Report Time!

I'm back in Dublin from Belfast now and its time for the final leg of my time in Ireland. So for this week I am busy writing my 35 to 40 page research paper; the culmination of all that I have learned, my experiences and my interviews for the last three weeks in Belfast. My paper is titled "The Role of Sport Working Towards Reconciliation in Belfast" a long title for a long paper. On a happier note I will be going to the Aran Islands as an end to my program and then I will be meeting up with mom, dad and my brother in Dublin! Once I'm with them I'll be leaving Ireland, a sad idea, but I think I am ready to see my family again and (eventually) go home.

Scraped, Bruised and Happy

Wow what a tiring, fun, crash-filled day of mountain biking! My adviser for my research project, Ben, invited me to go biking with him at a local spot outside of Belfast which I happily accepted. So today I rented a bike, met with Ben, loaded it up in his car and we were on our way. Once we got to the spot I realized that my little rental mountain bike was not going to be enough to tame the jumps and hills of the terrain, but fortunately Ben knew that the shop that I had rented the bike from was hosting a demo day with about 20-25 top of the line bikes at the park near our biking ground. So I did what I had to do and traded up for a wonderful (and very very expensive!) bike. I ended up being able to have a much better day and the best part is I didn't have to pay for the demo! Today was a good day.

Yachts and Sports

Today I went to a conference on diversity in Belfast sports hosted by Ocean Youth Trust Ireland an organization which takes groups of young people and trains them in boating skills, but more importantly gives youth an environment in which they can learn more about themselves and people they might consider to be "different", the obvious divide here being Catholic/Protestant, but also other races, religions, etc. Not only did I learn about the organization, but I was able to make some very important contacts in the Irish Football Association and Peace Players which will be immensely helpful in furthering my independent study research (summary for those who don't know: I'm currently doing a 4 week long research project based in Belfast on the role of sports in communities). On top of all of this I acquired a research adviser, Ben Craig, who put on the whole conference and is incredibly knowledgeable in all things sport-related in Belfast. At the end of the day there was the launching of a new fleet of boats for Ocean Youth Trust Ireland which was presided over by the Lord Mayor of Belfast. Needless to say I had a very busy and eventful day and am looking forward to making even more connections and having more interviews!

Last Night

So last night I went to a Hurling match at St. John's GAA Club off of the Falls Road. All I can say is what a bizarre and wonderful sport! I didn't get to take any pictures, but I did get an interview with an interesting older man named Jim Gough who knew the entire history of the club and all of the Gaelic sports. Overall it was a fun night (even though technically I was "working"). Hope everything is going well in the States and the rest of Europe (for any of my friends who are abroad reading).

Here is a short video which explains Hurling pretty well. (I would embed it but the video sizing is off. Sorry!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmzivRetelE&feature=fvw

Belfast: Part Deux

I've made it to Belfast again. The train ride today wasn't too bad except that I had to sit going the reverse-way the majority of the trip so that made me a little queasy, but I made it to the end of my trip with no problems. It was drizzling here earlier, but the sun is setting now and the birds are singing and I have some groceries for dinner so things are going well. My independent study project is gearing up so I'm sure to have lots to do the next four weeks. Wish me luck!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from Dublin! Today I went to Christchurch Cathedral for mass and heard the most wonderful choir. Afterward I went to the General Post Office and saw a 1916 Uprising parade after which members of Sinn Fein gave a few speeches. It was interesting to say the least, but thanks to my history and politics courses I was also able to make some comments on the historical accuracy of the stories told. Overall I had a lovely Easter and hope that all those back home in the states had a wonderful one as well. I move to Belfast on Tuesday, taking the two hour train up, so I'm looking forward to that and beginning my research project!

Northern Ireland Picture Post Part 4: Return of the Pictures

Giant's Causeway

This is a part of the Unionist stronghold within the Derry city walls known as "the Fountain"

The Bogside

Political graffiti on a part of the old city walls which faced the Bogside

The famous "Free Derry Corner"

...even MORE pictures to come

Summary of Northern Ireland

For those who want to read it I'm posting in full my paper on my Northern Ireland experience. I move back to Belfast next Tuesday the 6th and cannot wait to start my Independent Study Project (ISP). My project is going to be an observation entitled "Sports and Social Conflict in Belfast" and will examine how sports, Gaelic football, hurling, soccer and rugby (if I have time for them all!), divide and unify communities. I am looking forward to exploring this topic, but at the same time I know that for the next four weeks I am going to be very very busy.
Anyway like I said if you want to read my paper on the North it is below. Enjoy! (also more pictures in the next post...)

Crossing the border and heading into South Armagh I was initially thrown off by the lack of border patrol. I must say that coming from a nation such as the United States where borders are heavily fortified and patrolled it seemed a little strange that an area such as Northern Ireland which has experienced so much violence would not have a secured borderland. Upon crossing into the United Kingdom I had a distinct flashback of watching the film “Omagh” when it showed the car with the bomb and the getaway car crossing the border. This mental image was only the start of a greater understanding of everyday life in Northern Ireland.

Upon arriving at Ti Chulainn and going on the tour of the borderlands, ultimately visiting the Orange Lodge #1 on the second day, I got a contrasting sense of two communities from my initial observations. In South Armagh the presence of the tricolor flag of the Republic of Ireland was very strong which showed that the town, even though it is technically a part of Northern Ireland, still maintains a strong Republican constituency. The tragic story of Paul Quinn, seeing the billboard and later finding out that it was vandalized later that evening, as well as speaking with his parents gave me a new perspective on societal conflicts. Before I had no idea that there were conflicts outside of the stereotyped Protestant/Catholic divide, but I now know that the reach of paramilitary organizations extends far beyond the sectarian divide.

Belfast. Going into the city my expectations were high, but to be honest I was nervous of saying the wrong thing to someone and getting in trouble. Luckily this did not happen, however I did feel uneasy as everyone who was over the age of thirty seemed to have some kind of personal connection to a paramilitary organization. This begs the question of why did I feel nervous around these people? Clearly they were not going to harm me, however the possibility that they had done unspeakable things during the Troubles put me on edge. I believe that it was not the idea that they were going to be violent, but that they had the potential to cause violence that caused this emotion. While it is true that all people have the potential to cause violence the fact that the ex-combatants that our group encountered were former members of militant organizations made me a little weary. I am not trying to stereotype ex-combatants as violent individuals, I believe they are simply people who want to move on with their lives and I do feel bad that I was on edge around them, however I believe that I can blame my emotions on every human's natural inclination towards self-preservation.

One of my main interests before coming to Belfast was the peace walls. I had heard about the walls before, but even after seeing them firsthand it is very hard to wrap my mind around the fact that they actually exist. They are a reminder that even though the Agreement has been passed there is still a need to separate the two communities. To me they are both a reminder of the conflict both past as well as the present and I am saddened that no one can answer the question of “When will the walls be taken down?”. I can confidently say that the peace walls changed my perspective on the world. Coming from the United States, specifically a rather homogenous area such as Arkansas, I was not exposed to such open hostility between communities. I believe that I would have never acquired a greater understanding of conflict if I had not seen the peace walls and toured the Falls and Shankill areas. The peace wall is the definitive visual sign of conflict in Belfast.
Falls Road, the Catholic area of Belfast, was actually exactly as I expected it would be. Going to the Falls I already had an understanding that the Republican murals would be more commemorative of fallen brethren and solidarity with Basque and Palestinian groups and so I was not surprised when I saw them. I did not know how the area would be in relation to residences or businesses so I did not have any feelings in regard to if it was a busy area or not. There seemed to be a more comfortable atmosphere to it although I believe that this feeling was based on my Catholic heritage as all people have a bias towards the familiar. In general it seemed like the Falls Road was an overall safe and open place in my opinion.

Contrasting the Falls Road, the Shankill area of Belfast was almost completely different, never mind it being Protestant. The Shankill Road was more developed, it was overall busier with cars and foot traffic, and gave off a more energetic vibe. It seemed to be more confined, a feeling which was reinforced when I walked through the gates at the interface. The murals in this area had a near-singular message which they displayed, one of militant defense and remembrance of fallen Loyalist paramilitaries; the slogan of “Lest We Forget”and poppy wreaths being highly visible. Flags such as the Union Flag and the Ulster Volunteer Force were flown next to almost every memorial and they add to the defensive nature of the area. I did not feel unwelcome to this area which looking back I cannot answer as to why, perhaps because the tour was guided, but I am sure that I do not feel uneasy about returning.

Meeting with Alternatives on the Shankill road was another revelation for me; expanding my idea of what justice is and can be. Before going to Alternatives I had no idea that the concept of restorative justice even existed or that paramilitaries were the police forces for their neighborhoods. Prior to finding out this information I had a very Americanized view of justice, but now that I have seen what restorative justice is I can begin to understand that correcting anti-social behavior should involved the perpetrator, the victim and the community.

The meeting at Mediation Northern Ireland with Sean O'Baoill was definitely the best part of my stay in Belfast. The endless stream of topical and engaging information and discussion was incredibly beneficial in helping me to understand the dynamics of how both sides perceived themselves and their enemies. Sean drew a map of Belfast based on the distribution of Catholics and Protestants and proceeded to elaborate on the interactions between the two communities. The map that he made was very simple, but the power in it came from it's simplicity and how easily accessible he made the information.

At Corrymeela I had the most relaxing time of my entire stay on the isle of Ireland. The weather was great, the ocean was right outside my window and it was a very peaceful time of introspection and conversation about where the group had been and where we were headed in the future. I learned that in situations of conflict that there are multiple ways of understanding another person's viewpoint, such as using art as an expression of one's feelings. While this seems obvious to me now I believe that some of the best solutions are often so simple that they are overlooked sometimes. By taking a few days away from the Northern conflict I was able to process my thoughts in an incredibly relaxing environment and to be honest I wish I could stay there forever.

Derry was a city that before I set foot in I knew would be different than Belfast. I knew that it was a predominantly Catholic city which made me feel more comfortable, but I also knew that one of the most terrible tragedies of the Troubles, Bloody Sunday, had occurred here and that the city had been a “flash point” for violence. The geography of Derry, the walls of the old city bearing down on the reclaimed area of former riverbed known as “the Bogside” created a physical narrative of history.

The response by Bogside residents to the walled city can be interpreted as adversarial. I heard a story while on a tour of the wall which logged itself in my memory and justifies my interpretation. Apparently there was once a statue of some great British military man, sword outstretched, on the parapet facing the Bogside. The statue was later purposefully destroyed with a bomb by members of the IRA. This goes to show that even the symbols of British authority were seen as necessary targets by the Bogside residents.

For me there was a definite and continual tension in the air which was reinforced by the political graffiti and seemingly endless memorials and flags throughout the North. Every parked car that I passed I could not help but feel uneasy. I can only imagine what kind of terror the people of the North must have lived through knowing that any day could be their last. As if this experience was not enough the stories that we heard and lectures which we took part in crystallized the overall experience. Everything working together made our trip to the North, in one word, intense. I can say with confidence that I did not feel completely secure and at-ease in the North except for my stay at Corrymeela, away from the areas of violence.

Between Belfast and Derry I would say that the two share the unfortunate legacy of the Troubles, but with deeper examination it is obvious that these two cities are dissimilar in a number of categories. Physically, Belfast is a much larger and flatter city, whereas Derry has some of the steepest hills I have encountered during my time in Ireland. Derry also seems to be more compact, especially inside the walled portion, with shops and buildings being squeezed into whatever space is available.

Political, cultural and social aspects of society in Northern Ireland are difficult to remove from one another and this is indeed true for Belfast and Derry. These three categories are knotted with each other, however there are a few observations which ought be stated about them in the Belfast and Derry context. In both cities the use of symbolism, specifically in flags and colors, weighted heavily on the landscape of areas. It was to my great please that I found myself in Derry on St. Patrick's Day where I saw many people of all ages adorning themselves in green, white and orange; it is serendipitous that I was able to hear the PSNI tell a Unionist woman the day before that Tricolors would be banned from public display. This is, in my opinion, a wonderful example of social, political and cultural interaction. It shows how three players, the Unionist woman, the PSNI officer and the Nationalist people on the street all form a stitched picture of specifically Derry, but in the larger context all of Northern Ireland.

I believe that my observation on Tricolors in Derry was a great leap forward in developing my ability to conduct field research. There is a need to truly engage yourself in your subject matter when you are conducting field research. This is a job which does not sound highly entertaining until you begin to see a bigger picture emerge out of your observations as I believe I did in Derry. I believe now that there is a need for all aspects of field research, be it informal or formal, observation or interrogation, insider or outsider, martian or convert, however I feel that above all of these things there is a need to be flexible in order to move from one method into another. The best way that I can describe this is fluidity, to be able to rise and fall with the waves- the ups and downs, but maintain a connected surface- your overall focus. I am no longer stressed about my Independent Study Project. I am excited and ready to explore!

If you just read the whole thing you either have way too much time on your hands or are my mother/father or brother.