The centenary of the founding of Northern Ireland is to be marked on Monday – albeit overshadowed by political turmoil and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Eight figures from Northern Ireland reflect on a contested centenary and the nuances of identity.
‘I would identify as Irish’
Jenn Murray, 35, is an actor from Belfast who has appeared in Brooklyn, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.
I’ve been reluctant to talk about identity but as I’ve got older I’ve realised you can. So, I feel proud to be from Northern Ireland. I would identify as Irish.
It’s a place where people are incredibly soulful and multifaceted. The education system is fantastic and there’s a fantastic sense of humour.
There’s also underlying resilience that people from Northern Ireland have, and you don’t realise that that exists until you go somewhere else.
When I went to drama school in Dublin and was auditioning, the feedback I would get sometimes was that “she’s not really Irish enough” and then when I moved to London, the feedback was sometimes: “She doesn’t…
