Of course, most of us know about the Troubles in Northern Ireland, have seen news of bombings, riots, and murders (not as much though for my generation since things have really calmed down especially since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998). But seeing it on the news is so different from going to where it actually takes place.
In that sense, the trip was rather sobering (though we did have some fun). We drove up on Friday and first stopped at Intertrade Ireland. It is an organization set up to promote trade and business relations between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Basically, their goal is an all-island economy though they can't really say this because some Unionists don't like that idea. After that, we headed up to Belfast and Stormont, where their Legislative assembly meets. The assembly was dissolved in the 1970s and power went solely to Westminster. The Good Friday Agreement gave power back to Northern Ireland though due to other disagreements they have only been self-governing now for about 2 years, which is the longest stretch of time since before the 1970s. We had a Q&A period with a DUP politician. The DUP, Democratic Unionist Party, is the hardline Unionist party and the majority party currently in the assembly. I should've probably first said that there are 2 big divides in Northern Irish politics (and they aren't by religion though that is a big indicator of which side you fall on). The divide is between Unionists, who support the Union with Britain, and Nationalists, who would favor unification with Ireland. Of course, the Unionists tend to be Protestant and the Nationalists tend to be Catholic. The DUP guy we talked with was actually really young, only 29, but boy, did he have an answer for everything! It actually got a little tense at times because our professor, Kevin, who is extremely knowledgeable and not afraid to ask the tough questions, wouldn't back down on things. But it was extremely informative. It was interesting to see how the Troubles had affected this young man who missed the worst of the Troubles. Yet, you could clearly identify his biases, especially towards Sinn Fein, the nationalist party at the other side of the spectrum. (he insinuated that they were all terrorists) The thing is with the situation that these politicians are bitter enemies. Some of them probably did plot each others' deaths. Many Sinn Fein members spent time in prison. Yet now these two political groups are expected to work together. No wonder things are still so complicated there.
Friday night we headed out of Belfast to our hotel. We ate a great dinner the highlight of which was a dessert called Banoffee pie. I think it's an Irish thing because I had never heard of it before. Basically it is a toffee and banana pie which is just delicious. That night at our hotel there wasn't much to do in the town so most of us just hung out in the hotel bar. They had a Dj and though the clientele was much much older than all of us (think 60s and 70s) we had a good time. They were probably pretty amused with us American college students out on the dance floor that night.
The next morning we went to Giant's Causeway, which is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption (thank you wikipedia). It was really cool! (Even when Kevin gave us an extended lecture out on the Causeway where it was really windy and really cold.)
We also went on the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge out to this island originally used for fishing and sheep grazing. It was a great time for those of us who aren't scared of heights.
For the afternoon we went back into Dublin and had a tour of Belfast with a local man, Peter Maguire. This tour focused on the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods and the political murals in these areas. Peter grew up in Belfast in the near the Falls Road in the Catholic area. He gave us personal insight into what Belfast was like during the Troubles. His grandfather was beaten to death for being Catholic, one of his uncles was killed, and he also lost his best friend. He himself was beaten badly by a British officer one time when all he was doing was driving a date back home. His point-of-view helped me understand why the situation is so complicated. It is because for these people it is so personal. Many of these people had someone close to them killed or in some way hurt during the Troubles. (Kevin gave the statistic that the death toll in Northern Ireland which was about 4000 during the troubles would be equivalent to 5 million Americans dying when you compare the populations.) I was also shocked during the tour to see that they still have "peace" walls separating the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods. These aren't just dividing fences but huge, tall walls (taller than the street lamps) which are supposed to prevent people from throwing petrol bombs over. They even have gates that close on the through roads each night. 
There are many of these walls throughout Dublin. Besides this we also saw many political murals. These were also a bit intimidating, especially the many that glorified violence.
Sorry I have rambled on so long about this trip. But it really got me thinking about the situation there. It is incredibly complicated and people forget that. It will be interesting to see what kind of progress is made in my lifetime.
Next up on the slate is Notre Dame's Easter Pilgrimage to Rome!
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