Another history lesson

 We had a pre-arranged Black Cab tour of Belfast city and the Troubles areas today and at 9am we were picked up by John R in his black cab - not the traditional London Black Cab but a Mercedes people mover which now seems to be the vehicle of choice here in Belfast.

Throughout the tour John recount names, places, dates etc. of “things” that occurred in Belfast over the many years that there has been division between the Catholic community, who seek unification of the whole of Ireland, and the Protestants who wish for the status quo, Northern Ireland remaining part of the UK.

Unfortunately there really was too much information given over the 3 hours we were with John that the brain began to swirl and now being early evening trying to recall all of what we heard isn’t easy.

What has stayed with us however is that at 8.30 each night the gates within the wall that separates the Falls area (Catholics) from those living in the Shankill area (Protestants) are closed so separating the two sides and aren’t reopened until 6 the next morning and this has been in existence since September 1969, almost 60 years.

The irony of that is that a person from the Falls could be working in the city with a person from the Shankill area 5 days a week but at night they are “segregated”. It was planned to dispense with the gate system in 2023 but as yet it has not happened as the city fathers have decided that there is more pressing problems in the city that need addressing e.g. better housing etc., and money for civic spending is tight.

After the tour we spent the afternoon looking around the city centre, an impressive centre in our view, as well as walking around the harbour to the Titanic exhibition building.

Tomorrow we will continue checking out central Belfast.

Shows that Hillary Clint has been Chancellor of Queens University since 2020

Outside Queens Uni

Some murals in the Shankill area

Writing on the Peace Wall

The wall stretches for around 500m and is covered in street art and comments from people from all around the World 

On the Catholic side of the Peace Wall with cages protected the house from petrol bombs and the like being tossed over the wall

Bobby Sands a hunger striker who has been immortalised around the world with streets and the like being named after him

A mural on the International wall

The Spanish galleon Andaluca near the Titanic exhibition hall

The shipyard where the Titanic was built

Not hard to determine whose side these residents are on

The last vessel the White Star Line (owners of Titanic) had in service

Seen on a mural but not captured in a photo was Nelson Mandela and alongside was written “in my country you go to prison first and then you become President”