The Titanic and Shankill

Last Sunday, I went to Belfast with the UCD International Student Society (ISS). Two of my fellow masters students also came. We had an awesome bus driver - at least for us history buffs in the back. He gave us a full run down of the Irish-English conflict through present day. By the time we reached our first stop, we were thoroughly aware of what had occurred during the Troubles (the conflict in Northern Ireland from the 1960s - late 1990s).

Source: itsthereforareason.com

  Luckily, our first stop wasn't quite as emotionally heavy as our bus ride. We started at the Titanic Experience. Built in 2012 to commemorate the construction of the Titanic in Belfast, the building itself is a work of art. Each pane of aluminum on the front is unique, signifying the unique individuals who sailed on Titanic's fateful journey. 

   Inside, there is a compass inlaid with lines leading outside the building. You can follow them to trace the Titanic's voyage.

   The upper walls are lined with the names of every ship that Harland and Wolff (the company that made the Titanic) ever made. Because of the angle, I was only able to get this picture, but there were hundreds of other names.

  The museum is really cool and has all of these interactive features that tell you about Belfast as a world leading industrial city - making ships, linen, and cigarettes during the early 20th century. There is also a ride that takes you through the construction of the Titanic and what it would have been like for the builders.
  Another cool thing was a virtual tour of the boat from top to bottom and another from the perspective of underwater archaeologists.

The Troubles and Shankill

  Next, we went on a 'Black Cab' Tour - the name is misleading, none of us were in black cabs, but I digress. These cabs took us through Shankill, the area that was central to the Troubles and is still under conflict to a degree. One of the most significant features is the wall that separates the Catholic/Irish side from the Protestant/British side. It's sad, really, but our cabbie seemed to think that the area just wasn't ready for the wall to be dismantled. A portion of the wall is called the 'Peace Wall.' People from all over the world have written pleas for peace and loving messages. Now mine is among them.

  The Shankill area is really sad. It looks like a prison camp, these run-down buildings separated by a 60ft wall. They have their own ways of 'brightening' it up though. Mainly through large murals like these:

William of Orange - his victory over the Catholic King James

I actually don't know what this is, another British victory I assume.

Commemorating a Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) 'general'

Cuchulain - a mythical Irish hero adopted by both sides of the conflict.

  Most of these murals are upsetting. I feel like they only add to the tensions in the neighborhoods. I mean do you really need to commemorate car bombings and century-old 'victories'? I don't know.
  One of the most famous murals is the 'Mona Lisa of Belfast' called such because the sniper follows you no matter where you are

I don't know if you can really tell in the photos, but the gun really does follow you.

  On a happier note, we also got some free time to walk around Belfast. One of the first things we saw was the Belfast City Hall. I don't know if all tour guides go the same school, but both the cabbie and our bus driver made jokes about it being their house.

  It really is very opulent and you can tell that, at least when it was built, Belfast was a very wealthy city. 

  And to leave it, my favorite sight:

'Drink Feckin Responsibly, Take the Feckin Taxi...Feckin Irish Whiskey

 

 

Some more World Heritage Nominees...

  Like I said in my last post, my class also visited Monasterboice, an early medieval monastic site still used as a cemetery by the local community.

Me in front of one of the high crosses. The iconic round tower can be seen in the background.

It's nomination for World Heritage status has caused some tensions because if it gains the status, the community will no longer be able to bury their loved ones in or around the compound. This is unfortunate, because so much of what adds to the unique character of Monasterboice is the communities deep ties to it. You can tell that the locals hold Monasterboice very close to their hearts - and why shouldn't they generations of families have been buried there over the last several hundred years.
  In fact, the Victorians even realized the importance of the site and put a protective barrier around one of the earliest headstones.

  Monasterboice is nominated because it has the main characteristics of a traditional early medieval Irish monastery. Namely, an iconic round tower adjacent to a church (the church can be seen in the first photo)

Round Tower. Apparently it leans slightly and could be a health hazard. I don't see it.

  Also, Monasterboice is home to two of the tallest high crosses in Ireland. Due to their age and the Irish climate, the base stones and some of the artwork has begun to wear away. Despite this, they are still beautiful and many of the Bible scenes depicted are still highly visible.

High Cross at front of cemetery. The sides are a bit weathered, but the front is still very clear.

High Cross adjacent to church. Like on the other cross, Biblical scenes, including the crucifixion, are depicted.

  After much discussion, the three people in my group decided that while yes, Monasterboice is deserving of World Heritage status, if it received that status, it would lose an integral part of its designation - its continued use. If the local community was no longer allowed to bury there, Monasterboice would lose some of its Outstanding Universal Value because part of that value is its continual use as a site of a living tradition.

Navan Fort/Emain Macha, Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

  The next site we visited was Navan Fort, or Emain Macha, not to be confused with the town of Navan in Co. Meath. Emain Macha is the traditional royal site for Ulster. Ulster is the northernmost province of Ireland. Except for a few counties, all of it lies within Northern Ireland.

Source: livinginireland.ie

  Emain Macha is the royal site at the center of the Ulster Cycle - some of the oldest recorded myths in Ireland. Most famous perhaps is the 'Cattle Raid of Cooley' (Táin Bó Cúailnge), in which Queen Maev leads a raid to steal the famous bull of Cooley so that she will have a better bull than her husband.
  Anywho, Emain Macha is set up much like Tara: a large mound surrounded by a bank and ditch enclosure. Unfortunately, the surrounding landscape hasn't been as well protected. Nearby by there is an old quarry marring the landscape. Despite this, Emain Macha is still very impressive.

Central Mound. Unlike the Mound of the Hostages at Tara, it was not used for burial.

Here, you can see part of the bank and ditch - the dark line in the middle is the ridge of the bank.

Here is closer view of the bank and ditch.

  In terms of readiness for World Heritage status, Emain Macha is probably further ahead than Tara for two reasons. First, it already has a visitor centre and exhibition that can handle a fairly steady stream of visitors. Second, it has more financial support from the local council and national environmental agency.
  Another thing that Emain Macha shares with Tara is its incredible view. Unfortunately, it was rainy and I was sick, so the photos aren't quite as good as at Tara.

That's all for now. Next time: Belfast

Second Semester

     It has been a really long time since I updated this.

    I've been back in Ireland for a little over three weeks now. After a few days of getting readjusted to the time change, I started classes with hope for the new semester. They seem much more interesting than the classes I took this semester.

   One of my classes is about the state of World Heritage Management in Ireland. Most of the class is made up of field trips to potential World Heritage site across the country. Last week, we went to the Hill of Tara, which is currently on the tentative list as part of serial nomination for the Royal Sites of Ireland as World Heritage Sites.

   Tara is actually a huge landscape covering over 100 acres. It has been used since the Neolithic and even still sees the occasional sacred rite. This time we got see almost the entire site - including a section used during the Bronze Age.

   One of coolest parts of Tara is that you can see so far on a clear day. Despite the hill not being extraordinarily tall, you can see 23 of Ireland's 32 counties.

 

We also visited Monasterboice, an early medieval monastic site and active graveyard. I'll post about that next time.