The Phantom Border

Ireland’s border with Northern Ireland no longer exists—or does it? Its physical manifestations—the customs posts, anxious soldiers, barbed wire—are long gone, but it lives on in the hearts of borderers. So much has changed, north and south, yet memories live on. What is it like to live along this line that separates the UK and Europe, an area that is generally open and tolerant but fraught with the baggage of a bloody history? I have returned to the border where I grew up, to understand the hopes and fears of those who live in this liminal place—both as a personal journey and research for my forthcoming book.