Category: The Troubles
Aftermath and trauma
When I was 14, my family took a trip to the Scottish Borders to visit my aunt and uncle who’d bought a farm there. It was the first time I’d been out of Ireland and to me it felt like a whole new world. Bridies, Irn Bru, midges that were more bitey. And I distinctly…
Ulster says Maybe
When there was violence, Ulster was closed. Closed to the fancy supermarkets across the water. Closed to cars with a different numberplate. Closed to a different way of thinking or believing. But every time I return home, I notice that Ulster is just a wee bit more open. Open to talking about the past with…
On the Telly
We’ve been watching the Channel 4 series The Piano recently where the local talent pitches up to show what they’ve got on a piano set up in a train station. It’s inspirational. London – goes without saying. Manchester, Cardiff, Liverpool, Edinburgh – certainly. Belfast? Nope. I asked my wife why: My wife rolled her eyes…
