Tracing Northern Lines

This weekend our sponsor program carted all of us up to Northern Ireland for four jam-packed days. Northern Ireland is a place of beauty and adventure, of vibrant and proud culture; however, it is also a place of shadow secrets and of heady, sticky history. All of its unique elements braid together into a kind of nation all its own, and we were privileged to be able to visit and witness this crucial section of the island of Ireland.

The first half of the trip was spent rolling along the sparkling Northern coast, named the Antrim Coast. No moment of life is wasted when one breathes the fresh air of green Ireland and feels the brisk salty wind whipping against your skin and hair. 

We arrived at the area called Carrick-a-Rede, famous for its small island that was originally used by salmon fishers. Over the years, the rope bridge that links the mainland to the island has been preserved (and, much to our relief, reinforced). We were told going across the bridge was a must-do for the coastal drive across the Northern coast, so of course, we went for it! Although I am not afraid of heights, I will say that high winds and crashing white capped waves against the cliff walls below was a fright to see.

My friend Hannah walks in front of me down towards Carrick-a-Rede

The view at 98 feet above the sea!

Brittney said I was “shaking the bridge” when we crossed because was running behind her. Pshhh, yeah right. ;)

Next we moved along to the main sight nearby called the Giant’s Causeway. This is a field of basalt rock formations on the coastline that occur in naturally-formed hexagonal columns. In mass, these steps do indeed seem like the causeway of some ancient Celtic giant of lore.

The crashing waves themselves were almost just as impressive of a natural phenomenon. They lend an ephemeral layer of sea foam to the stoic stacks of rock; combined with the wind, this slick layer can make standing…… difficult.

Definitely one of the best and most breathtaking places I’ve been to so far in Ireland. (Mom, if you’re reading this, your ‘snoo’ was spectacular in protecting against the cold wind!)

The second half of the weekend was spent winding through the streets of Belfast uncovering its cryptic history. Only by study has my generation discovered what happened in Belfast in the 70s and 80s. I have been reading about the clashes between Free State and IRA, between North and South, between Protestant and Catholic, between Loyalists and Republicans. The destruction that escalated within the last 100 years was horrendous, based mostly around the disagreement between becoming an independent nation and staying loyal to the Crown of England. Civil war occurred in clashes between the Republicans and the British Crown, such as the Easter Rising of 1916 in Dublin. The vote to accept the Treaty in 1922 by Daíl partitioned Ireland, for the six counties in Ulster remained part of the UK as Northern Ireland, while the remaining 26 southern counties became the Republic of Ireland. Continuing tensions between the two sides throughout the years culminated in bombings and executions (such as Bloody Sunday) that left Belfast no longer a booming industrial city but a warzone. 

A little more colorful cab that I was in for the Black Taxi Tour

Though officially dissolved by the peace treaty in the last 30 years, our local drivers insinuated that the war was really only in a state of abeyance. Evidence of past propaganda for one side or the other litters the city, often in painted murals on the side of houses and in memorials to those killed in the Troubles. Additionally, some neighborhoods are still exclusively segregated. Gates close and are locked at night to keep Catholic from mixing with Protestant and vice versa. A so-called “peace wall” extends for more than two miles separating some neighborhoods. On it thousands have signed their names; celebrities have come to leave their marks begging for peace. When we asked our driver of our Black Taxi Tour through the city why the wall still existed, he said that people wanted it there… It protected them from each other. You see, many people have inherited the prejudice of their parents and their parents before them. However, our driver also noted that the place where change must occur is in schools. 90% of primary and secondary schools in Belfast are segregated Protestant-Catholic, and when the kids go to desegregated university, they suddenly discover that they are not that much different after all yet the attitudes prevailing prevent them from mingling. As I said in my last post, the education system here interests me greatly. I believe the taxi driver. Though hostile and counter-productive ideas are clearly still churning, hope lies with the new generation—but only if we allow them to realize it. 

Some propaganda murals in an all-Protestant neighborhood.

The "peace" wall, with my friend Amy signing it

A memorial to Catholic Irish killed throughout the years

Some of the murals in an all-Catholic neighborhood

Encumbered by this destructive past that slinks at the edge of every Belfast native’s peripherals, the city is attempting resurgence as a hub of cultural richness that remembers the past but looks to the future on the horizon. In the afternoon after the Black Taxi Tour, we walked through the busy streets to the St. George's Market. Open only on Saturday, this indoor atrium explodes in a buzzing palate of bright colors on textiles and crafts, sizzling and savory gourmet foods, chatter and laughter in various accents, music of local artists, and freshness of neatly-piled local produce and fish. We had to drag ourselves away from this tantalizing display of talent and community interaction!

Some old Minis outside on their way to a car show!

Lastly, we ended up at the brand-new, state-of-the-art Titanic Museum in the shipping docks of the harbor. It was an incredible museum: The exhibits were laid out very appealingly and were very informative not only of the ship’s construction, interior, and sinking, but also of the role of industrial Belfast and the international hype that both the building and sinking of the Titanic created.

It was yet another spectacular weekend for me here in Ireland. My understanding of the Irish mindset and way of life is increasingly daily, and is making my own understanding of the world richer by the minute. Can’t wait to see what else lays in store! Cheers!