Misery Tourism

I was prepared to not go to Belfast when there seemed a renewal of “troubles” a few months ago. Then various people said it was safe and nice, so we went, just for 24 hours, and liked it a lot. I know I was there in 1968 either going to or coming from Great Britain by ferry, but have absolutely no recollection of it. Today its population is about 300,000 and it’s lively and busy with lots of public art (my personal indicator of how a place feels about itself). City Hall is magnificent and far more palatial than many a provincial legislature. People use the grounds as Victorians use The Ledge. It may have helped that the sun was out but the city centre just had a good feel. It may also have helped that we were in the Holiday Inn Express with a little more space than we have been used to and even a counter in the bathroom to put things on. Who on earth invented pedestal sinks!

Belfast City Hall, which has a Titanic memorial garden on one side listing all the names of those who died

This is an atrium built over a street. Brilliant. It was early on a Saturday morning so empty, but later teeming with people.

So, why the post title? Because Belfast has developed a tourist industry around the IRA conflict and the sinking of the Titanic. In fairness, the Titanic Quarter (yes, Quarter, so you know it’s a whole area) is at least partially about shipbuilding, specifically the Titanic. If you don’t know that that didn’t end well I’d like to visit your planet. The museum is well done and I enjoyed the first part which made reference to various inventions and initiatives from Belfast, like the big linen industry of a previous era and the invention of air conditioning (it's hard to imagine what could have prompted anyone to want air conditioning in Northern Ireland). But after that it got more than a little depressing with interviews of survivors and underwater views of artifacts. Outside the museum is the actual slipway where the Titanic was launched, which gave a good indication of the scale of the ship.

The Titanic museum, meant to reference the prow of a ship and breaking waves.

Jim walking down the slipway.

We were introduced to “The Troubles” on a city bus tour which points out the may parking lots that used to be buildings, other derelict and burnt remainders, the fence separating Shankill Road and Falls Road, and lots of murals dedicated to one side or the other. I suppose the whole thing started with the Battle of the Boyne when William of Orange defeated James II. That eventually resulted in Catholics being denied basic rights, a forced immigration of Scottish Protestants for the purpose of populating Ireland with Prods, and a major conflict as recently as 1993. That’s the simple version but it is very interesting to hear the accents in The North as they are decidedly Scottish/English, versus in The South (never referred to as The Republic) where they are decidedly Irish. 

Bobby Sands of hunger strike fame. These murals keep the conflict alive.

Southerners, for sure, think of Ireland as one place not two countries and the only clue that you've changed countries is that the road signs change colour; until you figure out you've gone from kilometers to miles because surely they can't mean 30 kph! Oddly enough the towns and countryside look and feel a bit different, influenced by the ruling population, I guess. It was interesting.