left by the conflict means that the legacy of violence and the sustained psychological barriers are often neglected.

To address these issues, I will employ the 'walking interview' (also called a 'go-along' or a 'walking probe') as a method, whereby informants are asked to discuss any memories from the past associated with particular places as well as current associations with those places. Particularly in a society where many people live with memories of a volatile history, considering how people act and react within spaces significant to their lives is important. This method conducts interviews in situ, highlighting the connection between memory and place. By examining the method in practice, this paper will evaluate the effectiveness of the walking interview and how it contributes to understanding how space is produced, mapped, and practised in a post-conflict society.