Hands Across the Divide

Hands Across the Divide is a sculpture erected in the city of Derry (also known as Londonderry), in Carlisle Square… It depicts two men reaching out their hands to each other, but not touching each other… A strong symbol, which reflects here all the complexity of the conflict in Northern Ireland, opposing the Republicans to the Loyalists…

Visit Hands Across the Divide

A strong symbol, representing the extent of the conflict in Northern Ireland

The Hands Across the Divide monument was created in 1991, by Maurice Harrron, an eminent sculptor from Derry itself… His wish was indeed to represent the conflict, a conflict which is cruelly raging in the city of Derry through attacks and assassinations perpetrated by each side since the 1960s…

The monument is located in Carlisle Square, in the city of Derry… Easily accessible, the monument is situated on an artificial promontory made of concrete and stone… On each side, two walls rising more than 2 meters high together form a circle that unites the two bronze male statues, reaching out their hands to each other, above the void… The 2 men thus seem to be separated by a gigantic ditch, preventing each of them from crossing the step towards the other… A way of signifying here all the difficulty of a reconciliation and the blockage in which the 2 camps (the Republicans and the Loyalists) have locked themselves up…

Nowadays, and despite the signing of the Good Friday Agreements (August 10, 1998), this monument still resounds in people’s minds? While the Peace Process is in progress, this monument still perfectly illustrates the difficulties of a harmony between 2 camps in every point of opposition that seek to co-exist in peace…