Peaceful Belfast roaring forward A turbulent past adds to the cuttingedge vibe of the gateway to Northern Ireland, writes
Victoria Guild.
old this for me, would you?’’ A huge medieval sword is pulled out of the boot of the car and my first thoughts are that perhaps Northern Ireland’s ‘‘Troubles’’ are not completely behind them.
But this is a sword for a different type of conflict. TV series Game of Thrones is filmed around Belfast, and our guide Dee Morgan laughs as she explains the sword is for a costume they wear when fans come on a tour.
Game of Thrones has done for Belfast what Lord of the Rings did for New Zealand, opening a whole new sector of fan-based tourism for those who want to visit the scenes of their favourite TV series.
There are plenty of sights to see, and even the Ulster Museum is home to a pair of Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons.
But it is Belfast’s real conflict history that I am interested in. Northern Ireland was constantly in the news when I was growing up through the 1970s and 1980s – a place of bombings, shootings and civil unrest. Known now as the Troubles or the Conflict, Northern Ireland was divided between those who wanted to join the republic (mainly Catholic), and those wanting to stay with Britain (mostly Protestant).
No trip to Belfast is complete without a visit to the front lines of Falls Road and Shankhill Road.
The ‘‘peace wall’’ remains – one side covered with murals and messages of peace from around the world, as do heavy metal gates and barriers, permanently open now but by their very presence conveying the threat that they could easily close again should peace break down.
Although it’s been almost 20 years since the peace accord was signed, the events of that time have cut deep for those who lived through it. We are moved quickly through the Ulster Museum’s Troubles section as Morgan confides it’s too hard for her to stay.
The emotion was palpable and later we find out she lost a cousin and a school friend in the conflict.
‘‘One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter’’ is a mantra we hear often, and the past is not hidden or forgotten.
There are gardens of remembrance and numerous murals commemorating well-known figures from that era, including hunger striker Bobby Sands who died in prison.
Back in the centre of town, we are shown the only pub that still has a caged entrance door and cameras out the front. All patrons had to be The overwhelming sense is that of a country wanting to move on. A whole generation has now been brought up in peace, without the constant road blocks, check points, and call outs to ‘‘hit the deck’’.