Enchanted by Ireland — Part 2: Belfast

One Wednesday morning, I boarded a bus for Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland.

Although the Republic of Ireland (south) and Northern Ireland share a name and a great deal of history, they are indeed two separate countries with some meaningful differences.

• Religion – The Republic of Ireland is primarily Catholic (perhaps 85%+). Northern Ireland is not. The city of Belfast is about 50-50 Catholic and protestant. In terms of modern history, this is very important (more on that later).

• Language – In southern Ireland, all road signs appear in English and Irish Gaelic. In the north, English only. In fact, when we toured the Bushmills Distillery, a couple from Cork was on the tour and spoke the Irish language to one another.

• Currency – The south uses the Euro. The north – officially part of the United Kingdom – the Pound Sterling. This wasn’t a problem, just used my Spanish bank card to pull pounds out of the ATM. They were a little more expensive than Euros, but not much.

• Cost – Dublin is expensive. Some say it’s the most expensive city in the EU. Belfast on the other hand, very reasonable.

Wednesday afternoon, I met up with my friend Aislinn, a fellow English teacher in Spain and a Belfast native, for a walk around the city center. We had lunch (I had Irish stew, a good start to my three-day feast of Irish food) and we got a view of the city from a glass observatory in the top of one of the malls. Got a good look at the shipyard where the Titanic was built. Yes, the Titanic. (“It was fine when it left Belfast,” a tour guide later told me.)

Wednesday evening, we met up with Aislinn’s parents and headed back to their home. Once home, Aislinn’s mom cooked an incredible shepherd’s pie, and her dad began to fill me in on Irish history and social customs. Class was in session during my entire visit, and I loved it. Virtually any piece of interesting history or wisdom that might appear in this blog post is thanks to him.

Thursday was road trip day. The four of us piled in the car and headed north. First stop was a castle built in the 13^th century that was in use as recently as WWII.

Along the way, everything was very green and beautiful despite the cold.

Scotland was visible in the distance.

Here, a street pole can be seen painted red, white and blue – a clear and intentional sign that this is a protestant neighborhood. More on that in a bit.

The bear.

Flag of the four counties of Northern Ireland.

One of our major stops was at Carrick-a-Rede Bridge, an old rope bridge fishermen used to get to the best fishing spots. We had to walk a bit to get there.

As you can see in the background, the bridge is no joke. It hangs over a deep cliff with rocks and water below. In preparing me to walk across it, Aislinn points out that, “they’ve made it so safe that they’ve taken the fun out of it. It barely even swings in the wind.”

Giant’s Causeway is a crystal-like rock formation on the north coast that formed when hot molten lava hit the beach and crystallized. The Irish are great storytellers, and sites like these are the stuff of classic lore. This spot got its name from a giant who once live on the beach. Certain formations resembling chairs and a piano/organ were his furniture, and he was constantly at odds with his fellow giant who lived in Scotland. In fact, this feud is responsible for the Isle of Man – a small island between Ireland and Scotland – which is actually a piece of earth that he picked up out of the center of the country and three at the Scottish giant.

The last major stop on the road trip was the Bushmills Whiskey Distillery. Great tour and free samples. No complaints.

Friday morning, we headed in for bus tour of downtown Belfast. It was a total jackpot. Good guide, great stories and a detailed history of the troubles the city experienced during the last 50 years.

The Northern Irish assembly building is big and impressive, but its limestone exterior is not as clean and white as it once was. That’s because, during WWII, locals covered it in black tar and cow dung to prevent German bombers from using it as an easily spotted target. The building remained in use while covered in manure.

Hands down, the most dramatic moment of the tour was the explanation of “the troubles” that took place as we visited the area of the city with the murals. Here Catholic neighborhoods and protestant neighborhoods are located side-by-side. As a result, it was once a hotbed for the fighting that took place between the two groups.

To clarify, here are a few important terms used differently in Northern Ireland than in the US.

• Republican – Term for any individual in support of a unified Ireland free of any rule from England or the UK; usually Catholic.

• Loyalist, Unionist – Terms for people in support of a continued connection with the UK and rule by the queen; usually protestant. Any reference to Ulster (a county in Ireland) or almost any use of the letter U for that matter is generally associated with this side.

Here, the Irish National Liberation Army (a later and more moderate version of the Irish Republican Army) flag hangs next to the Irish flag.

In the distance, you can see the 36-foot “peace walls” erected around the city to separate Catholic and protestant neighborhoods in close proximity. Although the original 18-foot-tall walls were sufficient to stop the passage of people and cars, they did not prevent rocks, bricks and even grenades from being hurled over top. Hence, higher walls.

Taking a broader view, in Ulster county, the close proximity of highly Catholic and highly protestant areas is dramatic.

(Dark orange 0-10% Catholic Mid orange 10-30% Catholic Light orange 30-50% Catholic Light green 50-70% Catholic Mid green 70-90% Catholic Dark green 90-100% Catholic)

It’s important to note that not all protestants are in favor of continued rule by England, and not all Catholics are in favor of re-joining the Republic of Ireland. In fact, despite what this graph may indicate, our tour guide mentioned that support is growing for a free and independent Northern Irish state.

The Crown Bar, famous Catholic hangout, is seen closed here on Good Friday (on which no drinking is permitted in light of the religious significance of the day).

Friday night, we hit the local bowling alley with Aislinn’s family – parents, sister and boyfriend, brother, sister-in-law and baby. It was a great end to the visit.

My trip to Ireland was better than I’d hoped, thanks in large part to the people I visited: my cousin Wendy; my buddy Armin and his family; and my good friend Aislinn and her family.  I hope all will forgive me if I’ve placed undue weight on the past troubles in Ireland in lieu of focusing on its present beauty. But, the dramatic stories of Ireland’s past are gripping, and I couldn’t help but share them. Thanks again for a great time. I seriously can’t wait to go back.