Day 2 in Belfast

Today we went on a tour of Belfast on a cool double decker bus. The tour was about an hour and half, we had a good amount of stops all over Belfast; ranging from the Titanic, to Belfast Castle, and the Peace Wall. It was so interesting to go into Nothern Ireland after being in Dublin city limits for so long. It was a major shift in the Irish pride and more Celtic feel to more a British/American feel. The city was easier to navigate than Dublin and the buildings were bigger. Over all it was an education in the politic tension happening in Ireland. It was very interesting to see firsthand and feel the emotions of the conflict.

It was definitely hard to be around what felt like a negative atmosphere and more dangerous ambiance in the air. The hatred, anger, and sadness was definitely palpable everywhere. Hearing the stories of the conflict between the Catholics and Protestants was so very interesting. But beneath that, the conflict within Ireland is more so about the politics. Northern Ireland is part of the U.K., and they identify as the UK and not as Ireland, serving the Queen of England. Whereas  in parts of Belfast and in Dublin there is a heavy spirit of Irish culture and for the orange/white/green.

Hearing stories about the fighting and the aftermath of people’s losses from both sides was important to know. It’s such an interesting civil conflict within their nation, but it’s really two separate nations in one. But they both do say they are Irish, just different flags they’re loyal too. I wonder if it will ever resolve itself? I would sure hope so. I could just feel that tension in the air and it was not very pleasant. Things closed early and I felt an urgency to stay in the hotel as soon as the sun began to set.

There is an actual wall called the peace wall that separates the Protestants and the Catholics. But it’s more like those who identify with the United Kingdom and those who are traditional Irish. It’s strange that there are actual barriers to keep them apart, and both sides are completely different! The protestant side is more like a British feel, whereas the Catholic side was like Dublin and had Gaelic writing. Watching the kids play was what fascinated me knowing that some of them might not be able to go over to play with the kids on the other side? 

Seeing the murals on the walls and the reminder that this conflict is still so fresh, made me think about everything happening worldwide that I know nothing about. I’m very centralized on North American news, I really never consider what’s going on outside of the world. As a leader how would one go about situations like this? How do great leaders find the right diplomacy to navigate these issues?