Northern Ireland - how do you perceive it?

[TheBelleOfBelfastCity]

Genuinely just curious. I was born and raised in NI, opinions on MN seem to vary wildly from no go zone to friendly and welcoming. Trying to got a sense of what the most common thoughts are.

Have you visited? Maybe even thought about doing so? What was your opinion?

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.

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.

I’d say that a lot of how divided it felt is down to the fact that you did a tour of the most divided area of the country. I’ve lived here my entire life - even I find the rare occasion that I have to drive through the peace wall quite shocking! I haven’t been in the area in years but I took a wrong turn the other night, I honestly found the amount of flags + terrorist murals (in both communities!) felt really quite threatening so I can see how it would be unsettling for a tourist. Fortunately what you’ve experienced is the extreme - most areas and people are not like that, thankfully.

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).

Please could there be more discussion about traybakes?

I think I may be the only person in NI who doesn’t like traybakes 🙈

Get. Out.

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.

I’m sure that it will 🙂 I was recently at a work related conference with delegates from all over the UK - the vast majority were first time visitors to Belfast and they all left pleasantly surprised! Anyone that I spoke to found the city really friendly and easy to get around. Lots of good reviews re: our restaurants too

@TheBelleOfBelfastCity

Maybe I shouldn't have been so shocked but I had kind of imagined it would be a historical thing - like the Berlin Wall. That has murals but they are peace focused.

I was wondering how the children in that area grow up 'neutral' with those murals around them all the time. Feels like it would take a long time.

We did see one mural promoting peace.

They were also building a bonfire in Derry when we were there - mid August.

They don’t need to grow up neutral, of course everyone is entitled to their own identity and culture - they just need to grow up accepting others of differing backgrounds. All too often however this is not the case, hence the hatred gets handed down through generations. The parents are usually to blame, a few months ago there were kids as young as 12 throwing petrol bombs during anti-immigration riots - they certainly weren’t born doing that!

Nothing wrong with bonfires - it’s what is often burnt on top of them that’s the issue.

Sorry yes probably my language was wrong - accepting is a better word.

The Good Friday Agreement was only 25 years ago, that's not that long when you're talking about such deeply entrenched feelings that have been held for generations. Not to mention the hurt - I think I read once that every single county in NI had more deaths in the Troubles than GB as a whole. Which you wouldn't always think based on the media coverage! And of course it's not just the deaths, it's the injuries, the fear. There really is generational trauma and that doesn't get cured in 25 years.

It's moving in the right direction though.

Moved from England to NI in the 90s when I was a teenager. Got spat on at school for being English (was catholic) . Got called names on tbr bus by Protestants for being catholic. Really a lose lose situation. Parents bought a house in a Protestant area as they really didn't buy into all the crap in NI (my mum was from there though ) . Always felt awkward and isolating being the only catholic in the whole area - you can tell from the school uniforms. Left when I was 18 to go to university. Moved back temporarily after uni. I remember feeling that the overt friendliness was a bit fake. I just couldn't connect with people.

Left again as soon as I could.

Went back recently and i willl say they have much better playgrounds than we do. But the weather is crap and I think limited things to do compared to where I live in England

I’d say that very quietly. I think it might imperil the GFA.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/mumsnet_classics/3527870-Which-is-the-tastiest-Protestant-traybake

There's a whole thread!

I got back from my first time in NI this week. Stayed in Belfast but travelled along the coast to various little places. It was beautiful. Especially Belfast. I much preferred Belfast to Dublin in terms of cities and the people of Northern Ireland were so so friendly. We're going back in January.

I want a traybake now, I was grand until I read about them here. Trying to do Slimming World and now I have a longing for a traybake.

That thread is the thing that hooked me on Mumsnet to begin with!

Brilliant! Thank you.

They sound delicious!! Thank you.

That thread is great!

Last year I was in Newcastle, Co Down and I found a shop specialising in traybakes and I bought a chewy rice krispie thing with chocolate on the top. Very nice but then I read this from the thread:

You'll never get a traybake at a coffee shop that comes close to the quality you'll get in a dusty Presbyterian church hall

<envious look>

So, a huge city nearly the size of Derby!

Nearly!

Of course Derby doesn't have the benefit of famous cranes.

Derby + cranes. What a temptation!