“I remember my father pushing me to the side when the first bomb went off,” says Andy Rowan. And then chaos erupted around him. Rowan, now 61, was eleven years old at the time. He was in Dublin to help deliver goods when life changed him forever, he tells the German News Agency. It was 50 years ago, on the evening of May 17, 1974. Within a short period of time three car bombs exploded without warning in the center of the Irish capital bus strike, most people were on foot, more than usual.Another bomb exploded at 6:58pm in a white van in Monaghan, a town near the border with Northern Ireland.

Brexit makes peace difficult

33 people died on the spot, others were injured. Of these, 3 later succumbed to their injuries. It is the deadliest attack during the civil war in Northern Ireland, also known as the Troubles, which spread to the neighboring country, the Republic of Ireland. Responsibility was claimed much later by the Protestant paramilitary organization Ulster Volonteer Force. Although the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 ended the civil war, 50 years after the attacks in Dublin and Monaghan, the situation in Northern Ireland remains tense. A public “crucifixion” of a man – fixed to a fence with a nail in each hand – in the village of Bushmills in early May has a paramilitary background, police say. The “vicious attack” is a sign that the conflict is still smoldering, police officer Bobby Singleton told the BBC. But the consequences of Brexit have also slowed down the peace process. Although the EU’s external border runs through the center of Ireland, there are no controls. This is done on purpose. The fear that a “hard border” would cause further unrest is very great. But it also means that imports into Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK must be controlled. A scandal for the law-abiding who fear a break with Great Britain.

Hardliners on both sides often focus on a city whose name alone shows the country’s divisions. For people who want reunification with the neighboring Republic of Ireland, the majority of whom are Catholic, the city of 85,000 is called Derry. Londonderry, by her official name. Those who want to stay out call it Derry – Londonderry. In January 2019, a car bomb exploded. A few months later, journalist Lira McKee was shot and killed while trying to report on the riots. He was an accidental victim. The republican terrorist organization New IRA claimed responsibility. In 2021 there were riots by law-abiding paramilitary groups. Too often violence overshadows the political debate about reunification.

Will the reunion come?

If anyone asks in Dublin, they will learn that the Irish authorities are already preparing for X-day, even if it will still be late. Depending on who you ask, estimates range from 10 to 30 years. The country’s former prime minister Leo Varadkar was confident he could see reunification in his lifetime. He is 45 years old. To do this a referendum would have to be held in both parts of Ireland, as stipulated in the Good Friday Agreement. However, it is not yet clear when and under what conditions such a referendum will be held. The atmosphere between Dublin and London is currently bad. Because Great Britain by law and against the will of all Northern Irish parties erased the processing of crimes committed during the civil war, Ireland has appealed against it to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The conflict with more than 3,500 dead still preoccupies society. Around 39% of Northern Ireland’s population have experienced conflict-related trauma, while a further 39% meet the criteria for a mental health condition according to a University of Ulster study. Rates of mood, anxiety and substance use disorders, as well as addiction, are among the highest in the world.

Andy Rowan, who survived the bombings 50 years ago, was also a long-time heroin addict. He believes that his memories are very important. He even just published a poem about it, “One Long Lost Day.” Similar experiences are outlined in U2 songs. “Bad”, the song made famous by the Irish rock band at the Live Aid concert in 1985, is about Andy, whose family is part of singer Bono’s circle of friends. The bombings in Dublin and Monaghan have not been forgotten in art, they also feature in Roddy Doyle’s 2010 novel “The Dead Republic”. But the victims and grieving families are still waiting for many answers today. In 2003 an Irish inquiry criticized the premature closure of searches. The British government, for its part, has not released important documents. No charges were ever brought.

Editor: Irini Anastasopoulou