Catholic vs Protestant

The next step in our journey was a quick visit to Northern Ireland. From what I'd heard through the grape vine, I was going to be entering a religious hot spot. I pictured in my mind a very supervised, get your pictures and get out, nerve rattling event that would haunt me for nights to come. Little did I know that cities like Belfast and Londonderry had so much more to offer than a bleak past; they had an optimistic future.

For nearly 30 years "The Troubles" named Northern Ireland as a major headline, focusing on the battle between the Protestant North (British) and the Catholic South (Irish) or the nationalists and the unionists. But this conflict was not easily described as a fight between whose religion was the best: Many of the issues that caused violence between the two extremists rested in the hands of the ruling political parties.

"The Troubles" were a time of civil injustice for the Catholics who were left without equal access to public housing. This led to numerous families seeking refuge under the same roof, struggling to stay alive. The only hope for these families was a new government, one that took notice of these people's hardships. On the other side of the wall (literally speaking: Londonderry has a wall that separates the two sides of the city), the Protestants were fairing quite well with every family living struggle-free. This was where trouble was met: Each household was given only one vote. The Protestants outnumbered the Catholics merely in residential status but made up only 40% of the total population. They worried that if the Catholics were given equal rights, any benefits they reaped would be stripped away. In addition to facing a housing bias, Catholic neighborhoods received less government investment and underwent various levels of police harassment. This social unrest led to the Battle of the Bogside, a Londonderry based riot that left over 1000 people injured.

Although violence in Northern Ireland has yet to meet its end, it has dwindled. It's difficult for a place such as Londonderry to escape its grim past and move forward. The wall that once separated the two sides of the city still stands in Derry, but a new generation resides on either side. New housing developments have erected throughout the city, once again joining the Protestants and the Catholics. Here you will find mini communities flourishing together while the old, segregated neighborhoods seek destruction and slowly wither away. No one is sure whether the Derry wall will every be demolished. Some say time heals all wounds and that when they are ready, the people will call for a falling of the wall. Others feel that routine is an easy trap and the wall must be demolished in order to move on.

Ronan, a Londonderry resident views this ongoing battle with an open mind. He believes in the ability for Northern Ireland to find its long since overdue peace, and trusts that its people crave the same thing. Segregation is the first stone thrown, and acceptance is the glue that mends. Acknowledging the mistakes of the past and recognizing the hopes for a future without war, without fear, and without labels, is a future well worth seeing.