Hi - this was the best day so far. We had a really good presentation with the CEO who liked our work so far. Then after work we did what was called a Black Cab tour. Our tour guide was a former IRA Catholic who was imprisoned for 10 years during the war. He explained the war against the Protestants and Catholics. It was fascinating. I barely remember hearing on the news about the bombings, hunger strikes and shootings. He really brought to life why they fought against each other.
What I didn't know is that the neighborhoods were so close together and that a huge fence went up between the communities that is still there today. The neighborhoods still aren't integrated and today they have separate schools, separate cab companies, separate buses etc. It wasn't a fight against religion but was totally political and was a war of people who were loyal to the British crown versus the original inhabitants of Ireland who wanted a united country instead of the 6 counties which make up Northern Ireland and the 26 counties that make up the Republic of Ireland. Our tour guide admitted that 3 years ago he would have been nervous driving into the Protestant neighborhood that he took us. He also said the tourists coming to Northern Ireland is also a new thing and 3-5 years ago wouldn't have been seen.
We were all so very impressed. Here are some of the highlights:
Above is a boarded up school with bullet holes in the walls.
Bobby Sands died in a hunger strike in prison to obtain human rights for political prisoners. This mural is on the side of a former IRA headquarters.
The wall of hundreds of catholics who were murdered, including many children.
This wall of peace that I signed is part of a 50 foot fence that still divides the catholic and protestant neighborhoods. British flags fly in the protestant area and Irish flags fly in the catholic area.
My signature on the wall.
Tomorrow is Friday, we leave after work to go to the northern coast for a weekend off.
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