Barney O'Hagan

Former Councillor
Derry City Council
Focus Area(s)
Elections
Critical Tasks
Election security
Interviewers
Michael Scharff
Country of Reform
Northern Ireland
Town/City
Derry City, Northern Ireland
Date of Interview
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Abstract

Barney O’Hagan discusses his role as a politician and community leader in Derry, Northern Ireland, in particular his involvement in and reflections about the first peaceful elections witnessed in Derry in memory. He describes the idea of removing police presence from the polling stations as integral to ending election-related violence. O'Hagan highlights the role of Sinn Fein, the political party with which he is affiliated, but he also describes encouraging local, a-political leaders to to promote the removal of police personnel from polling stations in order to give the proposal greater legitimacy. O'Hagan's account of the history of The Troubles in Northern Ireland and the evolution of the situation in Derry, particularly following the Good Friday Peace Agreement, provides context within which dampening election violence can be studied.

Case Study: Breaking the Cycle of Violence: Elections in Northern Ireland, 2005

Full Interview

103 MB
Barney O'Hagan Interview
Profile

Barney O’Hagan is a former councillor from Derry, Ireland with the Sinn Fein political party.  O'Hagan was first elected in 1998, soon after his release from prison.  His release was prompted by the signing of the Good Friday Peace Agreement.

Keywords
Northern Ireland
Derry
Londonderry
Election Violence
election security
Sinn Fein
unionist
Republican
loyalist
Not specified