UNDERSTAND IRELAND

FREEDOM ACCORDING TO THE ISLANDERS

The islanders have a different idea of what freedom means.
It’s often the case that islands have troubled histories which are difficult to grasp for those living on the other side of the sea.

My first unconscious experience of Ireland was during the 1990 World Cup.
Cagliari was chosen to host the infernal group (in the stands but not less on the pitch) with Ireland, England, Holland and Egypt.
I have vague memories, reinforced by lots of videos seen later, of the fans with Irish tricolors being kept at a distance (thought not always successfully) from those with the Union Jack.

At school it has always been difficult for me to understand the links between Ireland, Northern Ireland, Eire, Ulster, the United Kingdom, independentists, unionists, loyalists, Catholics and Protestants.

That’s is why Ireland has always been on my travel list.

I’ve always seen Ireland as an island, in its entirety.
I’ve also always been more drawn to Belfast than Dublin.

But just by going there, I got to understand his story, made of tears and a lot of bloody, that flooded some streets, and not just on Sunday.

IDEOLOGICAL VOCABULARY

Let’s take a look at the different ideologies and the vocabulary associated with them:
Ireland: geographically, it’s what nature shows us: an island without borders, very green to the point of being called the Emerald Isle.
Politically, it’s a much more complex subject. The island would be divided into Eire (or the Republic of Ireland) and Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland: It became separated from the Free State of Ireland in 1921, and its people were mostly Protestant. They were descended from settlers who came from the UK, and therefore loyal to the kingdom of their origins.

Formally, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and precisely Northern Ireland.
But the words ‘nation’, ‘state’ and ‘country’ imply a level of self-determination that Northern Ireland never had.
I don’t think ‘province’ is the right word because Ulster is the real province, but it also includes territories under the Republic of Ireland’s sovereignty.
I think ‘region’ could be a good name for Northern Ireland, even if it’s not technically correct.

Irish Free State: in the British elections of December 1918, the Irish independence party Sinn Féin won 73 of the 106 seats due to Ireland in the House of Commons in London.
The elected members refused to recognise themselves as èart of the United Kingdom and proclaimed the independence of the Irish Republic.
So, on 21 January, the Irish Independence War began.
The IRA, the Irish Republican Army, was made up of Catholic volunteers who mainly used guerrilla tactics to attack judges, British soldiers, police (Royal Irish Constabulary), paramilitaries (Black and Tans, created by Winston Churchill) and burning barracks.

The British Crown forces carried out a brutal campaign against the entire Irish population, viewing it as completely aligned with the IRA.
This ended up actually expanding the ranks of the enemy.
There were countless murders and injuries to unarmed people, arbitrary arrests, house-to-house raids, raids on private homes, looting in stores with subsequent fires – all against Republicans and Catholics.

On 11 July 1921, a truce was agreed upon which marked the end of the war, which had cost about 1,500 lives.

The Anglo-Irish Treaty led to the creation of an Irish state, called the Irish Free State (in Gaelic, Saorstát Éireann).

The six counties of Northern Ireland were given the chance to decide their own future.
As they were the majority Protestant and loyal to the UK, they didn’t join the Irish Free State.

Eire: the 1932 elections were won by the Republican and anti-British party Fianna Fáil.
On 29 December 1937, a new constitution was promulgated, and the Irish Free State became Éire.
Eire only became a real republic on 18 April 1949, when the Republic of Ireland Act came into force. This removed from the sovereign of the United Kingdom every right and prerogative previously in its possession.
The Eire left the Commonwealth, joined the United Nations in 1955 and later, in 1973, to the EEC (now the European Union).

Ulster: it’s a common mistake to think that Ulster is a synonym of “Northern Ireland”.
In fact, Ulster is just the province that includes six counties under the sovereignty of the United Kingdom and three counties that are part of the Republic of Ireland.

United Kingdom: formally know as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and precisely Northern Ireland.
It also includes other territories around the world: Gibraltar, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory and the islands of Anguilla, Bermuda, Cayman, Turks, Caicos, Virgins, Montserrat, Falkland, St. Helena, Ascension, Tristan from Cunha, South Georgia, South Sandwich and Pitcairn.

We also need to think about the Commonwealth realms, which are territories where the Head of State is the sovereign of the United Kingdom.
These include Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Jamaica, Grenada, Solomon Islands, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tuvalu.

independentists, nationalists and republicans: these terms refer to Irish people who see the whole of Ireland as an independent republican nation.

unionist: contrary to popular belief, unionists don’t want the union between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to end. They’re simply defending the union of Northern Ireland with the UK and the Protestant community.

loyalists: synonymous with unionists. They’re the ones who are loyal to the UK.
The term was first used in the mid-1700s to describe Protestants who were against Catholics and for Ireland becoming more independent from the UK.

Catholics: the Catholic Church is the Christian Church that recognises authority to the Pope, the bishop of Rome, successor of the apostle Peter.
In Ireland’s history, there’s often a tendency to generalise Catholics, such as Irish independentists, nationalists and republicans.
But not all Catholics are like that, and it’s not only Catholics who are like that.

Protestants: followers of Friar Martin Luther’s protest in the early 1500s don’t recognise any authority to the Pope.
After the Anglo-Irish Treaty, in Northern Ireland the Protestant majority, who were loyal to the United Kingdom, had preferential and almost exclusive treatment in terms of work, social housing and elections. This was because of electoral systems that were set up to favour them.

WHAT TO SEE

Belfast

I got to Belfast International Airport and after going through customs, I was stopped by the police. They asked me some simple questions, but they kept repeating them like they were interrogating me. It seems like people here are more afraid of Brexit than anywhere else, and I’ll understand why soon enough.
There’s a great desk at the airport that gives you maps and info on all the things the Irish island has to offer.
There are lots of walking or taxi tours to see the murals created by the opposing warring factions, both in memory of their respective dead and of the reasons that have bloodied the cities.
I came here to live and get a better understanding of the situation.

When you get to the central station, you’ll immediately see a big mural indicating the arrival in Sandy Row. The murals in this street are all unionists and loyalists.
Even more bitter will be those in the area of Shankill Road.
The group of “Shankill Butchers” became famous during the war and here, in July, this group of paramilitaries, hold a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the killing of a Catholic man.

The republican independent murals instead fill the walls around Falls Road.
Alongside the images of those who gave their lives, there are the separatist links (dedications to Basque country and Catalonia) and left (Palestine, Cuba, Africa).

It’s clear that Belfast is divided into two opposing parts and is constantly at war.
Over 1,500 people died in the city, and the hatred doesn’t die with them.
It lives on, more powerful than ever.
As proof of this, the two communities are still separated by a high wall.
This isn’t the remains of the Berlin Wall, it’s still “working” and may even be indispensable.
The gates are closed from 8:00pm to 6:00am, so you can’t get in.
Only the almost constant rain shows the colors of a peace far from being achieved.

Belfast was also known as the world centre for shipbuilding.
In fact, the Harland and Wolff Shipyard was where the Titanic was built.
I’d highly recommend visiting the museum, even if I did feel a little disappointed.
I thought there’d be a more accurate reconstruction of the surroundings, but it’s all about the construction (the train route is great for understanding the working conditions) and the ship’s one and only journey, which ended at the bottom of the sea.

Derry

Think of the city that you most hate and imagine to write that name before your own city name.
This happens to the Catholic nationalist inhabitants of Derry.
In 1613, the British called this city Londonderry, and so they continue to call it the Protestant unionist loyalists.
You’ll find the name Derry/Londonderry on some road signs, with London deleted from the paint (or added when it’s missing).
There is also a daily war for the name.

This city has become a symbol of UK violence on 30 January 1972.
That Sunday, during a peaceful demonstration by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) against detention without trial, the 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment, considered the elite of the British Army, fired on the unarmed crowd, striking 26 protesters
Thirteen people, including six minors, lost their lives on the street.
Four months later, the fourteenth victim died from injuries sustained on that day.

That Sunday has gone in history as The Bloody Sunday.

The Bogside is the neighborhood where you breathe the air of those years.
There are some great murals that tell the story, and the people who live there are really open about what happened.

Derry is one of Ireland’s oldest cities.
In 1613, the British colonists started building it based on the urban plan of London.
That’s why they named it Londonderry.
The city walls were built in just five years and you can still walk on them today.
Take a tour of the city centre and stop at the four access doors.
They’re still completely intact after over 4,000 years and never scratched.
It’s really useful and looks amazing!

As you might expect, there are also Protestant Unionist Loyalist areas, especially beyond the river.
As in Belfast, the murals are dedicated to the British armed forces and the United Kingdom.

The Giant’s Causeway

Giant’s Causeway is a network of over 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns, the result of some pretty intense volcanic and geological activity.
Science teaches us that over 60 million years ago, an underwater volcanic explosion brought incandescent lava and a huge mass of basalt to the surface.
The columns were formed when the lava came into contact with the sea and the wind, which cooled it quickly and caused it to solidify. The pressure also helped to create the columns, which can reach heights of up to 25 metres.

It’s no surprise that this kind of place has legends about giants, who are said to be the masters here and even gave this magical site its name.

SPORT

History, traditions and culture can only come to life through sport.
As a result of the Good Friday Agreement, which was signed in Belfast on 10 April 1998, Northern Irish citizen can choose their nationality (Irish or British) and which sporting team they want to represent.

Football

National League

The Northern Irish league is clearly defined by the basic diversity of the two communities, which often leads to heavy fighting on and off the field.

Derry City is the only team from the north to play in the Irish league.

Linfield FC, the most titled team in the league, is the symbol of the protestants, unionists and loyalists community in Belfast. It was founded in Sandy Row in 1866.
Although unofficially, only Protestant players are registered on the team.

Glentoran is the historic city rival. The other Protestant team in Belfast could have had its young fan in its ranks – George Best.
However, the club rejected him because they considered him too small.
The Best only wore the green once, to celebrate the club’s centenary, in a friendly match against Manchester United.

Belfast Celtic was the team that represented almost all the Catholic nationalists of Belfast since 1891.
Inspired by Celtic Glasgow, both in its name and in its social colours, it was excluded from all the championships in 1949 after violent clashes on and off the field against Linfield and Glentoran’s enemies.

Cliftonville is Belfast’s Catholic team and the oldest club in Northern Ireland.

Even though they’re not Irish, there are two other teams that occupy the hearts of their respective supporters, and the reason is easily imaginable.
Celtic Glasgow is the Catholic team of the Scottish capital.
The green-and-whites play in the first Scottish division since 1888, the year they were founded.
In 1967, Celtic won everye competitions they participated, including the European Cup.
The team was made up entirely of Scots who had been raised in the nursery and born within 30 miles of the Celtic Park stadium.

The other half of the Old Firm, Glasgow Rangers, are obviously followed by Protestants.
From the early 20th century, Rangers had a policy of not signing Catholic players, or elmploying Catholics in other roles.
After being absent for 4 years from the first Scottish division due to the bankruptcy of 2012 and a subsesequent restart from the fourth series, the blue bears are the most titled team in the world with thanks to 122 trophies. This includes 55 Championships, 34 Scottish Cup, 28 League Cup and 1 Eufa Cup Winners’ Cup.

National team

Eire and Northern Ireland have different national teams, but both use the green uniform.

In this case, there’s a particular history to the separation.

From 1882 to 1924, the whole island of Ireland was represented by the national team organised by the Irish Football Association (IFA).

In 1920, after some disagreements within the IFA and the division in Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State, some members moved to Dublin and founded the Football Association of the Irish Free State (FAIFS), which organised its own championship and a new national representative.

In 1923, the FAIFS was recognized by FIFA as the national football federation of the Irish Free State.

The team made its international debut at thet 1924 Paris Olympics, where on 28 May the Free State of Ireland beat Bulgaria 1-0, with a historic first goal from striker Paddy Duncan.
The home debut took place on 14 June 1924, with a 3-1 victory over the United States at Dublin’s Dalymount Park, with Ed Brookes scoring a hat-trick.
On 25 February 1934, the Irish Free State made its World Cup debut, with a 4-4 draw against Belgium.
On 21 September 1949, they beat Liverpool’s Goodison Park 2-0, which was the first time the English national team had been beaten at home.

From 1936, the FAIFS change its name to the Football Association of Ireland, which led to a period of enormous chaos. There were in fact two Irish teams competing, and they were managed by two different conflicting associations.

The IFA based in Belfast and the FAI based in Dublin, both claimed their jurisdiction over all of Ireland, considering themselves as entitled to select players from all over the island.
There were about 40 players picked to represent both teams, but most decided to defend the Republic of Ireland.

FIFA was forced to step in when both teams were taking part in the 1950 World Cup qualifiers.
Players Tom Aherne, Con Martin, Reg Ryan and Davy Walsh played for both teams in the same tournament.
They were born in the Irish Free State and they made their debut for the FAI before also representing the IFA national team.
The FAI asked FIFA to stop the IFA from picking players from their area of expertise.

FIFA resolved the situation by establishing that each federation could select players based on their political borders. The teams couldn’t just call themself Ireland. The FAI team should have been called the Republic of Ireland, while that of the IFA should have been called Northern Ireland.

Rugby

The national team represents the whole island of Ireland in the Six Nations and in all world competitions.
They’ve adopted the clover as their coat of arms, which is often used in sporting events and is also associated with the St. Patrick’s Day.

When the National Team played in Belfast the British anthem “God Save the Queen” was played, while for home matches in Dublin the anthem of the Republic of Ireland “Amhrán na bhFiann” was used.
In away matches, no hymn was played.

From 1995, the Ireland’s away games have been accompanied by the anthem “Ireland’s Call”.
In the matches played in Dublin, “Amhrán na bhFiann” is played before “Ireland’s Call”.

This has obviously caused a bit of a stir: some players and supporters from the Republic of Ireland would like to play the anthem “Amhrán na bhFiann” even when they’re away, while other players and fans from Northern Ireland wouldn’t want to hear the anthem “Amhrán na bhFiann” when they’re playing in Dublin.

On 24 August 2007, when he returned to Belfast after 54 years for a friendly match against Italy, someone suggested playing the song “God Save the Queen” next to “Ireland’s Call”.
The proposal was turned down by the federation because the game was considered to be away (played outside Ireland), so only “Ireland’s Call” had to be played.

Hockey

Hockey is another popular sport in Ireland.

The national team represents the whole island of Ireland, and the official anthem is “Ireland’s Call”.

The Belfast Giants are one of the 10 teams that take part in the Elite Ice Hockey League, which is the top hockey championship of the UK.

Cricket

Cricket is another sport that Ireland is known for.
The national team represents the whole island of Ireland, and the official anthem is “Ireland’s Call”.