As a tourist, understanding Northern Ireland is proving more complicated than we expected. We had the Summer of WWII, Nazis, and communism; I thought that was a heavy topic. But the Irish situation is very raw, very dark. And more recent. In the news is nothing but Brexit. First from the European perspective, then Britain’s, now each of the Irelands. That is a current event that is like a gauzy drape over all else here right now.
First the history and geography lesson
Did you realize that the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are two separate countries? And have been separate countries since 1922. Before that, in around 1200 a.d. England did what England did well – conquered, Ireland. Ireland did not like it much and continuously rebelled, unsuccessfully. After England banned Catholicism, Henry VII that was, the Irish (strong Catholics) resented England all the more. To maintain control of Ireland, starting in Elizabeth’s time (that is Elizabeth I), England gave land to protestant English nobility in Ireland, most densely in the northern province of Ulster. The land was taken from the Irish, given to nobility and the Irish forced to work for the lord. These lords were absentee owners; they went back to England. Then comes the potato blight that killed the potato crop. A third of the population in Ireland either died or fled. Irish people are quick to clear up the misunderstanding that this was a famine. They say famine means there is no food. There was plenty of food. But the English lords were exporting the food for profits to England, instead of feeding the population of Ireland. The only crop that failed was potatoes, which was all the Irish people could afford. Are they bitter still? Oh yeah. England and the protestants are blamed for the potato famine death toll.
In 1919 the Irish mounted the Easter rising. Finally a rebellion that was eventually successful. WWI got in the way, but after it ended Ireland was given its freedom. All except 6 counties in Ulster province that England kept (there are 9 counties in Ulster). It is a very crooked line delineating the 6 Ulster counties which make up Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. I asked countless tour guides and other citizens from both countries who decided that England would keep these counties, England or the people? No one really gives a reliable answer. But what is evident is that the 6 counties were dominantly protestant. Northern Ireland is a Country that is part of the United Kingdom.
- The folks in the Republic of Ireland were very happy.
- The protestants in Northern Ireland were happy that the crown of England is taking care of them.
- The catholics in Northern Ireland felt hung out to dry.
Protestant Payback
Immediately the protestant government of Northern Ireland and the protestant people, laid into the Catholics somewhat punishing them for the Irish rebellion. Catholics could not get jobs, housing or vote.
Nothing changed for 46 years. Catholics in Northern Ireland were not well treated, the police and government were complicit. That is fact.
Then, in 1968 Catholics took the lead of Martin Luther King to stage walks for civil rights. They made some headway right away. Several egregious wrongs were righted. Gerrymandering was corrected (giving Catholics the right to vote). But, as in the US, the peaceful demonstrators were met with violence on the part of the police. Scores of innocent demonstrators killed by police. One event happened in Belfast, the other in Derry (Londonderry); Bloody Sunday. Some people surmise that the violence was the result of people on the protestant side being infuriated about the changes the Catholics were getting from their demonstrating. These events sparked the formation of militant groups (on both sides), just like in the USA.
Current Situation
Now let me lay out the current players. There are about 3 main lines of disagreement:
- Loyalist vs Nationalists. (Loyalists loyal to the crown of England, Nationalists wanting home rule like given to Republic of Ireland)
- Unionist vs Republicans. (Labor vs Management)
- Catholic vs Protestant. (Religious)
Most people line up loyalist/unionist/catholic or nationalist/republican/protestant. But there is a lot of bleeding over along one of those 3 lines. For example, working class protestants may be unionists. It is very confusing trying to figure out who is who. The one we are most familiar with is the Provisional IRA. There are lots of fractions from each of the above 6 sides, some political, some militant or paramilitary. Some were brutally cruel. We were told stories that we just could not believe until they were collaborated from many sources. Outright brutal gruesome murders. Surprisingly, most happened to, not by, the supposed terrorists – IRA. Catholic people were shot daily in their front yards. They were taken without charges or trials to be interred some for decades. Fact. Many families lost family members and never heard what happened to them. The police were turning a blind eye, or worse participating in the violence to the loyalist/unionist/catholic people.
Civil war lasted from 1968 to 1998. During this time bombings were daily. People could be searched several times a day. To go to a shopping center or movie theatre included lines of security, searchings, multiple times. No one would be out in public after dark for risk of being shot by police. That was daily life for North Irelanders. President Clinton is generally given credit for the ceasefire that brought peace to NI. Peace has lasted for 20 years now. People told us it took several years before they would believe they could “come out”. And then it took years for the cities to adjust to the freedom, opening restaurants and hotels, starting tourist and leisure industries.
Today
So the ceasefire was only that. Nothing was really solved. The tension is still palpable. So much so that there is an iron wall about 30 feet tall (tall enough to avoid fire bombs or grenades being tossed over) that divides protestant and catholic residential areas. To this day. There are gates between these areas that at nightfall are closed and locked. These are ugly walls, with ugly no-man’s land between them. Ironically they are called “Peace walls” because they keep the peace. They are hate walls, nothing peaceful about them. The people poke at each other constantly, and because they are sooo touchy, it works.
Examples of the poking
- Hundreds of years ago catholic James I tried to take back the English throne from the protestant King William of Orange. He lost. Protestants celebrate the date of the decisive battle to this day with a parade that they insist goes through the catholic areas of town.
- The Catholics/nationalists were enraged that Belfast city hall flew the English flag 365 days a year, when London city hall only flies it 10 days. So the first catholic mayor changed the rule. The unionists picket city hall (with flags) every Saturday. Still on a Saturday, the picketers, and their flags are there. So the flag flies 52 Saturdays, plus 10 days a year.
Really petty stuff.
We have done some traveling by now; we take a lot of tours and talk to a lot of people. Before too long, we get the lay of the land and the feel of the place. We feel we gather some unbiased accounts. Not so here, yet. People are way too close to this subject. Maybe that takes a generation or more, we’ll see. We spent 2 weeks in North Ireland, part in Derry, part in Belfast, and a month in Republic of Ireland. We found it very difficult to figure out the situation there. No unbiased account. This problem is too recent, too unhealed and not a bit resolved. Several people who have spoken to us have teared up, about their lost people, displaced homes, etc. Almost everyone has a close tie to the violence. People still want answers from the police or military about killings and disappearances. Some real wrongs have happened, a lot of it from the government. Although England has finally admitted that all of the 14 killed in Derry on Bloody Sunday were innocent, it has fallen well short of finding the government or military or police culpable for the violence or death. A huge gap that is.
Most societies we have visited, after a time, are willing to take responsibility for the wrongs their side has perpetrated. We saw none of that here. People are still spitting hate. Some are holding on to their victimization. People are very quick to describe the wrongs the other side has perpetrated. But no one has been willing to speak with any remorse about what they have done. Each side acts like they were totally innocent and the other side was out of control.
While in Derry/Londonderry, we were a half a block from a car bomb. (Let me backup and explain why I keep referring to Derry/Londonderry. This is how silly it is: if you are catholic, it is Derry, Protestants call it Londonderry. Use the wrong word, to the wrong person, could be dangerous. We decided to always use both) While in Belfast a prominent community leader was murdered. 90% of the people are really sad. They tried to play it down, but they are worried. Now, the threat of a hard border between Ireland (Republic of) and North Ireland is a flash point. Some people are looking for a reason to pick up the fight again, and many fear this will be it.
It took us a month to synthesize the Irish situation to these paragraphs. I believe I have done it justice, albeit condensed. I hope Northern Ireland continues to explore its potential as a tourist destination. I hope many of you get a chance to visit. It’s a wonderful country; beautiful and full of history. Belfast is where the Titanic was constructed, I probably did not mention that. Northern Ireland is also the venue for much of the Game of Thrones filming.