Slow Memory and the challenge of the past in Northern Ireland | Seminar with Chris Reynolds

 The seminar will take place online, 10 February at 9:30am CET.
 Please register in order to participate:
https://uw-edu-pl.zoom.us/.../T-fKkcIcQpyaeOgcP9B-RA...

This paper examines the challenge of “legacy” within the Northern Irish Peace Process, highlighting its sensitivity and the impasse it continues to generate. More than twenty-five years after the Good Friday Agreement, Northern Ireland has achieved significant progress, yet deep divisions remain over how to address the past. The widespread political and public opposition to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s 2023 proposals - particularly an amnesty intended to “draw a line” under the Troubles - revealed how inadequate fast, expedient approaches to legacy are in a society still negotiating contested memories and demands for justice. The paper argues that current deadlock stems from attempts to manage legacy through what can be understood as ‘fast memory’: strategies seeking quick closure or simplified narratives. It proposes Slow Memory as a more constructive framework, one that embraces slowness, inclusivity, and attentiveness to diverse experiences of the Troubles. Such an approach, it contends, offers a more sustainable pathway for transforming legacy from an obstacle into a resource for long-term peace.

Chris Reynolds is Professor of Contemporary European History and Memory Studies at Nottingham Trent University. His research encompasses a wide range of topics, with a particular emphasis on Oral History and Memory Studies. His early research focused on France, specialising in the events of May-June 1968 and the evolving relationship between France and the European Union. In recent years, Chris has broadened his scope to include diverse projects grounded in his methodological and theoretical interests with a particular focus on “legacy” issues as part of the Northern Ireland Peace Process.