galmc2Report

Before I commence I should acknowledge that whatever comments I make are based on an obviously limited exposure to these interesting cities.

We’ve been to many places in our travels which have histories that are intertwined with conflict and violence. Columbia, Uganda, Vietnam, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and now Northern Ireland, specifically Belfast and Derry/London-Derry.

As outsiders, during our time here in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, we’ve been curious about the perspective that locals have on “The Troubles” and what should happen now.

In Dublin on our pub tour we broached the topic of “what next” for the island with our guide. His perspective was that, given the same political party (Sinn Féin) has a large presence in both Northern Ireland and the Republic, it was just a matter of time until the island was unified. He believed that the economic and cultural ties that exist with the USA would keep it economically stable.

Here in Belfast we took a local walking tour of the city and got our guides’ perspective. His view was Belfast was a prospering city that has one foot in the UK and another in Europe, and why does anything need to change?

Then we wander over to West Belfast in search of the Peace Wall and see so many memorials, murals, and remnants of the violence that occurred in this city. We see the barrier that was erected to keep groups apart. We also see locals going about their daily routine (including a lovely gent with relatives in Coquitlam) while also noting that this is not a place to be after dark.

We then visit the eastern shore of the city, with lovely new harbour side developments that accentuate the Titanic Belfast museum (which was really interesting to visit). We visit a local bar and chat with the bartender and his friends to get their perspectives. We hear how the historical issues still matter to some, but to others (such as themselves), they perhaps no longer carry the same import as they once did. We do learn though that it is better to say we are in “the north of Ireland” as opposed to saying we are in “Northern Ireland”

Now we are on the North Coast in Portrush, enjoying this lovely spot and marvelling, as we have in so many places, at the beauty of this island. We hope that whatever path is followed here, that it is one of kindness and hope. This beautiful island has seen enough troubles.

Postscript: we took the train today to visit Derry/London-Derry. If you’re a unionist it’s Derry. If you’re a Loyalist it’s London-Derry. The city is right on the current border, and from all the monuments and murals here it’s evident that bad things happened here. But where Belfast had a feel that it was a religious-based conflict, here the feel (at least for us), was a conflict between British troops and the IRA.