Northern Ireland II: Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and Belfast

The weather as we left Derry was cold, windy and rainy - not a great combination for the stops we had planned before Belfast.

Our first stop was at the famed Giant's Causeway, a beautiful spot formed by volcanic magma millions of years ago. (For information on the legends of the Causeway - involving Ireland's Finn McCool and Scotland's Benandonner - please click here.) The area was gorgeous, in spite of the incredible wind and bouts of rain. We enjoyed a few hours of hiking around, taking in the views.

 
In the afternoon - when the rain had REALLY picked up - we made our way to the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge (which sounds a lot scarier than it actually is, trust me). 

At long last we arrived in Belfast, one of the most talked about cities in Ireland's modern history. The flashpoint for the Troubles, Falls Road is a Republican/Catholic neighbourhood, whilst Shankill Road is Loyalist/Protestant. While there, we were fortunate to take part in a Black Taxi tour of both neighbourhoods, and to hear first-hand accounts of life in Belfast from two local drivers.

One of the major differences between Derry and Belfast is that there's no natural divide (like the River Foyle) to separate the Republican/Catholics and Loyalist/Protestants in Belfast. Instead, there are "peace lines" - massive barriers (topped at some points with barbed wire) with gates that lock at sundown. (It is still possible to reach the other neighbourhood once the gates are locked, you just have to go back through the centre of town to do so.) Erected at the end of the 1960s, the barriers have not only been maintained, but built upon. The houses along Falls Road which back onto the peace lines are fitted with aluminum extension roofs which slope back towards the barrier. (See below.) Our guide told us that this is to prevent the houses from catching fire if a Molotov cocktails is thrown over the top.

Houses in the Falls Road section of Belfast which back onto the peace line.

One of the gates locked after sundown each night.

As in Derry, Belfast is decorated with political murals outlining each side's struggle for what they believe to be justice. These murals include painted portraits of so-called martyrs. On the Falls Road side, one of the murals we visited is dedicated to Bobby Sands, an IRA volunteer who - along with 9 other members of the IRA - died in prison after undertaking a hunger strike in 1981. (For more information on those events, click here.)

This mural is located a short distance from the current headquarters of Sinn Fein (housed in a building which is bulletproof and bomb proof). Something which was interesting about our tour - when we were in the Falls Road area, the elder of the two taxi drivers took us aside to explain life in the neighbourhood, as well as the history. When we crossed over into the Shankill, the younger driver took over. During both conversations, the other driver stood out of earshot. We were later told by our driver that each man says his piece in his own neighbourhood, and in order to keep the peace between them, they stand far enough away so as not to hear what the other says. More on this relationship later.

As you can see in the photo of the peace lines above, the Republican/Catholic side of the wall is simply painted aluminum. On the other side, however, there are brightly coloured paintings and messages. Further back into the Shankill, political murals are painted onto the sides of houses in tightly-packed residential neighbourhoods. The most chilling of which - in my opinion - is this one:

Notice that I've taken these photos from two different locations. The first was from quite a distance, off to the left, while the second was head-on. Despite this, however, you'll notice that the barrel of the sniper's gun is pointed directly at me, no matter where I stand to photograph it. I walked all around this area, and the gunman followed my every move. It made my blood run cold.

Back in our taxi, our driver explained that he is from the Shankill, and the other driver from Falls Road. We asked him what the current social climate is like in Belfast (given that the Good Friday Agreement which brought peace to Northern Ireland was signed in April 1998), and he told us that while things are peaceful on the surface, there is an incredible amount of distrust between the two sides. As an example, when the Black Taxi company has their staff Christmas party each year, they actually have to hold two separate events - the Protestant drivers go out two weeks before Christmas, and the Catholic drivers go out one week before. Imagine - these people work together day in and day out, but they do not trust or like each other because of their political/religious beliefs. Can we think of people like this in our own lives? Probably. But are they physically separated from those who feel differently than they do my a massive barrier in the centre of town?

Our driver said that he and his colleagues are fairly typical examples, but there is hope for the younger generations. Once there is no one left who remembers the horror of the Troubles, people may be able to move forward without hatred and mistrust. I hope he's right.

Before leaving Belfast I had an opportunity to tour the Titanic Quarter - yup, that would be the shipyard where the Titanic was built 100 years ago! The dry dock is still there, and I have to tell you - it's so much smaller than I've always imagined! Compared to the massive cruise ships of today, Titanic was a wee baby. Still, it was pretty cool to be where it all began...