FYI: Northern Ireland's Peace lines

Now I can't say I know a lot about the troubles that happened in Northern Ireland, I only know the general stuff, but why are these "peace walls" possibility the best example of irony ever?

Yesterday I went along Shankill road(Protestants) and Falls road (Catholics) to look at the murals, but when we  (4 foreign housemates and I) went to the peacewall in between to look at the murals there and we were getting odd stares, and one driver was annoyed enough to shout obscenities as he passed by.

That place had a general uneasiness about it, which was weird considering the other murals even have a tourist route through them all and are advertised around pretty openly. Sure, the troubles are in the back of everyone's mind there 20 years ago, but I thought it would have neen more progressive since then. Kiyo/Magos, other northerners and anyone with a tad more experience there than I would be nice to explain why, or just generally talk about it.

Also, not sure if Serious so I've plonked it here, but I would appreciate a more serious discussion here than regular Flood.