One Island, Two Nations

It has always seemed to me that Irish-Americans have many traits in common, not only culturally but religiously as well. The “Irish Catholic” has long been a staple of the American story, with people like John F. Kennedy seen as almost the epitome of an Irish Catholic. It is taken for granted by Americans that to be Irish IS to be Catholic.

However, when I travelled to Northern Ireland this past weekend, this idea was shown to be false.  The people of Northern Ireland, for the most part, consider themselves to be British subjects, and thus consider themselves to be Protestant.  This is why, today, Northern Ireland is actually a part of the United Kingdom and not the Republic of Ireland.

This map shows the division of Ireland into Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland.

When the Republic of Ireland was formed from 26 of the 32 counties of Ireland in the early 1920s, many Irish Catholics wanted to combine the Protestant counties to create one large Republic. These Republicans, as they came to be called, hoped for one nation with freedom of religion for both Protestants and Catholics.

This led to great conflict between the two groups, especially in the Northern part of the island where they live in close proximity to one another.  The Protestant Loyalists who consider themselves British wanted to remain British subjects, while their Catholic Republican neighbors wanted to be citizens of Ireland.

Mural warning that this is a Protestant area of Belfast.

Violence filled the streets of Northern Ireland, murals were painted on houses depicting the ideals of the people who lived there, massive walls were built through cities to separate the two groups, and hundreds of innocent people suffered in the battle between neighbors.

Mural of a UFF fighter, fighting for the Loyalist cause.

In Belfast, we toured a Protestant neighborhood in British Black Taxis (the green, obviously Irish, Paddywagon bus wouldn’t have received a very warm welcome there).  The guide explained some of the murals on the walls, and then we were off to see one of the largest peace walls in Belfast.

The Peace Wall, also known as the Irish "Berlin" Wall

The Peace Wall is about 30 feet high, a combination of concrete walls and iron fences. It runs through Belfast, separating the Protestant neighborhoods from the Catholic ones.  An eery reminder of the Berlin Wall, the Peace Wall has controlled access points that close after 10 p.m.  each night to help prevent any disturbances. Visitors from all over the world have left their mark on the wall, and it is the hope of everyone that soon, the Protestants and Catholics of Belfast will be able to get along without the need for separation.

UT Student Hooff Cooksey signs the Peace Wall in Belfast.

While the tensions are still strong in Belfast, the city of Derry tells another story altogether. In Derry, there are still neighborhoods of Protestants and Catholics with bloody histories, but a peace plan has been put into action that will hopefully lead to cooperation between the groups. Schools are being integrated, neighborhoods are less exclusive, and it is the hope that in a few years, the two groups will come to a peaceful understanding.

Seeing the tensions between Irish Catholics and British Protestants living in Ireland through the last century has made me extremely grateful that, as an Irish Catholic, I am able to live where I want to and practice what I believe while still having Protestant friends.  I sincerely hope that the people living in Ireland continue their progress towards peace, with respect for all human life. I’ve now seen where they’re coming from, how they’re progressing, and what they can be. I learned this weekend. In Ireland, Out of the Classroom.