Belfast by Black Cab

Black Cab tours are known for their unbiased commentary about 'The Troubles' as they drive you around this city.

Paul was our driver and he declared he was a Catholic and heavily involved in Gaelic Football right at the outset. Unbiased is probably not how I would describe his 90 minute tour, but informative, passionate and entertaining he certainly was.

His knowledge comes in part from his own personal history. Friends, relatives and neighbours were all mentioned in his commentary. The name of his godfather is listed on a Memorial Wall, amount those who died for the cause. He has known cousins, neighbours, people from the street he lived in, friends ... all who have lost their loves in this long war. He has seen acts of violence and told us, when he and mates were sanctioned, committed acts like blowing up a bus, himself.

Whilst The Good Friday Agreement led to an official peace, violence still visits this area.

We saw the Belfast Berlin Wall, a high division built at the "interface" where Protestant and Catholic housing areas met. Still to this day, the gates are shut at 7o'clock each night.

In the Protestant working class housing area we visited, we saw some of the famous murals, painted on the windowless walls at the end of rows of public housing. I was astounded by the number of British flags displayed, hanging from the houses. Paul explained they go up on 12th July and stay there until they fall down. This celebration involves many bonfires and much drinking and shouting of Loyalist slogans.

Paul was not impressed that these Orange men wanted to march 13 times a year. He was happy they march, but critical of the number of marches they insisted on, and also taking their route to provoke Catholics.

Most shocking was when Paul showed us two rubber bullets. He himself had been hit by one. They were the size of a jumbo marker. A light tap on my forehead showed the force; I can only imagine the wallop when fired from a weapon. No wonder people were killed by them, especially when fired illegally from a distance too close.

We saw the old Belfast courts, which stood opposite the prison and was joined by tunnels. The prison is now protected as a building and being redeveloped as a Youth Hostel. Paul has been a cab driver for over 20 years and would always top up petrol if venturing into this area, as he said, "You definitely didn't want to break down round here."

He did not really distinguish as to why people died. He just pointed out the deaths, on both sides, from this long struggle. When I mentioned the practice of "kneecapping" he explained that sometimes people had been kneecapped "in the back of the neck".

He told us about the Hunger Strikes and also the Dirty protest, when prisoners wore a only blanket, did not wash or shave, and smeared their prison walls with excrement.

When I asked him, Paul said he had Protestant friends at work, but outside of work - no. But his daughters have brought home Protestant boyfriends, which is no issue at all. So this is a complicated situation. Old rivalries and hatreds don't die easily. The two groups still take actions to antagonise each other. The hope and aim is still for one united Ireland.

Along the Peace Wall, Paul handed me a marker pen to add our own names to the many messages there. All I could think to add to our names and the date was: May your only troubles be 'little ones'.