Londonderry, Ireland's Wall City

We decided to see the Giant’s Causeway another visit.  Getting there would have meant doubling back from where we were. There is just too much to see on a single trip. Everywhere we turn there’s something else. We’d already decided to forego seeing most of the south of Ireland.  Having already made such cold hearted and calculating decisions about places like Limerick and Waterford, the Giant’s Causeway wasn’t so bad.
We drove onto Londonderry.  We’re still getting used to driving on the left hand side of the road.  Laura’s helpful screams “left, left’ are coupled with the occasional white knuckled wide driver opposite to me utterly unprepared for a game of car chicken, having really intended just to drive down the street for some milk or something.  I did a left circuit of Londonderry till I came round and saw City Hotel again and a parking lot.
I left Laura with the Citroen while I confirmed they had rooms and got us a night.  Very modern accommodation.  For once, faster reliable wifi.  Having unloaded our bags we made a brisk walk along the picturesque quayside.  The Guild Hall is truly impressive. I loved the red brick.  It was across from the wall of the city and boys were playing soccer using this great expanse of 16th century wall to kick their ball against.
We cross the Peace Bridge, a shiny modern architectural visually corkscrewing wonder. The other side seemed a bit dull and poor.  I like walking through a city as it gives a flavour.  It was evening and the shops were closed. Nothing much happening.  We crossed back on another bridge and crossed through a gate in the wall.  Walking up on the wall we saw cannons and the new construction going on by St. Columb church.  Outside the wall some young people had built a fire by a No Surrender sign. We bought Kebabs and ate this messy delicious feast watching tv in our room.
It was a pleasant first night in Londonderry.
 

Free Derry and Bloody Sunday, Ireland

Between 1969 and 1972, Free Derry was a self declared nationalist area.  It was in the Bogside and Creggan neighbourhood.  Residents built barricades in January 1969 to keep the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) out.  They took them down but continued to carry clubs threatening the RUC. Violence reached a peak on Aug. 14, 1969 with the Battle of Bogside, a three day battle between residents and RUC. The British Army was deployed but made no attempt to enter.  The Irish Republican Army (IRA) began to re-arm and recruit.   From Free Derry they began a bombing campaign in the city centre.  IRA popularity grew.
Bloody Sunday occurred January 1972 when the British Army 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment (1-Para)  shot and killed 13 unarmed men and boys. One further died months later  in hospital.
On the Bloody Sunday day there was a march planned to go to the Guildhall but re routed to Bogside,  estimated between 5000 and 15000 .  Some of the members began throwing rocks at police.  Water hoses and rubber bullets were used. There was a report of an IRA sniper.  Live rounds were issued to the Paratroopers.  The crowd broke up and one young man was running alongside a priest away from the disturbance when he was fatally shot in the back.  A cease fire order was given but the British Army apparently shot into the fleeing crowd killing 12 more and wounding 14.  Armored personnel carriers knocked down some.
There were two enquires, the first considered a whitewash and after the second British Prime Minister Cameron apologized to the families of the dead.
After further killings by the IRA support for them decreased.
Thousands of British troops moved against Free Derry July 1972 with armoured cars and bulldozers.
(This abbreviation of events comes from Wikipedia, discussions in Ireland and a visit to the Bogside. There is a serious ‘fog of war’ surround this history and partisan bias.)

Malone House, Belfast

My sister in law Adell recommended we have tea at the Barnett Restaurant in Malone House.  So that’s what we did. A lovely dining hall in a great mansion that likely once was a private residence with vast fields about.  The house itself was very elegant with high ceilings and swirling staircase.  Large meals were served at lunch and dinner the white table cloth Barnett dining room.  We arrived too early for ‘tea’ but had soup with delicious egg salad white bread sandwiches. Laura and I both were reminded of our mothers and how much they’d like this place.

Trendy Belfast Murals

At the end of the political tour of Shankhil and Falls, Desmond, our Black Taxi Driver decided to show us what he called the ‘Trendy Belfast’.
“Here it’s even okay to be gay and live together."
He’d just been telling us that Catholics and Protestants did fall in love across the barriers but that they had to leave the Shankhill and Falls area because of the hostility between Catholics and Protestants in West Belfast.
“In the rest of Belfast it’s not at all so political.  The murals here are mostly about music and art. There are 30 or more bars in the area and people just love to come and socialize here.Here’s one mural in honour of Van Morrison.  You’ll recognize Bono too over here. There’s Liam Neeson."