The recent events in Derry have been disconcerting to watch. Trying to make sense of it isn’t easy but Allison Morris in today’s Irish News really strikes a chord.
She says on the link between Brexit and this bombing;
The bomb in Derry should instead act as a reminder that there are those on our island who will never be in favour of the peace process. Rather than look to the Brexit referendum as a reason for this, it would be much more accurate to look closer to home at the failure of local politics.
Morris goes on to highlight why this is prevalent in the North-West;
Derry remains the last stronghold of the organisation, which was blamed for helping orchestrate sectarian violence in the city during the summer months.
They have also been recruiting young men in the North West, aided in this venture by the lack of a peace dividend for places like Derry and Strabane that remain lacking in basic infrastructure and investment.
Socially disadvantaged young men and women will always be susceptible to the ‘romanticised’ lure of organisations that claim to be keeping the ‘struggle’ alive.
But of course the real cost of this is;
Young people being used as cannon fodder to elevate the egos and finances of those wise enough to realise but not care that a once a year bomb in a city centre achieves nothing other than headlines.
David McCann holds a PhD in North-South relations from University of Ulster. You can follow him on twitter @dmcbfs