Day twelve started out fairly early as we had to get up around 8:00 so we could meet in the lobby to prepare for our Belfast Day trip. We all got on the bus, and about two hours later we made it to Belfast. We started out in the Titanic Quarter – named for the Titanic Museum and it’s other Titanic themed buildings. The Titanic Museum is a very odd looking, but distinct building.
We got to go inside the entrance, but only to look into the gift shop. After this, we found out there was a little exhibit on making the Titanic plans in the building across the street, which is the Titanic Hotel. We got to look at this exhibit, which displayed who the makers of the Titanic were and the various steps they had to take to build it.
After lunch we went to West Belfast, which was the main reason we were there. We were there to see the memorials and remnants from the Troubles. West Belfast is scattered with them. The first thing we saw was a wall painted to show support for Gaza.
The Catholic side of West Belfast is very much in support of ending the conflict – which makes sense if you consider the history of this area. Our guide would then take us to various other memorials and give us the history behind them. I was truly shocked on how many there were, there were so many throughout the area.
This goes to show how tense of a period this was. One very interesting memorial he showed us was for Bobby Sands – an IRA volunteer who died from hunger striking.
This was painted across a wall and has been taken care of very well. Eventually we made it to the peace wall – one of the few remaining peace walls that still stand in Belfast.
It was a very powerful feeling walking alongside it. I can understand why people wouldn’t want it to come down. It’s a reminder of what happened, and protection in case violence ever breaks out again. We also went over to the Protestant side of West Belfast, and it was the complete opposite. Whereas the IRA had been blaming the loyalists for most atrocities, The loyalists were blaming the IRA for atrocities right back. It felt really weird, almost like a moral grey area. It was also weird because there were Union Jacks everywhere in this section, and even pictures of the King and Queen.
It was like a completely different world then what we had just seen on the Catholic side. Overall, I think it was very important to see West Belfast. While it was very depressing, you get a much better sense of how terrible the Troubles were for Ireland by visiting it in person.