Inside Story

Is peace at risk in Northern Ireland?

Pro-British loyalists have been rioting every day for a week, angry about post-Brexit issues.

The 1998 Good Friday Agreement brought peace to Northern Ireland – but the issues that divided the region have not gone away.

And now, in the aftermath of the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, the situation has worsened and threatens to derail that agreement.

Pro-British loyalists say the post-Brexit trade agreements threaten Northern Ireland’s place in the UK, while Irish nationalists accuse them of using the issue to stoke trouble.

Dozens of police officers have been hurt in a week of riots, prompting regional and international governments to appeal for calm.

So, can the tension be contained?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra

Guests:

Julie-Anne Corr-Johnston – Political commentator and former Belfast city councillor

Donnacha O Beachain – Professor at the School of Law and Government at Dublin City University, author of From Partition to Brexit: The Irish Government and Northern Ireland

Brian Feeney – Political columnist for The Irish News and former Social Democratic Labour Party politician