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North Belfast: aperta per tre mesi la peaceline in Alexandra Park

‘Peace gate’ opened in Belfast park

A gate in a peace wall which has divided a north Belfast park for 15 years has opened for a three month period, with hopes that it will signal the start of a shared future in the area.

Alexandra Park, North BelfastSchoolchildren from both sides of the community cut the ribbon in Alexandra Park, which is thought to be the only park in western Europe with a three-metre-high fence.

For long-time resident Kathleen Hales it was an emotional moment.

“It’s just bringing back childhood memories, walking through the gate. I think it’s a great event – it should have been done a lot earlier,” she said.

Local resident Agnes Junk said she hopes this is the start of a long process of reconciliation in the area.

“It’s long overdue. We’re delighted to see the gate open at long last. Maybe in the next lots of years we’ll see the wall coming down.”

The Alexandra Park Steering Group initiated the opening of the gate, as regeneration work being carried out in the area.

The group’s representative Sammy Cochrane described the development as hugely significant.

“Kids today didn’t realise it was one park, they thought it was two parks and it has just finalised what people have always wanted. It was one park.”

“Opening the gate today may be small in one sense but it was hugely symbolic – not just for this part of Belfast but for Northern Ireland.

“It says we are serious about removing barriers, it says building relationships is more important than building walls and it says this is the way we build a shared future,” he said.

Justice Minister David Ford, who opened the gate on Friday morning, said he hoped the gate could be opened on a more permanent basis.

He also revealed that progress is being made on opening another inferface barrier at the junction of Newington Street and the Limestone Road.

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René Querin

Di professione grafico e web designer, sono appassionato di trekking e innamorato dell'Irlanda e della sua storia. Insieme ad Andrea Varacalli ho creato e gestisco Les Enfants Terribles.

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