The Troubles (April 17)

We awoke today and took the train to Belfast. We had arranged a Black Taxi tour of the city, and our driver met us at the station and escorted us to West Belfast, the epicenter of “the Troubles” that plagued Northern Ireland for nearly 30 years. We first visited the Protestant side of the neighborhood, where propaganda-like murals dotted the landscape. These proddies seem to really love the Queen and take great pride in their slain paramilitary commandos.

After touring – and signing – the “Peace Wall” that divides the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods, we drive through one of the 60 gates that close each night (still) to separate the two communities. On the Catholic side of the wall, we visited the memorial garden for the Shankill martyrs, one of many such gardens throughout the Catholic neighborhood. We also visited a Catholic church and saw the offices of Sinn Fein.


Our taxi dropped us off in Central City, but it was a cold and windy day, so our walk through downtown was hurried. Notably – and quite distinct from West Belfast – downtown bears almost no signs of the recent sectarian conflict. After team at the Linen Hall library, we had a late lunch at the Crown Liquor Saloon, a beautiful old gas-lit pub. We headed back to Dublin, had a casual dinner, and called it a day.