Today I bade farewell to my home country for the first time in my wee life. The destination was Belfast, Northern Ireland. Particularly exciting was that not only was I going to visit Ireland for the first time, but it was to be my first trip on a boat! The day was stormy and the water treacherous, which made the ride less than comfortable to say the least. Nevertheless we got through it without incident and landed safe and relieved on dry land.
With only one night in Belfast we needed to make the most of it. One of the recommended ways of doing this is by participating in a black cab tour of the key sites relating to the tumultuous past of this city. Most should know that Belfast has been torn in half by ongoing war, both physical and internal, between the two main faiths of Ireland: Protestant and Catholic. A wall now divides the town in two, separating each in an attempt at peace. But how can one truly achieve peace without unity?
Our first stop was in the protestant section of town, where murals have been painted at the end of several rows of houses. Most of them have anti-Catholicism themes. One mural depicts the lone sniper, whose gun appears to point directly at you, no matter where you stand. British flags are displayed with pride here. This contrasts of course with the Catholics, who gave birth to the IRA in their desperation to remain independent from England. On their side, Irish flags are seen, and it is said that The Troubles of Belfast officially began with the first time a Catholic dared let it fly.
The wall dividing the two halves however is adorned with non-political street art pieces. It is the only place in Belfast where you can legally graffiti, and is covered with names and messages from the most famous to the entirely anonymous. The Brown Clan made their mark, but none of us wrote anything especially ground breaking. With so many before us, in a place with such history, it’s hard not to be lost for words.
With my sheltered early life, I found it all more than eye-opening. This afternoon I retreated within myself for some deep pondering. I cannot make head nor tail of human nature sometimes. War, religion, racism, prejudice; they’re all foreign concepts to me. We Highland cattle are just not wired to be spiteful in any way. As fascinating and most often lovely as I find the human race to be, sometimes I wish they could be more like their four-legged friends. Until they are at peace with themselves and their own identities, how can they hope to accept what’s different?
Ever wandering, never lost
-Moo
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