On our second day in Belfast we took a political tour to enhance our education and understanding of the troubles in Northern Ireland. The troubles was a period of violence in Northern Ireland that lasted from the late 1960’s until the ceasefire was signed by the IRA in 1994 and the Good Friday Agreement was reached in 1998. The conflict was centered on whether Northern Ireland would remain part of the United Kingdom or join the Republic of Ireland and was rooted in centuries of conflict between Protestant England and Catholic Ireland. Car bombings, shootings, riots and revenge killings were call common forms of violence during the troubles. To this day, many Catholics and Protestants continue to live separate lives and several neighborhoods remain physically divided.
Falls Road is a Nationalist and Republican area. Murals in this area express political events that the republicans view as injustices: racism, bigotry, war.
The guides on the walking tour are ex-combatants with first hand experience of the troubles, and we got to hear the stories from both sides of the conflict.
The ‘peace walls’ were built between the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods in an attempt to quell violence.
In start opposition to the Catholic Falls Road, Shankill Road is a predominantly Loyalist and Unionist area.
Most of the murals incorporate union flags and honour the British royal family.
There are numerous memorials along Shankill Road for victims of IRA attacks.
We then had a huge pub lunch at McHugh’s, one of the oldest intact buildings in Belfast.
Despite visiting the Titanic museum in Cobh, several people recommended the larger one here in Belfast. It was very well done with multiple rooms and exhibits and various forms of multimedia (including a Disneyland-style ride!).
Along the river walk is a Game of Thrones stained glass window series. If you’re a GoT fan you’ll recognize the characters in there.
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