Belfast, Northern Ireland - Black Taxi Tour

     We had two options in Belfast - visit the Titanic Museum or take the Black Taxi Tour.  We chose the taxi tour.  The tour takes visitors through the Catholic/Republican and Protestant/Loyalist neighborhoods of West Belfast which, to this day, are separated by a wall with gates that lock at 6:00 p.m. each evening.  We stopped to see the famous murals, visited the Clonard Martyrs Memorial Garden, and we signed the Peace Wall.

Our Driver and Guide Joe
During "The Troubles" between Republicans and Loyalists, riots and barricades were common.  Roads were often blocked and bus service was suspended.  Someone got the idea to go to London and buy some old black taxis.  Soon the taxis were driving down the side roads when the main roads were barricaded.  They drove over the rubble and down footpaths if necessary.   They were the public transit system when the regular system failed.   

Murals

Mural Dedicated to Bobby Sands Who Died in Prison While on a Hunger Strike

Rubber Bullet
This is an example of a rubber bullet shot at crowds during riots.  They were not supposed to be as lethal as regular bullets, but this missile looks like it could do a lot of damage.

Clonard Martyrs Memorial

The plaque contains names of those died during "The Troubles."  One section lists names of those affiliated with political organizations.  Another section lists the innocent bystanders who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This is the wall between neighborhoods.  Some people have had to enclose their back yards with metal screening to keep out debris.

Signing the Peace Wall

You can sign walls and hope and pray that people eventually figure out how to get along.  Our guide told us that Catholics are taking a different approach.  They are investing in education.  They are using that education to obtain good jobs.  Education, money, position, power.  Sounds like a pretty smart plan to me.