Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Friday, we cruised from Holyhead to Belfast, Ireland. We had a great tour with a wonderful guide, Colm McGerity. Colm picked us up at 9:30am and we got back to the ship a little after 6:00pm. It was a long but very interesting day.

I am always interested in history and especially trying to understand the difference between the “orange”, Protestants, and the “green”, or Catholics. I knew a little bit of the history and I have read about “the troubles”. I also knew about the Good Friday agreement of 1998, which essentially brought an end to the fighting and allowed some semblance of peace. The Irish were originally (after the indigenous people were eliminated) Roman Catholic. In the 1600’s, the British sent over/ allowed Presbyterians to come to Ireland. Over the years, laws were enacted to place the wealth into the hands of the minority Protestants (Anglicans and Presbyterians)-and Catholics became poorer and poorer with less and less legal protection.

A little Wikipedia….

The Troubles was a conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the conflict began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed to have ended with the 1998 agreement. Although there are those who will never rest until all of Ireland is united into one country

The conflict began during a campaign by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association to end discrimination against the Catholic/nationalist minority by the Protestant/unionist government and local authorities. The government attempted to suppress the protests. The police, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), were overwhelmingly Protestant and known for sectarianism and police brutality.

The main participants in the Troubles were republican paramilitaries such as the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA); loyalist paramilitaries such as the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and Ulster Defence Association (UDA); British state security forces such as the British Army and RUC; and political activists. The security forces of the Republic of Irelandplayed a smaller role. Republicans carried out a guerrilla campaign against British forces as well as a bombing campaign against infrastructural, commercial, and political targets. Loyalists attacked republicans/nationalists and the wider Catholic community in what they described as retaliation.

More than 3,500 people were killed.

The Northern Ireland peace process led to paramilitary ceasefires and talks between the main political parties, which resulted in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. This Agreement restored self-government to Northern Ireland on the basis of "power-sharing" and it included acceptance of the principle of consent, commitment to civil and political rights, parity of esteem, police reform, paramilitary disarmament and early release of paramilitary prisoners. There has been sporadic violence since the Agreement.

Northern Ireland is comprised of 6 counties of Ireland that were removed from Ireland when the Republic of Ireland was formed provisionally in 1922 and became a nation in 1937. Originally the counties were more Protestant in population, but in the last 100 years, the Catholics are now the majority of citizens. Before we came, we watched Kenneth Branagh’s movie, Belfast. It will give you a taste of what happened in the 60’s. Also, for a fun movie, if you haven’t seen The Commitments, I highly recommend it; just for the sound track alone.

So here are a few pictures from today and Colm, I apologize for what I get wrong.

Colm insisted Roscoe take this picture and it is beautiful. Northern Ireland is so green and verdant. Truly breathtaking.

300 Beech trees, as seen in Game of Thrones, season 2 episode 1.

Roscoe and me at the Giant‘s Causeway. 70 miles north of Belfast.

The Giant’s Causeway is made from lava Forming into hexagonal stones.

Bushmill Distillery, opened in 1608

Roscoe is bringing home a bottle aged 16 years for all of us to drink!

You Game of Thrones fans should remember this. This is the shop where it was made. I got a beautiful pair of earrings.

Steensons, where the jewelry is made

It’s 60 degrees and people are swimming.

Fish and chips….again.

Again, I say, the countryside is just gorgeous. Pictures don’t do it justice.

Colm, our guide and me. He explained so much and gave me so much information….and jokes. I had no voice left when we got “home” to the ship. Great guides make all the difference. Colm was wonderful. And here’s the last picture…..about Paddy, the pigeon!