Former Enemies Become Friends: A Story of Reconciliation in Northern Ireland

The idea of enemies turning into friends is not new, but when it involves individuals who were once on opposite sides of a violent and deadly conflict, it’s a remarkable story. Such is the case of a former IRA member, a UVF ex-prisoner, and a retired British soldier who became friends and decided to celebrate their camaraderie in a unique way: by getting married, and inviting each other to their respective weddings. With their unexpected bond, these former enemies are breaking down barriers and challenging stereotypes. Read on to learn more about this remarkable story of friendship and reconciliation.


Jim Potts, a loyalist ex-prisoner from the Shankill Road in Belfast, admits that he would not have spoken to a Catholic thirty years ago. However, today he has many contacts from the Catholic community whom he considers to be friends. Potts’ transformation reflects a wider change in Northern Ireland, where the 1998 Good Friday Agreement brought an end to the conflict known as the Troubles, which began in the late 1960s. Potts, along with ex-IRA prisoner Michael Culbert and former British Army soldier Lee Lavis, are part of a long-running reconciliation project aimed at fostering cross-community links.
Potts, who became a “hate figure for Catholics” during the Holy Cross School dispute in 2001, has become a spokesperson for the loyalist community. He highlights that although there has been an “enormous change” since the Good Friday Agreement, large parts of both sides remain happy to live within their own communities. Potts believes that working-class communities were most affected by the Troubles.
Culbert, who joined the IRA in the early 1970s, served 16 years of a life sentence. He is now director of Coiste na nIarchimí, a group set up in 1998 to support republican ex-prisoners and their families. He is also an advocate for the peace process, believing that the British military no longer stationed in the streets and there is a general acceptance of the necessity for a policing service.
Lavis, who is known as “Mickey Culbert’s mate” when he drinks in a local GAA club on the Falls Road, is respectful when it comes to entering bars where he may not be welcomed. He has joined Culbert and Potts in giving talks on the cross-community project.
The men might have different views about the future of Northern Ireland, but their genuine friendship highlights the possibility for reconciliation in what was once a deeply divided society. The cross-community project that brought them together at the republican museum, which has been funded in part by “peace monies,” seeks to promote ongoing conversation and healing between different communities in Northern Ireland. These conversations will be all the more important as the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement approaches.