29 June 2024 Belfast and The Troubles

 29 June 2024              Belfast and The Troubles

 This morning we set out to explore Belfast’s turbulent history and culture as a native.  We were divided into small groups with each group traveling in Belfast’s famous black cabs.  During the period of the Troubles in the 1970s, public bus service was discontinued in the Catholic neighborhoods of West Belfast.  These taxi drivers stepped in to offer their transportation services.  Today both Protestants and Catholics drive these vehicles.  Our driver will act as our guide and give us his perspective on this politically and religiously turbulent time – a wrong turn and you could find yourself crossing over the dividing line between Catholics and Protestants – and his views on how these conflicts still cast a shadow over Belfast today.

 During the 1970s Belfast was a war zone with fighting between the militant faction of the Nationalists (Catholics) and the Unionists (Protestants).  Bombings, shootings and other acts of terror were a common practice by the IRA in their quest to pressure the British government into recognizing Irish sovereignty over Northern Ireland.  In the meantime, loyalists to the British crown unleashed their own brand of terror on the Catholic population of Belfast.  For 30 years this fighting rocked Belfast, resulting in over 3,500 people (civilians and combatants) killed and more than 47,000 wounded.  All the while, the British soldiers patrolled the streets trying to keep peace between the two religious groups, although they themselves were also responsible for some of the deaths.

 

Liam - Our Taxi Driver

Our taxi driver was named Liam and he is a Catholic.  His family was directly affected by the Troubles – his oldest brother participated in a hunger strike while in prison while another brother (only 15 years old) was killed in his home by members of the Pro Irish Republicans.  Liam was also a bus driver until the service was cancelled in the Catholic area and then he became a black-car taxi driver.

 

Our first stop was to the area in the Catholic sector where the first two people were killed on 15 August 1969 that started the Troubles.  They were 2 boys – a 20 year old British soldier home on leave to visit his parents and a 9 year old boy who was also in his home.  They were killed when members of the local R.U.C (Royal Ulster Constabulary), the police force in Northern Ireland, fired into their homes.  Today there is a mural on a building in the area the 2 boys lived in dedicated to their lives.  There is also a memorial to the children of Gaza who have been either killed or affected by the conflict there.  As we are learning, Belfast is a strong supporter of the Palestinians.

Mural to the 2 Boys Who Were Killed

Memorial to the Children of Gaza

 

We then stopped at a large mural on the Catholic side of the wall that originally had been covered with paintings depicting the Pro-Irish heroes and those who were killed.  However, today, because of the conflict between Israel and Palestine, the mural has been repainted in support of the Palestinians, although there were a few murals from the Troubles conflict. 

Mural to 3 of the Pro-Irish Leaders

Mural to the Hunger Strike Victims

 

Mural to Gaza Victims

Mural to Gaza Victims

Sinn Fein Headquarters

Our next stop (after driving past the Sinn Fein Headquarters) was to Clonard Monastery, which straddles both sides of the Troubles conflict.  It was here in 1998 that meetings between Irish and British leaders, chaired by President Clinton and George Michael, led to the signing of the Good Friday Peace Agreement.  The monastery is still active today and is run by the Redemptorists religious order.  Founded in Italy to help the neglected country people around Naples, it is an order for the pontifical right for men (priests and brothers) and is dedicated to missionary work in more than 100 countries.  The inside of the church is absolutely beautiful with one of the prettiest organs I have seen.  We also saw the room where the peace talks were held.

Clonard Monastery

Inside the Monastery

High Altar of the Monastery

Organ of the Monastery

Room (far wall) Where Peace Talks were Held

We then drove to the protestant side through the gate of the wall that still separates the two sides.  The gates are closed each evening at 8 PM and reopen at 7 AM.  However, there are other ways to get in and out of both sides in this area.  On the protestant side of the wall is the Peace Mural and visitors are encouraged to leave words of encouragement and peace.

Part of Wall Dividing the Two Sections of City

Gate in the Wall

Peace Mural on Protestant Side

Peace Mural

We Both Signed the Peace Mural

At the end of our tour, we re-united with the rest of our group at the Felons Club.  This was a meeting place for Irish Republicans who had been imprisoned for their political or militant activities.  To achieve full membership, you must have been a former prisoner, although honorary membership has been given to other famous revolutionaries like Nelson Mandela.

Here we had the chance to talk with two opposing individuals who had fought in The Troubles – a Republican (Catholic) who fought for independence and loyalist (Protestant) who fought to remain British, and a former British army soldier.  The fact that these two individuals are now able to gather together and talk about their experiences – the dark deeds they did, their prison experience, and their hope for the future – shows how far Belfast has come since those terrible dark days. 

 It was a very interesting discussion with these 3 individuals.  They all gave their reasons for the actions they took during the troubles.  However, they could not speak directly about what specific actions they participated in as they were never charged (although they did go to prison) and still could be arrested.  The Republican spoke of the policy of the British to arrest men they thought were involved in the unrest and throw them in prison with charging them or giving them their day in court.  They also refused to classify them as political prisoners, which lead to hunger strikes among the prisoners and the deaths of 10 of them.  The most import one was Bobby Sands who started a hunger strike in 1981 after British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher reneged on a previous decision to classify these men as political prisoners.  While on the hunger strike in prison, a unique opportunity arose for him to run in an election for a member of Parliament from his sector.  In a surprising twist of fate (especially for the Pro-British) he won.  A month later, in the 88^th day of his hunger strike he died.  After these deaths, Margaret Thatcher was forced to concede some concessions to the prisoners.  It was very apparent this gentleman who spoke did not have kind words or thoughts of Margaret Thatcher.

 It was also interesting to see what they have done with their lives since the end of the Troubles.  One (the British soldier) became addicted to heroin and was homeless for a while, before rehabbing and going to college where he eventually got his PhD and now teaches in a college.  Another found work in Community Development and is helping to foster better relationships between the people, especially the young people of today.  The other man has also devoted much of his time working with the young people of today.

Bust of Bobby Sands

The Felon Club

Crafts Made by the Felons in Prison

Two of the Gentlemen that Spoke --
The Pro-Irish (left) and Ex British Soldier
(right). The other man had to leave

 

This was an eye-opening day.  I always had the impression that the IRA (an arm of the Pro-Irish Republicans) were the cause of all the killings and bombings in Northern Ireland.  While they are certainly not lily-white, neither were the Pro-British and the British soldiers sent to keep the peace.  Both sides share the blame for all the killings, bombings, and burning of homes and businesses.  But in the last 25 years, Belfast has made extraordinary strides in keeping the peace.  They still have a ways to go, however, especially in their education system.  It is still mainly segregated with Catholic schools in the Catholic sector and public (but protestant) schools in the other half of the city.  Perhaps one day they will find a way to integrate.

 

Will Northern Ireland ever become part of the Republic of Ireland?  That is still a very good question.  Most of the men we talked to today think it will, but maybe not in the very near future.  In recent years, the politics have changed a bit as the number of protestants and immigrants have increased.  Today the Prime Minister, a woman, is a member of the Pro-Irish Nationalist party.  The men we talked to today think that this younger generation won’t be thinking about religion as they decide how to vote, but what will be best for them economically.  Brexit has not been kind to Northern Ireland, and that may well be the turning point for this younger generation.  But all agree – it will be economics and not religion that will determine Northern Ireland’s future.

 After returning to our hotel, Bill and I had lunch and then walked across the street to the City Hall.  As we arrived, there was a large pro-Palestinian rally/protest going on in the street in front of city hall.  The Hall itself is a magnificent building with statues located throughout the green lawn that encircles the building.  And the inside is even more spectacular (as the pictures below will show).  They have an exhibition on the history of Belfast that is open to the public, so Bill and I took a little stroll down history lane, refreshing what we had already learned about Belfast.

Pro-Palestine Protest

Belfast City Hall

Dome Ceiling

Staircase

Stained Glass Window of Dock Strike

Famine Stained Glass Window

Lobby of the City Hall

Stained Glass Window Dedicated to
British Soldiers

Stained Glass Window Dedicated to
Irish soldiers

 

Robe Once Worn by Lord Mayor of Belfast

Wardrobe the was to be on the Titanic - Drawing of 
Room behind the Wardrobe was a First Class Cabin

On one side of the City Hall is the Titanic Memorial Garden. dedicated in 1920 as a remembrance of the 1,512 people who died when the Titanic sank in 1912.  It consists of two levels – and upper level of 15 bronze plaques containing the names in alphabetical order (known as the Belfast List) of all who died and a lower level with a grassed terrace surrounding the marble monument.  The Belfast List is the first time that all the people who died (including the crew, entertainers, postal workers, and musicians) have been recorded on one monument.  The monument is a statue of a female figure (either Death or Fate) who is looking down at 2 sea nymphs holding the body of a drowned sailor in their arms.  The garden’s color scheme consists of white, silver, blue, and green foliage, flowers, and bark.  The colors reflect the colors of water and ice and project a feeling of relative peace and rest.

Titanic Memorial - List of Victims

Titanic Memorial-Marble Statue

Grounds Around the Titanic Statue

Statue Dedicated to the Soldiers of
the Royal Irish Rifles

Grounds Around City Hall

Grounds Around City Hall

City Hall

 

Later in the afternoon we walked over to the Grand Central Hotel which has a bar on the 23^rd floor with great views of the city.  There we enjoyed both the views and a glass of wine.  We then walked back to our hotel and went to The Loft, a bar located on the 7^th floor.  It also had a wonderful view of City Hall.  There we had several glasses of wine, some little bar snacks (that became dinner), helped a group of 5 ladies celebrate their 50^th birthdays (oh to be that young again), and spent some time talking with our server, a young girl from Poland.  It was a very enjoyable evening.  

View of City from Grand Central Hotel

View of City Hall from the Loft in our Hotel

 

 

Tomorrow is a free day with nothing planned so we will sleep in, get caught up on laundry, and I will continue to work on my pictures and blogs.  But Monday will be an exciting day as we travel along the Atrium coast to the Giant Causeway.  More on that in Monday’s Blog.