Memories of traumatic events and/or circumstances from their formative years greatly influenced the political visions of Irish singer-songwriters Sinéad O’Connor, Paul “Bono” Hewson of U2, and Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy. Consequently, both novels deserve attention as powerful critiques of nationalist geopolitics and of skewed images of the past in the tribal narratives perpetuated not only before but also after the Belfast Agreement of 1998. The general claim in this essay is that both Milkman and For the Good Times contribute to a 'redemarcation' of cultural memory not only in Northern Ireland but also in other post-tribal societies, wherever it is necessary to challenge nationalist or ethno-sectarian narratives about the past and offer alternative histories, inclusive of transcultural, pluralist discourses. Thus they yield to a reading inspired by Astrid Erll's notion of transcultural memory, highlighting tensions and boundaries within the nationalist community.
Crucially, both novels address-and discursively perform-the conjunction of memory and borders/divisions. Also, For the Good Times (2019) by David Keenan, set in Seventies Ardoyne, relies for its significance on historical and geopolitical references and allusions.
Although it is never explicitly named in Milkman (2018) by Anna Burns, her hometown features prominently as a crucial signifier throughout the novel. Recent works of fiction set in Northern Ireland continue to be preoccupied with the Northern Ireland conflict (the Troubles).
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