Northern Ireland - how do you perceive it?

I've never been but will need to go there for work early next year. My underlying feeling is one of nervousness. Because my perception has been the not so distant history of bombs and killing and hatred. I'm aware things have changed but that's my personal perception. Hopefully a visit will change that.

Get. Out.

Please could there be more discussion about traybakes?

The interesting thing about the "divide" is that it's not a forced divide. People aren't being made to live in nationalist communities or loyalist communities. Those that do are choosing to. They aren't being prevented from integrating. They just dont want to.

It's the same with the schools. People aren't told, "Your child is Catholic therefore they can only go to a Catholic school." It's not like that. They can go to an integrated school if they want to. They just don't want to.

People tend to form communities with people who are similar to them. NI has an Asian population who live in particular areas, mostly with each other. No one complains about them wanting to be around others with a similar background. In fact, it would be rather outrageous to dismantle their communities and tell them, "You must go live elsewhere because segregation is wrong even if it's your choice."

People live where they want, with who they want, and get along just fine (until July).

I went this summer.

Went to giants causeway, Derry and Belfast.

Loved the coastline and would like to go back and see more..

I was actually surprised by how divided it still felt.

I thought that was all in the past but we did a peace wall tour and some of the murals shocked me - still ones with soldiers holding machine guns.

Drove through some villages full of flags.

Like a pp said they also have the Palestine murals. The guide was saying it was catholic = Palestine, Protestant = Israel.

Loved Derry.

How is the GAA the same as celtic or rangers? Everyone Is welcome,in the Republic protestants play too. They also include it in multisports
s in schools in the north.

Apple pies with no pastry top. Instead of a pastry topping it's a dollop of fresh cream. Best in autumn with a blackberry on top.

Very industrial and bleak, yes: https://www.facebook.com/groups/676500406259034/?ref=share

There are nearly as many cows as people (1.9 million v 1.6 million). Belfast is a huge city of nearly 300,000 people - half the size of Manchester.

Not at all!! It’s very green and not industrial really! Really pretty and lots of amazing beaches.

You're wrong, but don't come if you don't want to!

I imagine it to be wet and grey and quite industrial and bleak.

DH has been for work and said it was a great place.

I've never visited because there are other places I'd rather go to.

Sorry to be so negative but you did ask for genuine opinions.

Ooh, apple creams sound interesting @thisiswheretheseagullfliesaway!
I've never even heard of them before and they're legendary you say - I fear I may be missing out 😁

NI Presbyterians (and other Protestant denominations) have big wakes too! They're just more likely to be 'dry', ie no alcohol!

Northern Irish Presbyterian family and we definitely have huge wakes. A relation died recently and despite committing the sin of having the house private the door never stopped, of course I didn't mean private to them! Weirdly they often turn into joyous occasions with shared memories and funny stories.

There's definitely wee men and women nearby who attend any funeral going probably for the tea, sausage rolls and traybakes and legendary apple creams 😂. There's an old crater in our village who attends a different gospel hall every night for the supper after and finishes it off with a whiskey in the pub way home!

@DonnaHadDee where I live has almost doubled in size in the last ten years. It's more a commuter town now than a seaside town as the properties are cheaper and it's in easy distance to Belfast the new homes have brought more diversity to the area. There's still the odd one who thinks you only belong if you've two sets of grandparents in the graveyard 😂. My family are only here 50 years, pure blow ins to some.

Downside is the weather. I'm forever cleaning sand of the car and windows on a windy day. A mouthful of sand is a likely hazard you get used to shielding your eyes from it. Today though the smell of the sea on the breeze was beautiful it's the nicest smell on earth.

Totally agree. I used to live in Scotland. When I used to visit NI sometimes I thought that people in shops etc weren’t quite right as they were so chatty and friendly until my mother pointed out it was just I wasn’t used to it in Edinburgh lol

Been to Belfast twice recently (just back from the second one) and would very happily live there. Like the place, LOVE the people, who are so much friendlier than the English folk I meet. Don't get me wrong, I love my home country and am English, but sorry, the NI peeps were just kinder, speaking to homeless people, looking after their elderly GPs etc. Saw it all and it's just different.

It definitely used to be the case that Catholics had Irish names and Protestants had English names. I get the impression that has blurred and middle class Protestants now quite often give their children traditional Irish names. But there’s also a lot more intermarriage (what a bizarre term in the 21st century) than there used to be. My dad’s favourite joke was “but are you a Protestant atheist or a Catholic one?”- which he said people would genuinely ask him when he was young in the 50s and 60s.

They didn't mention the traybakes though!!

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2g1lw0yn6o

Only a few weeks ago. What a shame that some find this acceptable. Seemingly the sign was there for some time before being removed by police.
Love Belfast and Derry. Derry is very friendly and easy to navigate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Brit#:~:text=Castle%20Catholic%20was%20applied%20more,office%20of%20the%20British%20administration.

I don't imagine most people would care if their doctor was protestant or catholic! Sometimes names indicate what religion someone is. Harder to distinguish between more middle class people. There is an old not very nice saying that when Catholics get money they start acting like Protestants. Also called 'west brits' or 'Castle Catholics'. Have heard my good catholic friends (middle class) referred to as this by republicans.

It could be a misunderstanding. Midlands born here, everyone else knowing everything that goes on in others households, big families, big funerals etc is perfecty normal there and yet not quite so common in the south of England where I live. The north and midlands were pretty boisterous places family wise in the 70s and 80s, to an extent, they still are.

I suspect Irish Protestants (as in, Protestants south of the border) would be closer to the Irish Catholic stereotypes than the NI Presbyterian ones - so they are Irish stereotypes that don't translate to NI unionists rather than Catholic stereotypes. If that makes any sense. Also very much open to correction on that, if there are any mythical Irish Protestants on the thread.