Reparation: a new dawn or a false start in Northern Ireland?

Abstract

Previous work on the ‘troubled mind of Northern Ireland’ highlighted the effects of the omnipresence of hostility and paranoia in a society exposed to over 30 years of violence. The manifestation of destructiveness has been described using Kleinian theory. This paper presents a new analysis of the state of mind of Northern Ireland following the peace process. The paper suggests, that in Kleinian terminology, Northern Ireland has glimpsed the benefits of the depressive position but much more work needs to be done to make sure we do not regress to the familiar violent experiences of the past.