For The Love of Travel

I went on a political West Belfast tour in a classic black cab which offered an in-depth look at “The Troubles,” featuring murals, the Peace Wall, and personal stories from Norman, my guide.

The Republic of Ireland has maintained a strong, critical stance regarding Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, characterized by high-level diplomatic criticism, humanitarian funding, and legal intervention. Along Falls Rd, the murals are largely about Republican sympathy for the Palestinian cause.

The Battle of the Falls was a 34-hour military operation by the British Army in the Lower Falls area of Belfast from July 3–5, 1970. Over 3,000 troops imposed a strict curfew, firing vast amounts of CS gas and engaging in gun battles with the IRA, resulting in 4 civilian deaths, hundreds of arrests, and deep alienation of the Catholic community against the Army.

The Bobby Sands mural is a significant site on the Falls Road related to the 1981 hunger strike. Outside the prison, the momentum and support for the Hunger Strikers were growing. When a by-election was called in the Fermanagh South Tyrone Parliamentary Constituency due to the death of the sitting Independent Member of the British House of Commons, Frank Maguire, an opportunity was presented which afforded the Hunger Strikers, the IRA and its supporters the ability to highlight the prisoners demand. After serious negotiations within the Nationalist community, it was agreed by all other parties and individuals interested in contesting the seat that Bobby Sands would be nominated on 30th March 1981 to stand as a candidate for the vacant Parliamentary seat. Bobby Sands received more votes in his 1981 by-election than Margaret Thatcher did in her own constituency in the 1979 general election that brought her to power. Sands secured 30,492 votes in Fermanagh and South Tyrone, while Thatcher received 19,290 votes in her Finchley constituency.

Sands died on 5 May 1981 in the Maze’s prison hospital after 66 days on hunger strike, aged 27.

The strike was called off after ten prisoners had starved themselves to death, including Sands, whose funeral was attended by 100,000 people. The strike was the driving force that enabled Sinn Féin to become a mainstream political party.

The Clonard area in West Belfast is a significant historical interface, bordered by a prominent peace wall that separates the nationalist Falls Road from the unionist Shankill Road. This structure, is part of a 21-mile network of barriers built from 1969 onwards. The cage enclosure at the back of the building you see, is a precaution against homemade bombs being lobbed over the ‘peace wall’ (in days gone past!).

Loyalist neighbourhood…..

The Shankill Road is a major, historic thoroughfare in West Belfast, known for its predominantly Unionist and Loyalist community, vibrant political murals, and central role in The Troubles. Running 2.4 km from central Belfast, it offers a deep, often sobering, insight into the city’s complex history, culture, and peace process.

The area is famously adorned with murals celebrating local history, the Royal Family, and Ulster loyalism, alongside poignant memorials. You have to zoom-in to look at the King’s Guard expression…cracked me up!!!

The Shankill is near the significant Peace Wall that divides it from the nationalist Falls Road, which can be visited to see messages of peace.

I had no idea about this, but was shocked to learn that Belfast has ‘peace gates’ – which close early in the evening to manage ‘interface security’ (to prevent conflict at flashpoint locations between unionist and nationalist areas) – commonly 8:30 PM. I was also shocked to learn that in Northern Ireland (mostly Belfast but also Londonderry and Portdown) – there are 97 individual walls, gates, and barriers. They vary from high concrete walls to metal fencing, wire mesh, and iron gates. Although a 2013 goal aimed to remove all walls by 2023, the deadline has been missed, with many residents still feeling safer with them in place, despite surveys showing growing support for their removal. So SAD.

And then, there are the paramilitary groups in Belfast, including the UDA and UVF (loyalist) and various republican factions, which remain active despite ceasefires, using intimidation and violence to maintain a “stranglehold” on certain communities. Over 25 years after the Good Friday Agreement, these organizations are primarily involved in racketeering, extortion, and organized crime, rather than terrorism – often targeting local businesses for “protection money”.

Education data from tells me that there are 1,064 primary and high schools in Northern Ireland – with around 90% of schools in Northern Ireland remain split along religious lines, with only about 8% of pupils attending integrated schools.

As of September 2025, there are 76 grant-aided integrated schools across Northern Ireland, including 11 primary and post-primary integrated schools located specifically in Belfast.

Another gorgeous day to wake up to…sun was shining at 7am! Took the opportunity to drive off early from Derry and when reaching Whitepark Bay, ohhh! reminded me so much of Aussie beaches…made me feel a bit homesick. And that cute picturesque little hamlet nestled in the cliffs around the corner? Portbradden.

Had to take a detour to Ballintoy harbour…..just because….

In relation to the first image (below)…can you see Carrick-a Rede Rope Bridge in the distance – look at the point between 9 and 12 (on the clock)….first erected by fishermen in 1755, suspended almost 100ft above the Atlantic Ocean. Atlantic salmon were first fished at Carrick-a-Rede and Larrybane in 1620 but it wasn’t until 1755 that the first rope bridge between to the rocky island of Carrick-a-Rede was erected to reduce reliance on a boat to reach the island. In the 19th century more than 80 fishers, 21 salmon fishers and 10 fish carriers were working in the parish of Ballintoy. Catches of up to 300 salmon a day were common until the 1960s. Centuries of salmon fishing are now just a memory. Fishing pressure at sea and river pollution led to a decline in salmon and the last fish was caught at Carrick-a-Rede in 2002.

Next image…does “Game of Thrones’ mean anything? Series 2, Episode One…the road Arya takes to escape King’s Landing…ok, so the pic is taken during the day and there is no mist and foreboding…but I love the bendy beech trees! The beech trees planted back in the 18th century by the Stewart family to impress visitors heading to Gracehill House… and still stopping people in their tracks today.

Took the coastal road via Cushendall and loved the Carnlough harbour on arrival…because of its quaint and oldy-worldy feel; and further on, loved this incredibly groomed hedge that appeared out of nowhere…

Carrickfergus Castle (constructed by the Normans 849 year ago) has been an imposing monument on the Northern Ireland landscape whether approached by land, sea or air. It’s still standing tall and proud having been through a lot: sieges by the Scots, Irish, English, and even the French, and it served a key military role until 1928. But despite all that, it’s one of Ireland’s best-preserved medieval structures.

It was fab weather to put droney up to photo the castle and surrounding town.

Woke up to gorgeous sunny weather this morning and I immediately thought…must “Walk the Wall” first thing. The Derry Walls were built 1613-1619 to enclose the new Plantation city of London-Derry, controlling trade as well as fortifcation. (The Plantation of London-derry was where the City of London was granted confiscated lands to establish a Protestant, English-speaking colony. The goals were to strengthen British rule, secure the area against rebellions – following the Flight of the Earls, and introduce English culture and Protestantism. The city of Derry was heavily fortified, becoming the first newly built city in Ireland and a bastion of English settlement. The Walls have never been breached, withstanding besieging armies in 1649 and 1689. During the recent Troubles, they became part of the Peace Wall, separating communities and were refortified with military watch towers. In 1995, they were reopened to the public.

A walk around the top of the ramparts, provides an elevated promenade to see how the city has developed out beyond the Walls. The Derry Walls are approximately a mile in circumference and take in both the highest and lowest points on what used to be the Island of Derry.  

Do we need an introduction to the Derry girls?? After that, its St Columb’s Cathedral (the oldest surviving building in Derry, constructed between 1628-1633); and the Guildhall – a neoGothic civic building completed in 1890 located near the river Foyle. It is characterized by its large clock tower and vibrant stained glass windows.

Loved the stain glass…so intricate and reflecting the history of the time (as always)…these particularly took my eye on the ground floor of the Guildhall.

On the first floor, there are amazing stain glass windows commemorating the coronation of King George V, funded by a group of Derry citizens of the time. But a video is playing to the side of this wonderous artwork, about ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ – where British troops shot and killed 14 unarmed civil rights protesters in 1972; and the efforts made by people to address the wrongs; the enquiry announced by Tony Blair and the findings about the deaths announced in 2010, as ‘unjustified killings’. Quite the juxtaposition of events and history. Really appreciated this ‘curation’.

On to Dunluce Castle….one of the most picturesque and romantic of Irish castles. The iconic ruin bears witness to a long and tumultuous history. First built on the dramatic coastal cliffs of north County Antrim by the MacQuillan family around 1500, the earliest written record of the castle was in 1513.

It was seized by the ambitious MacDonnell clan in the 1550s, who set about stamping their mark on the castle under the leadership of the famous warrior chieftain Sorely Boy MacDonnell during an era of violence, intrigue and rebellion. In the 17th century, Dunluce was the seat of the earls of Antrim and saw the establishment of a small town in 1608. The castle was abandoned because of the impoverishment of the MacDonnells in 1690, following the Battle of the Boyne. Since that time, the castle has deteriorated and parts were scavenged to serve as materials for nearby buildings.

Loved the views from the castle, over the water….reminded me a bit of the ‘Great Ocean Road’ experience in Victoria, Australia.

Had a delicious lunch at the Bayview Hotel, Portballintrae and drove a couple of kilometres to see Salmon Rock Beach….waaahhh! The waves were amazing, the blue of the water was amazing..and Runkerry House on the other side of the bay was gorgeous. Built in 1885 by the influential McNaughten family, its now been subdivided into luxurious apartments. I hadn’t been planning to go there, just happenchance. I love that on a holiday.