Blogs from Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Europe - page 7

Belfast is a couple of hours from Dublin, and as our guide said, there is nothing but a discrete sign to indicate the change of country. Brexit is a deep concern for all those who do not want division re-introduced on the island. Our tour of Belfast was emotionally revealing. Even though I had heard the facts of life in Belfast, seeing it in real scenes was shocking. The “temporary” url=https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/northern-ireland/articles/the-story-behind-northern-irelands-peace-walls/wall dating from 1969 still exists, and there is only a small movement to have it removed. Most of the wall is a strong wire fence, but along the Falls Road It is a solid wall, now covered in graffiti. Most of the graffiti is intentional, and our guide provided coloured felt pens for us to add our messages of peace. Worst of all to me ... read more

We arrived early in the morning in Belfast, Northern Ireland (pronounced Norn Iron by the locals), a city with a turbulent past referred to by it’s people as “The Troubles.” The troubles were primarily from 1968-1998 when horrendous bombings and assassinations occurred between the Protestant “Loyalists” who were supportive of a British controlled Northern Ireland, and the Catholic IRA “Republicans” who were supportive of a free and unified Ireland. There has been religious conflict between the Protestants and Catholics well before this time, but this is the period when armed conflict was escalated and a wall was built to keep Nationalists and Loyalists apart known as the “peace wall.” These walls divided communities and peoples many believe exacerbated the problems. Our incredible BnB host Walter (favorite host and accommodation ever, and Mom’s crush even without the ... read more

Ireland – Only for the Brave 4 2nd May 2018 Continuing the Grey Haired Nomads’ 2,200mile journey by motorhome, clockwise around Ireland The Giant's Causeway to Belfast Our overnight camp, only a few minutes from The Giant’s Causeway, gave us a fresh window of opportunity. Rising from our slumber at 06.05, we were showered, fed and ready to leave in watery sunshine by 07.00. By ten minutes past, we were kitted up in hats and waterproofs (rain was forecast for 9am), cameras charged, and through the arch at the side of the visitor centre before opening time. We could flash our National Trust membership cards in the car park later. Scattered cloud and an optimistic sun allowed for good light on the rocks and out across the crashing waves. This picture has been etched on our ... read more

Today was dominated by the "Political and Mural" black taxi tour. It was just Jane and I and the guide, Norman Reilly, born and bred Belfast, and who spent 11 months in prison as a 17 year old during the Protestant - IRA "war". It was totally enlightening, bringing back many memories of incidents and names of major protagonists we had seen on television and read in the newspapers when younger. Jane and I walked through the streets where the violence had raged and had claimed the lives of 1200 people in one square mile. Since the ceasing of hostilities a "Peace Wall" has been built separating Shankill Road and Falls Road (Protestant and Catholic areas). Come 7pm the gates are shut. The captions for the photos add to the story. After the tour we walked ... read more

Dear All And so here is my third and final blog entry on my amazing mid-winter trip to Northern Ireland in February. As mentioned, although the trip was only four days in length, I feel I packed so much into it, that I am so glad to be able to write three separate blog entries about it. Upon booking my trip, it was quite easy for me to make the decision of spending one day in Belfast and one on the Causeway Coast. It was not so easy to decide what to do on my third day. My initial thoughts lay with visiting the nearby town of Antrim, which sits close to Lough Neagh, the largest lake both in the United Kingdom and also in Ireland. I could take a quick train trip down to the ... read more