The following blog post was written by fellow UHPer and Spring 2025 SURE Award recipient, Blaze Grabowski (International Affairs and History, ’25). Read on about Blaze’s research and how he plans to utilize the SURE Award funding to further expand upon his experience!

I have been selected to present my research titled “Fragmented and Collective Memory: How a Fractured Northern Irish Society Partakes in Collective Memory of the Troubles” at the III Cracovian Congress of History Students, from May 8th to May 10th in Krakow, Poland. I am deeply thankful to Carol Siegelman and the SURE Award for granting me $1,000 in order to attend this congress. This funding has covered my airfare to Krakow as well as the Congress’ fee.

My submission examines the ways in which Northern Irish society has progressively formed a collective memory of the Troubles and past divisions. The Troubles were the climax of sectarian violence and rebellion in Northern Ireland between Catholic Republicans and Protestant Unionists. As institutions oppressed the Catholic minority, violence, terrorism, hunger strikes and protests from Republicans were met with similar force from Protestants, resulting in thirty years of crippling social division that would only be resolved by the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. I concluded that Northern Ireland’s collective memory was formed by fragmented groups across socio-political divisions, with each fragment’s contribution to physical memory through museums, statues, memorials, and murals culminating into a wider collective understanding. This broader, more encompassing memory is becoming more mainstream and universal as the society becomes less divided. The research examined primary source evidence from tangible forms of memory, such as murals, museums and memorials. Other primary source evidence such as newspaper articles and government publications were examined to understand the less tangible forms of memory. Finally, the research examined the historiographic debate about the meaning and implications of heritage on social memory in Northern Ireland.

This is an expansion upon my past studies, which I conducted throughout my time in Northern Ireland as a student in the Global Bachelor’s Program. There, I examined primary source evidence about the history of conflict in Northern Ireland, through visits to the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), museums throughout the country such as the Bloody Sunday Trust, and memorials and other forms of public memory of conflict. Throughout this time, I observed that Northern Ireland, although a fragmented place, has a collective memory of conflict. While individual communities have their own perspectives and memory of the Troubles, as Northern Ireland moves past the violent divisions of the past, society has developed a sense of common memory.

Researching collective memory in Northern Ireland is a critical historical and sociological study into the region’s future. It examines how communities progress beyond historical divisions and war, especially with strong reconciliation processes. The theme of the Cracovian Congress is Rebellions, Uprisings and Revolutions, an excellent environment for me to present my specific research. Through this congress, I will also augment my knowledge of rebellions, uprisings and revolutions, hopefully providing insights for how to further expand my research on Northern Ireland.

Interested in applying for your own SURE Award funding? Find out more about the application process here!