Scariest experience of my life!!! (Nothern Ireland is still a bit mad)

fullstop

Reindeer wrote: »

And folks wonder why Americans are still asking about the troubles? They see it in the news often enough.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/northernireland/5821509/Seven-police-officers-injured-in-Northern-Ireland-riots.html

Last time I checked the Telegraph was a British newspaper.

nlgbbbblth

There's nothing as bad as a thick uneducated loyalist thug.

You cannot reason with them.

although comments like this are pretty f*cking dumb too

Bogger77 wrote: »

and republicians are facists, they prove this every March with their marches.

St Patrick predates protestantism by 1,000 years. He doesn't just represent catholics.

as for the person who equated loyalists with protestants, get a grip and learn some history.

ever heard of protestant nationalists?

Wolfe Tone
Henry Grattan
Robert Emmett
Charles Parnell
Roger Casement
Erskine Childers
Sean O'Casey
WB Yeats
JM Synge
etc

madmac187

Hey peoples, I'm from the south of Ireland and drive an laois reg car, can anyone like give me a list of places not to go in Belfast and places not to go near on the Way to Belfast from Dublin. I was reading another thread and this guy pulled up at a petrol station and didnt see the murals and they nearly kicked the **** out of him. Obviously I don't want that to happen can anyone help. And I will be going to Queens for college the same there any help will be much appreciated

JupiterKid

JupiterKid wrote: »

A poster from another message boards that I'm a member of PM'ed me to tell me that she was planning on travelling to Armagh to visit the planetarium today - on July 12th of all days - with her chiildren. :eek:

How niave and stupid can you be?:(:mad:

What, because it's closed?

Jesus Christ though, it's not THAT dangerous. I really dislike NI and it has more than its fair share of scum, but the way so many people go on, as if you can't set foot in X or Y area without being beaten up or stoned, is total BS and scaremongering. I was in a shopping centre today in this 'loyalist hellhole' Craigavon and it was full of Nordies, Southerners as well as a good few English (judging from the accents) and assorted foreigners. Saw 3 or 4 Southern reg cars on my way in. Again, I hate NI, but I've had a lot more trouble in Dublin from junkies/scumbags, and I feel much more unsafe there. I'd be more worried about walking down Talbot Street to Connolly than arriving in Belfast city centre.

And the people who say things like 'we should bomb/sink NI' make me sick. Do you not realise a large proportion of the people who live there are every bit as Irish as you? That they hold Irish passports and go back generations? That they send their kids to Irish schools? That the vast majority have no time for terrorism and bigotry and just want to live their lives like you do? Because my family just happen to be from south Armagh instead of just over the border, they have nothing to do with you or Ireland? Sure, isn't it just grand for you that your ancestors were lucky enough to live in the 'right' part of the country - feck everyone else, so! :rolleyes: The pure ignorance is astounding. You would be happy to just wash your hands of your fellow countrymen because some people can't let go of the past.

JupiterKid

Thanks for the response! It was in or near Newtownbreda, in an area full of terraced houses and murals.

That sounds like Belvoir to me. It's a big estate of very loyalist and anti-Southern types.:( Newtownbreda proper is fine.

Judgement Day

'There's nothing as bad as a thick uneducated loyalist thug.'

except perhaps 'a thick uneducated republican thug.' In the interest of balance and from my own direct experience.

stealthyspeeder

generalmiaow wrote: »

Thanks for the response! It was in or near Newtownbreda, in an area full of terraced houses and murals.

JupiterKid wrote: »

That sounds like Belvoir to me. It's a big estate of very loyalist and anti-Southern types.:( Newtownbreda proper is fine.

Probably! (although could be Lisnasharagh on the other side *sigh*)

It would be horrible to have to grow up like that and I'd hate if people were violent apparently on my behalf.

When you grow up in the middle of it, you accept and get used to it and it becomes the norm. Its only when you are older (travel a bit and see other cities) that you see the how wrong it is! Getting a bad rep for other peoples actions! it's sh!t craic alright! But I have found that the people who take it seriously and actually judge, and expect every Northern Irish person to be like the extrwme stereotype they see on the news, are often of similar personality to those people themselves. I have no time for either!

madmac187 wrote: »

Hey peoples, I'm from the south of Ireland and drive an laois reg car, can anyone like give me a list of places not to go in Belfast and places not to go near on the Way to Belfast from Dublin. I was reading another thread and this guy pulled up at a petrol station and didnt see the murals and they nearly kicked the **** out of him. Obviously I don't want that to happen can anyone help. And I will be going to Queens for college the same there any help will be much appreciated

You can stop for petrol anywhere in any town on the way to Belfast. Queens is in South Belfast and you will have no problems or trouble. In fact unless you encounter a group of drunken men at night, you are in no danger.

fippy

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

There's nothing as bad as a thick uneducated loyalist thug.

You cannot reason with them.

although comments like this are pretty f*cking dumb too



St Patrick predates protestantism by 1,000 years. He doesn't just represent catholics.

as for the person who equated loyalists with protestants, get a grip and learn some history.

ever heard of protestant nationalists?

Wolfe Tone
Henry Grattan
Robert Emmett
Charles Parnell
Roger Casement
Erskine Childers
Sean O'Casey
WB Yeats
JM Synge
etc

Wolfe tone is the father of irish republicanism and he is protestant....ah junior cert year history comes flooding back.

SteveDon

Things have moved on a hell of a lot in the past ten years.

I moved down to dublin in 1999 from a loyalist area in co down, the contrast from living here to living up north at that time was huge.

You really cant begin to understand the problems in Northern Ireland looking at it from south of the border.

Came accross this video on youtube, heres how parade day went down in the last decade, i think youll agree that things have improved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twSOuiJJGPM

nlgbbbblth

fippy wrote: »

Wolfe tone is the father of irish republicanism and he is protestant....ah junior cert year history comes flooding back.

yes. that was the point I was trying to make.

nlgbbbblth

Judgement Day wrote: »

'There's nothing as bad as a thick uneducated loyalist thug.'

except perhaps 'a thick uneducated republican thug.' In the interest of balance and from my own direct experience.

compare Bobby Sands with Johnny Adair.

Tawny

yes, yes, all Nordies are narrowminded bigoted scum and only people in the fair province think like that.

However, it would seem that the biggest atrocity of the Troubles was committed by wonderful native Irish people from the lovely 26 counties.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/8080197.stm

Incidently, the most hard core Provos I have met were from Limerick.

OP sorry you had a bad experience. Glad you got home safe. Try not to dwell on it, or let it colour your experience too much, you were just extremely unlucky. I know people who were carjacked and robbed in south africa and they still went back the next year to the same place on holiday.

madds

topper75 wrote: »

2. Strabane to Derry - I go this way cos it is a better road surface but I always pray for no breakdowns. Union Jack city.

Four of us stayed overnight in Strabane on the way to the Heineken Cup final in Edinburgh back in May and we went for a fair few drinks in a pub beside the port that evening sporting our Leinster colours. Ended up getting fairly well jarred and dancing with the locals. The next day we were told we were very lucky not to have had any incidents as Strabane is a strong Unionist area.

Does anyone know this area?

Dudess

Bogger77 wrote: »

and republicians are facists, they prove this every March with their marches.

WTF? FFS, have some sense!

People down here who compare moderate republicans with hardcore loyalists just because some moderate republicans might vote Sinn Féin (not all of us do) really grind my gears...

Tawny

madds wrote: »

we were told we were very lucky not to have had any incidents as Strabane is a strong Unionist area.

Does anyone know this area?

Hahaha you were had!

Don't listen to everything people tell you.

Stabane is 95% Catholic.

Actually just re-reading your post...."Four of us stayed overnight in Strabane on the way to the Heineken Cup final in Edinburgh back in May and we went for a fair few drinks in a pub beside the port that evening sporting our Leinster colours. Ended up getting fairly well jarred and dancing with the locals. The next day we were told we were very lucky not to have had any incidents as Strabane is a strong Unionist area."

No idea where you were. It wasnt Stabane anyway.

Bob Z

Tawny wrote: »

Incidently, the most hard core Provos I have met were from Limerick.

Friends father was in sinn fein. He left because a lot petty criminals suddenly joined after the cease fire. i 'd say it the same with limerick guys

jackbutler

Sounds scary as hell, the only confrontations i've had were with chavs *shudders*

madds

Tawny wrote: »

Hahaha you were had!

Don't listen to everything people tell you.

Stabane is 95% Catholic.

Actually just re-reading your post...."Four of us stayed overnight in Strabane on the way to the Heineken Cup final in Edinburgh back in May and we went for a fair few drinks in a pub beside the port that evening sporting our Leinster colours. Ended up getting fairly well jarred and dancing with the locals. The next day we were told we were very lucky not to have had any incidents as Strabane is a strong Unionist area."

No idea where you were. It wasnt Stabane anyway.

Sorry, it was Larne not Strabane.

topper75

madds wrote: »

Sorry, it was Larne not Strabane.

Ha ha - opposite ends of the spectrum both geographically and geopolitically. I dunno - I suppose they both have an 'aahh' sound. :pac:

fitz0

Tawny wrote: »

Incidently, the most hard core Provos I have met were from Limerick.

Still fighting the imperial oppressors, I see. :rolleyes:

newmills

[quote=[Deleted User];61164539]What, because it's closed?

Jesus Christ though, it's not THAT dangerous. I really dislike NI and it has more than its fair share of scum, but the way so many people go on, as if you can't set foot in X or Y area without being beaten up or stoned, is total BS and scaremongering. I was in a shopping centre today in this 'loyalist hellhole' Craigavon and it was full of Nordies, Southerners as well as a good few English (judging from the accents) and assorted foreigners. Saw 3 or 4 Southern reg cars on my way in. Again, I hate NI, but I've had a lot more trouble in Dublin from junkies/scumbags, and I feel much more unsafe there. I'd be more worried about walking down Talbot Street to Connolly than arriving in Belfast city centre.

And the people who say things like 'we should bomb/sink NI' make me sick. Do you not realise a large proportion of the people who live there are every bit as Irish as you? That they hold Irish passports and go back generations? That they send their kids to Irish schools? That the vast majority have no time for terrorism and bigotry and just want to live their lives like you do? Because my family just happen to be from south Armagh instead of just over the border, they have nothing to do with you or Ireland? Sure, isn't it just grand for you that your ancestors were lucky enough to live in the 'right' part of the country - feck everyone else, so! :rolleyes: The pure ignorance is astounding. You would be happy to just wash your hands of your fellow countrymen because some people can't let go of the past.[/quote]

You hate NI, dislike NI but you feel sick when someone says something silly like bomb/sink NI!! Make your mind up there and get off that fence!!

luckat

Little schoolgirls I know went up on a school trip, and their bus was harassed and beeped at and everything. They were from a Protestant school, but of course the beepers couldn't tell - all they could see was the Republic reg. How I laughed.

newmills

newmills wrote: »

You hate NI, dislike NI but you feel sick when someone says something silly like bomb/sink NI!! Make your mind up there and get off that fence!!

There is a big difference between not liking a country as a place to live and wanting to destroy it, and lumping the entire population together as troublemaking lunatics. Can you really not see that? If you don't like Northern Ireland, don't live there, don't visit it. All these 'we should blow it up' comments are absolutely ridiculous.

IIMII

topper75 wrote: »

Wearing a GAA jersey in Carrickfergus or driving into Craigavon in a CN reg car are not bright things to do. In the trade we call it "asking for it".

In what trade exactly? They should offer relocation grants for those animals to go back to the mainland

Red Sleeping Beauty

luckat wrote: »

Little schoolgirls I know went up on a school trip, and their bus was harassed and beeped at and everything. They were from a Protestant school, but of course the beepers couldn't tell - all they could see was the Republic reg. How I laughed.

I know the answer to this question so forgive me in asking it. what's the point to rhetorical questions and all that...

What is a "republic reg" ? Is it a registration on a car that says "This car does not have a monarch as its figurehead" ?

Atttempts to seperate Ireland and Northern Ireland in a sort of politically correct manner or any manner really are kinda funny cause they're mostly wrong. Some places , people or websites or forms will use "Eire" to denote the 26 counties , cause of course that language is dead "up north". There's the aul classic "Southern Ireland" which I find hilarious when you compare it to America's southern states. I suppose you could say republic of Ireland which is kinda correct but the country isn't called republic of Ireland it's just Ireland.

ardmacha

Atttempts to seperate Ireland and Northern Ireland in a sort of politically correct manner or any manner really are kinda funny cause they're mostly wrong.

They are entirely wrong as Northern Ireland is by definition part of Ireland. Because the larger part of Ireland is conveniently called Ireland in intl matters does not imply that the rest of the country is any less Ireland, any more than Clondalkin is not part of Dublin because it is not within the Dublin City council area and because you someone you know might have meant a gurrier there.

Red Sleeping Beauty

I don't know if it's to do with the size. It's just odd how slow the govt. of the 26 counties has been to make any stake in the other 6 counties. It was only a year or two ago when FF registered as a party there. I don't think unification or even a joint responsibilty is on the cards for any of the 3 populist centrist parties.

This recession carry on seems to be adding fuel to the 6 counties of Northern Ireland with the murder of Kevin McDaid and the incidents at the marches/parades recently. Sectarianism may have its new face but this time it seems to have even fewer ideas and as much as Sinn Fein has tried , they just can't break the mould and are a failing party. Well, in the "republic" at least. Ironically enough so is "our" other "republican" party.

Either way, every person on this island whether you want to be a United Kingdom citizen or an Irish one, they all, we all deserve something better I think.

conchubhar1

i am going to the north tomorrow

hope i dont die - ooooohh scary pfff

Alicat

Got held up by some scumbag in work this week Came at us with a big stick Fuppin' scary

newmills

[quote=[Deleted User];61195653]There is a big difference between not liking a country as a place to live and wanting to destroy it, and lumping the entire population together as troublemaking lunatics. Can you really not see that? If you don't like Northern Ireland, don't live there, don't visit it. All these 'we should blow it up' comments are absolutely ridiculous.[/quote]

I'm originally from NI and i find it odd someone says they HATE NI and DISLIKE NI but then get offended by people who say blow it up. The poster never said they didn't like it as a place to live more that they HATE/DISLIKE it.

Based on what - people, culture, atmosphere, scenery?

Really ridiculous statement to say they hate an entire country. Why. I came to live in dublin and have only ever got a small amount of hassle for my northern accent - doesn't make me hate Ireland.
Stupid to hate a country based on a minority!!:rolleyes:

mikemac

Parked a TN reg car on Sandy Row, Belfast for a day once........unlocked :eek:

My fault, forgot to lock it
Car was untouched when I got back

Lucky me and I was more careful next time.

Terrontress

Dudess wrote: »

WTF? FFS, have some sense!

People down here who compare moderate republicans with hardcore loyalists just because some moderate republicans might vote Sinn Féin (not all of us do) really grind my gears...

But there are more who compare moderate loyalists with the murderers of Kevin McDaid.

Both sides are as bad as each other. The post which you referred to was making reference to Republican marches in Northern Ireland.

I have been caught in the middle of one in Belfast and one in Newry. You wouldn't know the difference between them and the Orangemen except one set wears green sashes and the others orange.

The one in Belfast was coming from Short Strand towards the Markets as I was attempting to get out of Maysfied so it has obviously passed some Protestant areas.

They had all the harp swilling hangers on hanging round the side of the road, same as the Orangemen.

Take a look at this

If it was not for the flags, you would think they were loyalist bands. There is no difference. I bet they even play a lot of the same songs.

So it really grinds my gears when people automatically assume that one side of the community in Northern Ireland is worse than the other.

newmills

newmills wrote: »

I'm originally from NI and i find it odd someone says they HATE NI and DISLIKE NI but then get offended by people who say blow it up. The poster never said they didn't like it as a place to live more that they HATE/DISLIKE it.

Based on what - people, culture, atmosphere, scenery?

Really ridiculous statement to say they hate an entire country. Why. I came to live in dublin and have only ever got a small amount of hassle for my northern accent - doesn't make me hate Ireland.
Stupid to hate a country based on a minority!!:rolleyes:

It was me who said that! I grew up here, and I meant I don't like it as a place to live. I lived in a few different areas and didn't like any of them much. That's my personal opinion. That is a million miles away from saying the place should be blown up.

The murdering scum are very much in the minority, most people just want to get on with their lives and find the bigotry as annoying as I do. People saying stuff like 'you deserve what you get if you drive (an Irish reg) car' are just scaremongering. The place is full of Irish reg cars and people from the republic doing their shopping. There is really no reason to be afraid in less you decide to park in an estate full of Union Jacks. I have a 'southern accent' myself (long story) and I never get any hassle. The OP was unlucky, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I've had some horrible incidents in Dublin, but I'm not suggesting nuking it. There are scumbags everywhere. The ones in NI are just motivated by different things. It makes me feel really sad that people from the republic are so afraid to venture over the border and scared to death of the people. Most people here are really friendly and helpful and they're getting tarred with the same brush as the scum.

DoireNod

Terrontress wrote: »

I have been caught in the middle of one in Belfast and one in Newry. You wouldn't know the difference between them and the Orangemen except one set wears green sashes and the others orange.

If it was not for the flags, you would think they were loyalist bands. There is no difference...

There is a big difference. Most republican marching bands are simply that - a marching band - and not a pseudo-religious group. They usually march in support of the creation of a re-united Ireland based on principles of equality and such like; they don't march as an exclusive group in a statement of belligerent triumphalism. Republican marching bands are also generally smaller in size.

...I bet they even play a lot of the same songs.

They don't. Unless Amhrán na bhFiann is a big loyalist tune?

General Zod

I can't really imagine Roddy McCorley being blasted out on the 12th by the Queen's Loyal Flute Band.

Rebelheart

topper75 wrote: »

NI is still a good tourist destination. Belfast and Derry are cool towns and the north coast is beautiful. But you need to be aware where you are going - find out beforehand. Certain towns are not welcoming to southerners, and if this comes as a surprise to you then the outcome could well be Darwinian.

For the sake of common sense, do not betray or advertise that you are a southerner. Do not wear a GAA jersey. If you have a southern reg, do not drive into a town with loyalist estates. Don't broadcast your thoughts loudly in a southern accent whilst wandering around towns.

Learn some political geography - it could save your life.;)

Any time I am in the Six Counties I see more GAA jerseys on people than any other jersey, so clearly there are an awful lot of people there who have no problems wearing them. How do these people manage when they are in a situation such as the OP was in? If I recall about ten years ago John Taylor was defending the GAA receiving British state funding because it was, as he put it, "the largest sporting organisation in the province".

Anyway, there are loads of ways for spotting somebody's ethnicity/religion/politics - whether it's your pronounciation of the letter 'h', the neatness of your appearance or whether or not you can smile - hell, even your use of direct or indirect speech can be an indicator of the above traits. Wearing a GAA jersey is just another. If the OP left his Down registered car but was dressed a certain way he would give a signal to those people. If one wants somebody to blame for his/her misfortune he/she will notice every difference about them. It's the way weak people operate.

Terrontress

DoireNod wrote: »

There is a big difference. Most republican marching bands are simply that - a marching band - and not a pseudo-religious group. They usually march in support of the creation of a re-united Ireland based on principles of equality and such like; they don't march as an exclusive group in a statement of belligerent triumphalism. Republican marching bands are also generally smaller in size.
They don't. Unless Amhrán na bhFiann is a big loyalist tune?

Well they sound the same, they look the same and the members of both appear to be of a similar calibre.

DoireNod

Terrontress wrote: »

Well they sound the same, they look the same and the members of both appear to be of a similar calibre.

Yes, to the untrained eye! I'm kidding. I know what you mean.

Terrontress

DoireNod wrote: »

Yes, to the untrained eye! I'm kidding. I know what you mean.

First time I got caught in the middle of it I was driving a southern reg car and my first thought was fear as I was in the middle of an Orange march. Then I realised it was not an Orange march so my fear eased off. Then I saw the hangers on and the people marching and I was frightened again!

Rebelheart

Rebelheart wrote: »

Any time I am in the Six Counties I see more GAA jerseys on people than any other jersey, so clearly there are an awful lot of people there who have no problems wearing them. How do these people manage when they are in a situation such as the OP was in? If I recall about ten years ago John Taylor was defending the GAA receiving British state funding because it was, as he put it, "the largest sporting organisation in the province".

Exactly. Either the person who made those comments was woefully uninformed or was plain taking the p*ss. Can't walk around in a GAA jersey in the north? Where do people get these ideas from?

Redpunto

Yep ya gotta be careful what towns ya drive in up there in a south reg car.

Dudess

luckat wrote: »

Little schoolgirls I know went up on a school trip, and their bus was harassed and beeped at and everything. They were from a Protestant school, but of course the beepers couldn't tell - all they could see was the Republic reg. How I laughed.

That reminds me of the Holy Cross abomination (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1339999/Holy-Cross-girls-on-tranquillizers.html) - ****ing bastards. I'm no fan of Sinn Féin because of its links with the IRA but I can't help feeling it would have put its foot down very early on if a bunch of republican thugs pulled a stunt like that on little protestant girls.

Terrontress

Dudess wrote: »

That reminds me of the Holy Cross abomination (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1339999/Holy-Cross-girls-on-tranquillizers.html) - ****ing bastards. I'm no fan of Sinn Féin because of its links with the IRA but I can't help feeling it would have put its foot down very early on if a bunch of republican thugs pulled a stunt like that on little protestant girls.

Well if I recall correctly Billy Hutchinson, UVF mouthpiece, spoke out firmly against those intimidating the kids with their parents. He said he was ashamed to call himself loyalist as it lumped him in with those threatening under 10s.

But often it is impossible to quell mob rule as was seen for the first half of this week in the same neighbourhood.

getz

it wasent very nice and it also tarred every one with the same brush-10 year olds druged so the parents could walk them passed a hate filled people,i wouldent have sent my child to school when that was going on, and i cannot imagine any parent in the republic who would ,so they are just as sick in my eyes,hurting the child to prove a point,

Dudess

getz wrote: »

it wasent very nice

That's one way of putting it.

it also tarred every one with the same brush

I don't get that - you'd have to be seriously ignorant to tar every single loyalist based on the behaviour of those *****.

10 year olds druged so the parents could walk them passed a hate filled people,i wouldent have sent my child to school when that was going on, and i cannot imagine any parent in the republic who would ,so they are just as sick in my eyes,hurting the child to prove a point,

Nice. Shift the responsibility to the parents. They're hardly "just as sick". I'm sure plenty did use the other route/stay at home, but then again, why should they let those lowlives stop their kids from getting educated? And it was long enough (January 2002) before the harassment stopped - do you think they should have stayed at home/used the other very inconvenient route for over four months?

DoireNod

getz wrote: »

it wasent very nice and it also tarred every one with the same brush-10 year olds druged so the parents could walk them passed a hate filled people,i wouldent have sent my child to school when that was going on, and i cannot imagine any parent in the republic who would ,so they are just as sick in my eyes,hurting the child to prove a point,

Fair enough that you think that, but I think it isn't right to say that you can't imagine any parent in the Republic who would do the same if they were in that position. There are plenty of people on the whole island of Ireland who would do the same as you and there are plenty who would defend their children's rights to walk to school safely. Personally, I think that it was brave to make a statement that they would not be intimidated by the ignorance of certain groups. Stand up for what you believe in, is the motto.

Dudess

getz wrote: »

i cannot imagine any parent in the republic who would

Oh yeah, why not? Is it only something "Nordies" do? And at least the parents were accompanying the girls. It was absolutely puke-inducing, and would have been top headline news a lot longer if it wasn't for 9/11.

getz

child damaged for life -just to make a point,it must be that i live on a different planet-jail all the hate filled protesters,then report the childrens parents for child abuse

Dudess

Not "just to make a point" - it's hardly that black and white. You're very narrowminded if you think every single one of those parents kept bringing their kids to school for no reason other than to make a point.

DoireNod

Dudess wrote: »

Not "just to make a point" - it's hardly that black and white. You're very narrowminded if you think every single one of those parents kept bringing their kids to school for no reason other than to make a point.

Agree here. If anything, those children will look back on those events and take inspiration from their parents' decisions. It shows them not to tolerate bullying and unacceptable behaviour.