Abstract

The Troubles have spread heartbreak and misery across Northern Ireland, mainland Britain, and Europe for 50 years, claiming the lives of thousands and victimizing tens of thousands. With each death, physical, and psychological injury there are stories of a father, son, brother, sister, daughter, and mother. Human security encapsulates the lives of these people and examines their experiences front and center, and for the first time this sentiment will be adopted in an academic paper to analyze casualty counting in Northern Ireland. This study demonstrates that the Northern Irish Troubles are not just suitable for casualty recording but are also in desperate need of it, as current casualty recording facilities are inadequate in tackling victimization and providing closure to grief-stricken families. This paper analyzes the theoretical aspects of casualty counting and inspects human rights laws in Northern Ireland, seeking to remedy current issues of victim hierarchies in database inclusions, incomplete timelines, and limited accessibility to records, in order to provide Troubles victims with the recognition and answers they yearn for. The overarching theme of this study is that effective casualty recording is a steppingstone to bridging the community divide in Northern Ireland, bringing accountability and ultimately ending the war.