Migration in childhood and its impact on national identity construction among migrants from Northern Ireland

While there is currently only a tiny literature available on Northern Ireland migration,nothing at all has as yet been published relating to the subject of the province’s childmigrants. This paper focuses on the migration experiences of individuals who migratedas children to and from Northern Ireland, based on interview narratives collectedduring the course of two studies on contemporary migration from Ireland, North andSouth, conducted from 2004 to 2008. In all cases, these experiences triggered identityissues for the individuals which have played out subsequently in their lives in differentways. In particular, the author seeks to understand how the memory of these eventscontinues to construct present realities for these individuals. What awareness did thesechildren have of sectarianism, of the Northern Ireland conflict? What was theirreception in the host country and upon return to Northern Ireland? How have theseexperiences contributed to their identities in the present and their sense of belonging toIreland, North and South?