Belfast

Paul took us out a few times to tour different parts of Belfast. The city has many murals commemorating the conflict between the Nationalists fighting for a united Ireland and the Unionists who favored remaining under British rule.



The picture above shows a mural from the Catholic standpoint. The picture below was taken in one of the predominantly Protestant parts of town.



Belfast has become more peaceful in the last few years but you can still see signs of its troubled history in the razor wire that encircled many buildings and the fortifications that enclosed most of the police stations.



The above picture shows a wall of murals painted to show solidarity with other areas in conflict. This one criticizes the U.S.'s role in Iraq. The one below speaks to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict.



Paul also took us to listen to some traditional Irish music at his local bars. The older musicians performed songs commemorating Nationalist heroes who had died. Jacob recorded a few of their songs and will put them up once he gets them into a format that can be posted on the Internet.