IRELAND - UK

Hard border, peace deal fears in Ireland as Brexit talks risk collapse

People across Northern Ireland voted by a significant majority to stay in the European Union during the Brexit referendum, and part of this was due to fears about a return to a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. The hard won peace deal brought about the Good Friday Agreement exactly 20 years ago in 1998 brought down the contentious border and now people pass freely with no checkpoints or soldiers. The peace process, in which the European Union played an important role, also brought prosperity and a future to the people of Northern Ireland. The ongoing Brexit debate has served as a reminder that the border is not just about customs or economics, but about identity -- being Irish or being British -- and memories of the dark times during ‘The Troubles’.