Arcadia Ireland

This week I'm taking a break from Wellness Wednesday because it seems wrong not to write something about our final co-curricular event of the Semester, Belfast and the Titanic! This weekend we will be joined by students from all around the country to travel on not only a trip up North but to dive deeper into the troubles of Northern Ireland.

I wanted to start by saying that I grew up about in County Monaghan, only a stone's throw from County Armagh and one of my earliest memories is crossing the border into Northern Ireland. We had close family living there so we travelled up to see them at least twice a month.  I grew up at a time when the Troubles of Northern Ireland were at an all-time high and when cars were sometimes searched by the British soldiers. I remember the feeling of intimidation driving by the "lookout post" with guns being pointed in the direction of our car by the British soldiers. I remember being asked to get out of the car along with my parents because it was quite normal for random spot checks to be carried out in those days. I remember my father being asked a number of questions about why we were visiting Northern Ireland and when we would be returning. I remember feeling extreme fear as soon as we knew we were about to cross into Northern Ireland and the feeling of relief when we were back on home turf.  The news at that time regularly featured many stories on car bombs and attacks and the horrific experiences of the people in places like Belfast and Derry. I even remember hearing the sound of a blast in Crossmaglen in the late 80s when a bomb went off near a community Center only about four miles where I was playing outside. At 12 years of age, I participated in a parish exchange with children of Belfast and for my parents, it was a really big deal to send their youngest to such a dangerous place for the weekend. I remember how nice the people were and how hospitable my host family were. These were just normal people like me who had witnessed their city become a place of turmoil.

That was then and this is now. It has been more than two decades since the Good Friday Agreement which signaled the end of decades of bloodshed during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The deal has undoubtedly had a positive impact upon the country, bringing about a huge decrease in the levels of paramilitary violence, but the recent unrest in some loyalist areas shows that this peace is still fragile. Having said that though, when students travel to Belfast with us each Semester, the evidence of a history of trouble, pain, separateness in terms of communities is still evident.

This weekend our tour will be led by a highly respected professor at Queens University, and we will travel into the areas of political significance. We will learn about the Nationalist and Unionist areas and about the murals and their meaning. The highlight for many students is often visiting the Peace Wall (the wall that acts a buffer between the two communities), where there are messages of peace from the Dali Lama and Bill Clinton, and murals praising Nelson Mandela and Amnesty International. 

It would be a missed opportunity for students not to experience the friendliness, fun and culture of the city along with the changes that have taken place over the years. The Titanic Quarter is aesthetically a really cool place with gorgeous buildings and of course home to the Titanic Center! To date I have never once spotted Kate Winslet or Leonardo de Caprio (sorry couldn't resist), but it is a really fun, fully interactive experience, bringing students on a linear passage though the birth and death of the worlds' most famous ship. Students have about two hours to go off and step into a pre-industrialized Belfast and learn how essential the shipyard was to the prosperity of the city. Students will have an opportunity to learn about the people who worked there; over 15,000 people were employed there when the Titanic was built! There is a ride type thing where we get on and it takes us down to what would be the base of the ship. It replicates the sounds of the workers in harsh conditions and takes you into another world. 

Our final stop of the day will be a drop at Queens University to wave goodbye to our lovely Northern students. QUB is an ideal photo opportunity as the place basically looks like Hogwarts! 

Twenty years on and the divide between the communities is definitely less stark and dramatic. The remaining flags and murals are no longer intimidating, instead they act as a reminder of the times past and hope for what is to come. Belfast is like a city reborn. Our hope will be for students to learn about the troubles but to also see that Belfast is a vibrant, young, fun and filled with great things to do and see. 

Bring it on!