Northern Ireland’s Enduring Problem With Sectarian Violence

Bad faith actors are exploiting the vulnerabilities of a society scarred by violent disorder and racism to incite hate against new ‘others’, writes Emma DeSouza

More than 30 women and girls have died violently at the hands of men in Northern Ireland since 2020. There were no protests for Natalie McNally, Sarah Montgomery, Ellie Flanagan, or any of the other victims. No rage at the brutality of their murders.

It was a very different story following the violent assault on 44-year-old Stephen Ogilvie in Belfast this month, which resulted in him losing an eye and sustaining serious knife wounds. Hadi Alodid, a Sudanese man, has been charged with his attempted murder. Three people intervened including Maitiu Mag Tighearnan, most likely saving Ogilvie’s life.

Nearly a decade earlier, Lurgan man David Lyness murdered Anita Downey, a mother of three – she suffered a wound to her neck so severe that it extended to the back of her spine. Men did not take to the streets for her, because this isn’t about any victim or community – it is about bold-faced racism.