Ambushed by Memory: Post-Conflict Popular Memorialisation in Northern Ireland

The purpose of this article is to examine the issue of public memorialization from the position of victimized and often marginalized groups who struggle from below for the acknowledgement of their experiences and the right to articulate them publicly. Initially, it critiques the state’s top-down role in the creation and propagation of collective memory and its consequent role in memorialization. It then considers a range of public memorials which are organized on a more bottom-up basis, including counter memorials, stumble stones and shrines. Finally, it considers one case study in depth, the phenomenon of memorial plaques in working-class areas of Belfast in memory of victims of the 30-year-long political conflict.