Poster #145 - Legacy of Conflict in Belfast: The Troubles and the Politics of Memory

• In Event: ASC Poster Session I

Abstract

This research explores the intersections of dark tourism and ghost criminology in the context of post-conflict Belfast, Northern Ireland, focusing on how the legacy of the Troubles (1960s–1998) is preserved, interpreted, and commodified. The study examines how narratives of violence, trauma, and political identity are embedded within the city’s tourism landscape. Through analysis of political murals, memorials, guided conflict tours, and sites of historical unrest, this work considers how memory is curated and consumed by both locals and tourists. Drawing on the framework of ghost criminology, the project investigates how the "specters" of unresolved harm, state violence, and contested histories continue to haunt the physical and social spaces of Belfast. These ghostly presences manifest not only in the stories told by tour guides and visual symbolism of the murals but also the silences, omissions, and emotional resonances that shape visitors’ experiences. Ultimately, this research probes the politics of memory and the role of tourism in mediating collective trauma.

Authors

• Abigail Michayla Sandala, Arcadia University

• Favian Martín, Arcadia University