Béal Feirste, An Uneasy Peace

While large group trips have a tendency for pitfalls, I would have been a fool to pass up a 40€ nearly all inclusive trip to Belfast sponsored by Arcadia this past weekend. To paint a clear picture, Béal Feirste is the capital of Northern Ireland and most notable for its connection to the conflict between republicans and loyalists which took place in various forms during the second half of the last century. We arrived a bit too late on Friday afternoon to do much other than enjoy a few pints but the next two days allowed us to take in several amazing and thought provoking sights. The main attraction of Saturday's outing was a trip to Giant's Causeway, an area of coastline north of Belfast known for its unique hexagon shaped basalt columns and a wealth of ancient Irish myths associated with the geographic features. Standing on the upper section of the causeway reminded me of the Cliffs of Mohr, except for how cold it felt when the wind was ripping. The clear and sunny skies, which for some reason or another have continued to bless us on these day trips, allowed the eye to make out the coast of Scotland in the distance. Scotland is closer to Ireland in that area than I had imagined, a further indication of the ties between the Ulster province and the U.K. that I have been reading up on in my history books. Following a brief stop for lunch in the seaside town of Portrush we made it back to Belfast in time to watch Ireland take the spoils of the match against England, 20-16. That makes Ireland 2-1 thus far in the the Six Nations. I found it interesting to see supporters of England in pub, though the large majority gathered there were quite thrilled with the Irish win. As for the evenings, Belfast has a vibrant night life, particularly in the university quarter. Those nights out were not the best I have had, but in general we had a good time and I cannot complain. Sunday got off to a bit of a slow start but turned out to be a brilliant day. Bill Rolston, a professor at the University of Ulster and avid mural photographer, gave a presentation explaining the significance of many of the murals around Belfast. The history and significance behind these works of art is remarkable and I found it interesting to see how murals have changed over the years in relation to the events of the time. I have a basic grasp of the riff between the various groups and their paramilitary wings in Northern Ireland but there is still much I would like to learn. Following the presentation, we boarded the bus again for a brief tour of the city to see a few of the aforementioned murals. A clear distinction still exists today between the republican and loyalist neighborhoods, highlighted by the massive wall dividing them and the fences, many topped with barbed wire, which seemed to surround many houses and buildings. While it has been over a decade since the Good Friday peace agreement, I still felt an air of tension in the streets. The city has made an effort to revitalize the communities but many buildings still bare the scars of years of violence and sporadic street fighting. The murals themselves, many painted right on the sides of houses, are true works of art. The republican murals are centered in an area called Falls Road, while the loyalist murals can be found along Shankhill Road, both in the West Belfast. Each are reminders of a time gone by, but also of the identity and tradition still held so close to the hearts of those who live there. For the time being there is peace, but below the surface I would conclude it to be an uneasy peace. On a lighter note, we concluded our tour with a stop at the Harland and Wolff shipyard, birthplace of the Titanic. At one time the shipyard was one of the largest and busiest in the world, but in recent years the shipbuilding industry has been in rapid decline in Ireland. It reminded me of the old Grumman factories on Long Island, a place that once bustled with activity but is now in disrepair and it's great legacy seemingly forgotten. Samson and Goliath, two of the largest gantry cranes in the world, still tower above the shipyard and serve as a reminder of great innovative men and the ships they created for more than a century. In general, I discovered that Belfast is a deeply moving place when you start to appreciate and understand it's complex history. I have only scratched the surface of understanding and there is still so much about this island I have yet to discover. I am without a doubt excited for what happens next. Cheers.

Photographs