Mark takes over once we cross Checkpoint Charlie. Mark is dressed in the blue jogging suit in the photo below. According to Robert, Mark is a member of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and has also been to jail. Mark provides no details of this in his introduction. The UVF is known for its secretive membership. Once across the gates, I notice British flags hang from nearly every house. The display of patriotism is something I have seen since being in the UK. Apparent whenever I cross into a Protestant neighborhood.
Mark begins “Our two communities have no interaction. We don’t visit the same pubs, the same grocery stores. Our kids don’t play together. Don’t go to the same schools. Women don't go to the same hair shops. It is quite sad.” Mark continues setting the background “The IRA-Shinn Fein has killed lots of people in this community. Fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, kids, babies, neighbors, and friends. You’ll see places where bombs were detonated, pubs, and banks without warning. It is up to you to decide what happened. I won’t hold anything back.”
On the way to the next stop, Gemma and I discuss how the tour's tone and mood have changed dramatically. We are both having difficulty with Mark's approach. The cold, matter-a-fact, emotionless delivery is a stark contrast to earlier in the day with Robert. “Would we still feel this way, if we had started on the Loyalist side?” asks Gemma. Great question. I need to hear more from Mark before deciding.
Our next stop is at the base of the Peace Wall. The wall appears very different on this side. It is covered in graffiti. I’ve come to appreciate graffiti as an art form in recent years. It takes a lot of talent to make wall art look good even if it is just blocked letters. However, compared to Falls Road, this feels sterile, I tell Gemma. She agrees. Below is a view of the group near the wall with Mark.
Mark resumes, “The concrete potion of this wall is 1.5 m (5 ft) thick. It extends 3 m (10 ft) below ground and extends 4.5 m high (15 ft).” The British Army and national security forces would add another 2.5 m (8 ft) of corrugated metal before adding the additional chain link fence in 1993. The wall now stands at 12 m (40 ft). Bombay Street, on the Catholic side, is immediately opposite the wall.
We head down the road towards Shankill Road. A significant source of conflict during the Troubles in the Protestant area. The abundance of British flags feels as if the citizens are trying to remind themselves that they are British. According to Mark, this neighborhood is 100% Loyalist. I think to myself, if there is no opposition here, and you are behind a wall, then why do you need the constant reminder? It feels excessive to me.
I ask Gemma, Does this seem strange to you? All these people have died, yet there are no signs of any memorials. "That is odd. It feels like they want to continue to feel the pain," says Gemma. We resume our walk on Shankill Road. Mark pauses in front of the former Frizzel's Fish Shop. He resumes. “Here is where the IRA-Shinn Fein detonated a bomb without warning. The IRA-Shinn Fein killed a beloved businessman, two little girls, and 6 other civilians,” says Mark. Mark emphasizes the death of children and zero warning. A red cross of poppies hangs below a sign in remembrance of Frizzel's Fish Shop and the 9 people that died that day. The link above tells a slightly different story of that terrible day.
Along Shankill Road, we stop at a war memorial where Irishmen from the UK are honored for their commitments to WWI and WWII. "This community has been devastated. During WWII Belfast was one of the most bombed cities in the war. Many bombs fell short of their target in Belfast and landed on this community. We had to rebuild it all." says Mark. "How are WWI and II relevant to the conflict with the IRA?" asks Gemma. Yes, this feels out of place. WWII was 30 years or more before the Troubles started. Walking down the road, Gemma and I continue to piece together what just transpired. I wonder if Mark is trying to make the case that this community has suffered a great deal of loss, I tell Gemma. "Yes but it is out of place," she says.
Mark takes us to a Loyalist Memorial along Shankill Road. "You have visited the places. I have held nothing back. Now it is time to see the atrocities of the IRA-Shinn-Fien for yourselves. Many of the people killed were children with ZERO-Warning of the bomb attacks," says Mark as he sits for a moment and encourages the group to wander through the exhibit. “Our system has failed, IRA-Shinn Fein is now the majority party. Terrorists will soon be running our parliament,” he says as he enters the exhibit.
As I wander through, something feels strange. I start reading the accounts. Some stories reference Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of the UK. He the PM in the 1990s and 2000s. The write-up states that Blair betrayed the Loyalists by supporting efforts to end the conflict. He is portrayed as sympathetic to the IRA-Shinn Fein in the write-ups. I read on. The stories include people that died in areas outside of Belfast, including Derry, Omagh, and England. They even blame Boris Johnson for Brexit and the subsequent impacts on trade.
Sidebar on Brexit. Brexit, the exit of the British or the UK from the European Union, a combination of "British" and "Exit." This recent policy change has created a mess in Northern Ireland. The UK has imposed a sea border for tariffs at the 3 major ports in Northern Ireland, something they claimed they would never do. The UK soon realized, after Brexit, that it had no means to control the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland border. Therefore, goods produced in the Republic (i.e., European Union) could potentially leave the ports in Northern Ireland duty-free. The "Sea Border," as it is now known, was implemented as an alternative to deploying the British Military to police the 300+ roads that enter Northern Ireland on the island. In application, the people of Northern Ireland pay more for the same goods in Ireland than they do in the rest of the UK. Which makes them angry. The Loyalists in Northern Ireland support removing the Sea Border and bringing back the British Military to control the border with the Republic. Deployment of the British Military, however, is a direct violation of the Good Friday Agreement. The consensus today is that the Brexit vote was rushed. Had people understood the implications, the UK would still be in the European Union. The contentious policy passed by a narrow margin in January 2020.
A few moments later, it hits me. This is propaganda! It is salt in the wound, I tell Gemma. There is not even a subtle attempt here to find healing. The stories have been crafted to elicit fear of what lies beyond the wall. The stories are perceived threats to the Loyalists' way of life. There is no compassion for the victims. Mark has led us to the heart of the problem, as he said he would. This community feels victimized. I can feel the fear. They perceive themselves as victims of the IRA (paramilitary group), Shinn-Fein (political party), and the world wars. Even betrayed by their Government in Britain, a threat to their Loyalists roots. Is this why they are fighting so hard to keep control in Northern Ireland?
After dinner, Gemma and I make our way back to the Hostel. We strike up a conversation with Erika about our tour and get a 3rd perspective. Erika grew up in a Protestant neighborhood as a Catholic. Some of these neighborhoods exist outside of places like West and North Belfast. She tells us she often passes as a Protestant, as she has similar mannerisms. "I am deliberate, cold, and forceful with my speech, just like the Loyalists,” she says, then laughs. “I grew up with the Loyalists. Yet, I still cannot understand how they rationalize their behaviors,” Erika says.
Erika sheds additional light on the matter. We discuss the sharp contrast in presentation styles. “That’s how Loyalists and Nationalists really are. “The Nationalists are warm, friendly, and gentle with their speech patterns,” she says as she pulls up two YouTube videos for leaders of the two factions. “Gerry Adams a Shinn Fein Member of Parliament, and known member of the IRA, is very charismatic. According to Erika, the BBC often dubbed over his voice during interviews. They feared that the Loyalists would be sympathetic to the IRA-Shinn Fein cause if they heard his natural, warm, friendly, gentle voice,” shares Erika. By the way, Gerry Adams has never publicly admitted to being a member of the IRA. He often jokes about it when it is brought up. Erika finds this very amusing.
“Their styles even carry into the propaganda. The Loyalists use photographs, lists of casualties, and statistics while Nationalist use murals, identify key figures, and general trends to convey their stories,” says Erika as she continues Googling on her iMac. Below is the photo of our discussion group. Erika (far left), Kitty (below mirror), Gemma (right), and a new guest (blue shirt). Erika and Kitty are hosts at the hostel.
My thoughts? Who is right? Who was wrong? What did I observe? I concur with both Mark and Robert. This was a terrible and sad time in Irish history. The acts and crimes that were committed during this time were atrocious. It matters not to me who started first. The Troubles was the rebellion or support, depending on which side you are sympathetic to, of policies, penal codes, laws, and regulations implemented in Northern Ireland dating back to the 1500s.
For me, the second half of the tour felt like Mark and the Loyalists were projecting things onto the Nationalists. A quick sidebar, projection in the psychological sense occurs as a self-defense mechanism, whereby a person unconsciously takes traits they do not like about themselves and attributes them to someone else. Like all psychological defense mechanisms, it is a way to protect oneself by avoiding the ugly truth. It allows a person to avoid facing the things they do not like about themselves. For example, during the tour, Mark repeatedly accused the IRA of killing innocent civilians and setting bombs off without warning. Those are two things that the UVF did to set themselves apart from other paramilitary groups. You can read more about UVF. I want to be clear I am not absolving the IRA of anything.
This was an observation I made during Mark's presentation. The constant appearance of projecting made it much more difficult for me to empathize with Mark and the Loyalists. Several of you that know me, know that I have said for a long time the only people I know who constantly accuse others of lying, cheating, and stealing are liars, cheats, and thieves. Both Mark and Robert omitted details and failed to present how their side contributed to the mess. Conflicts always require at least two people to keep the cycle going. Both Nationalists and Loyalists played a role in keeping the Troubles alive. Similarly, neither Robert nor Mark claimed that their side of the story was the correct version or the absolute truth. The Conflicting Stories Tour was undoubtedly one of the most interesting, informative, and thought-provoking tours I have had the pleasure to experience. I say that is 20 quids well spent and a heck of an entertaining afternoon.
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