[franksolich]

I hope this is of interest.

[franksolich]

“Ping” for the list.

[ConservativeTerrapin]

Went to Belfast, Ireland in February and I loved it! I even visited during Holy Week and there was no turbulence at all! Folks around there want to forget the troubles. They don’t want that again.

[dfwgator]

True, I was a Roman Catholic, but my sentiments were solidly Orange.

That's because the IRA are nothing but a bunch of Communists.

[brooklyn dave]

Yes, interesting. My father has relatives in Northern Ireland in Derry, not Belfast which I visited back around 80 and 82 when things were pretty hot and heavy. Being of RC religion I had to be careful of where I was going esp. in Belfast. In the IRA neighborhoods at the time, you were OK if you were American because of the support that they received from those of Irish descent. Most who supported the IRA from the States did so out of ethnic solidarity, not because they were in favor of the political policy that the IRA or Sinn Fein espoused. I really don’t think that a lot of Americans relaized how left their politics really was because there was another paramilitary group called the INLA and their political wing called the IRSP who were even further to the left (actually Marxist rather than just socialist).
As far as the Unionists/Orange crowd went, back in the 1980s even as an American you were not really appreciated because they thought all Americans supported the IRA. Today, an American isn’t really appreciated in either neighborhood (just part of the Euro antipathy against us, having nothing to do with the situation in Northern Ireland) But I do have to correct you, even in the Unionist camp, among supporters of the UDA, UVF, Red Hand Commandos etc (all of these being Loyalist/Unionist/Orange paramilitary groups)what little political thought that was going on there—some of it was leftist.

You see, the Unionists supporting English rule (then under direct rule from London because Stormont, the local parliament, was abolished after the British Army arrived in 1969) and so, they really weren’t under any pressure to formulate any particular political agenda. There was some political thought going on among the UDA which was left of center but not outrageously Marxist.

[BooBoo1000]

Hey Frank, thanks for the post,it was most interesting.I hope you will report on your next visit to Ireland.

[SunkenCiv]

pingworthy?

[GeronL]

cool...

is it weird to support both sides in a co0nflict??

[meowmeow]

cool! In the 80s, a friend and I backpacked around Ireland. We went up into Northern Ireland and hitchhiked to Belfast. It was an amazing experience - people were so surprised to find two American girls touring their country! What was weird back then was that on one hand, everyone we met talked about how maligned their country was - that the situation wasn't that bad. And then on the other hand, they would warn us to stay away from certain train stations or neighborhoods and scribble their phone numbers on a deckel so that if we ran into trouble, they could pick us up and drive us safely back to the border.

It was such a strange experience - but a wonderful one. I don't think we paid for a pint the entire time!

[bcsco]

Another great story, Frank. I really enjoy reading these...