The Most Important Thing to Do in Northern Ireland

In this post I reveal the single most important thing to do in Northern Ireland— which at first may surprise you. 

I traveled there for three days on a whim— and that brief visit inspired my first novel. The scenery, people, music, and cultural heritage are first-rate. But the modern history— unknown to or misunderstood by most Americans— is absolutely captivating.

At first, the popular Giant’s Causeway, Carrick-a-rede Bridge, and “Game of Thrones” film locations will grab your attention. But to really know Northern Ireland and its residents, you have to visit Belfast and take part in what I’m convinced is the single most important thing to do in Northern Ireland. An article that appeared in the Financial Times last week underscores my point.

But first, since I brought it up…

Popular Things to Do in Northern Ireland

The HBO television series “Game of Thrones” relied heavily on Northern Ireland for film locations and was a boon for tourism. I’m a huge fan of the series and naturally booked a day-long GoT tour with McCombs Coaches. The firm provided transportation for the program’s cast and crew and does a great job with tourists, too.

Fellow fans will recognize each stop on the GoT itinerary. But if you never saw a single episode, you’ll still enjoy the area’s natural beauty. It’s no accident that television and movie scouts repeatedly choose to film here. And yes, the Giant’s Causeway— Northern Ireland’s most visited attraction— is part of the tour, too. Sadly, though, buses are no longer allowed to stop at the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge. 

I won’t discourage you from seeing those popular places, and the Titanic Museum, too. (The ill-fated ship was built in Belfast.) But I will insist you learn something about Northern Ireland’s modern history along the way…

The Body in a Bog

The Financial Times recently reported that the well-preserved, headless body of a teenage boy was found last October in a peat bog near the village of Bellaghy in Northern Ireland. An hour away, diggers acting on a tip had been searching another bog for the body of a 19-year-old male, Columba McVeigh, who disappeared in 1975. But to everyone’s surprise, authorities last week disclosed the body recovered in Bellaghy is about 2,100 years old. McVeigh’s case remains unsolved.    

McVeigh was likely a victim of The Troubles— a violent period in Northern Ireland’s history that lasted from 1968 to 1998. The largely sectarian conflict between Catholics and Protestants killed 3,500 people and injured 40,000.

A Wee Bit of History

For centuries, control of the island of Ireland has been contested by the (mostly Catholic) Irish and the (mostly Protestant) English. Tensions peaked from 1919 to 1921, when the Irish waged an unconventional war of independence from the United Kingdom (UK). 

The end result was the partition of Ireland. A new Irish Free State (today’s Republic of Ireland) was created in the south. But several counties remained part of the UK and became Northern Ireland. 

Lingering Tension

The partition itself fueled more tension and conflict. The majority Protestant population of Northern Ireland identifies strongly as British and typically wants to remain part of the UK. (They are often called Unionists and Loyalists.) The minority Catholic population is mostly Irish and generally favors a united Ireland; they are known as Nationalists or Republicans. Both sides have a long history of advancing their own cause by any means necessary. 

The Troubles

In the late 1960s, long-simmering tensions in Northern Ireland erupted into full-scale violence in which Loyalists and Republicans participated. The police and the British Army— with the help of unofficial Loyalist paramilitary groups— sometimes struggled to maintain order against the guerrilla tactics of the Irish Republican Army, or IRA. Each side viewed its opponent as illegitimate. Both sides committed atrocities. A lot of people died or disappeared. 

Ghosts of The Troubles

All of Northern Ireland witnessed three decades of extreme violence and nearly 50,000 casualties. The Troubles officially ended with the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. But sectarian bombings and killings continued, albeit with less frequency, long afterwards. Even after a quarter-century, there’s almost daily mention in local media of The Troubles and their lingering effects.  

It’s hard to move on from a generation’s worth of trauma. Especially when there’s no explanation for a disappeared loved one, or a relative’s murder remains unsolved. Columba McVeigh, for example, is believed to have been killed by the IRA, who reportedly suspected him of spying for the British. His disappearance and presumed death is among hundreds of unsolved cases that haunt families throughout Northern Ireland today.

West Belfast – Reminders of The Troubles

Reminders of The Troubles are everywhere in Belfast— especially on the west side, where some of the worst violence occurred. “Peace walls” still stand 45 feet tall between Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods. Gates that allow traffic to pass during the day are locked at night. Large, brightly colored murals commemorate dead heroes on both sides. Memorials mark the site of mass killings. Ninety per cent of students attend schools segregated by religion. A “mixed marriage” is one between a Catholic and a Protestant. 

Even the police stations, a favorite target of the IRA, are still heavily fortified against attack. And yes, the IRA remains active— I spotted their sign warning Catholic residents not to talk to the authorities. Loyalist paramilitaries are busy, too. It’s hard to escape the past.  

In Search of a Tour Guide in Belfast

At first, I was oblivious to all this. I innocently snapped photos on the GoT bus tour one day and explored Belfast city center on foot the next. The closest I came to conflict was fighting my way through the crowd at the Titanic Museum. But my memory, and a certain degree of voyeurism, got the best of me. 

I recalled seeing dramatic news photos and videos from Belfast as a kid. Movies like The Devil’s Own (starring Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford) and ’71 (starring Jack O’Connell and Richard Dormer) further stoked my curiosity about the IRA and The Troubles. In the spirit of explorative travel and learning the history of a place from the people who lived it, I went in search of a guide. 

Black Cab Tours in Belfast

I struck gold with a private, black taxi “political history tour”. My driver/guide lived through and was deeply affected by The Troubles. He somehow made the experience real for me. And he did a remarkable job of describing the conflict from opposing perspectives as we drove along streets that were once war zones. 

We passed through Catholic and Protestant areas— easily distinguished by the ubiquitous flags (Union Jack or Tricolor). We stopped at the peace walls, murals, and memorials as he explained their significance. Sensing my intrigue and naïveté, he cautioned me not to return on my own after 3:00 pm. And although he encouraged me to take photos, he suggested I do so discreetly in some places to avoid arousing suspicion. I never felt unsafe, but I got the distinct impression that people on that side of town remained very much on edge. 

A Novel is Born

Weeks later, I couldn’t stop thinking about what I saw and heard on that tour. I grabbed every book and watched every show I could find about The Troubles. Over and over, I tried to put myself in the shoes of combatants, victims, observers, and their descendants on both sides of the conflict.

Characters formed in my mind and took on personalities as I weighed the forces that might unite and divide them. Soon I started weaving their fictional lives into my first novel— entirely imagined but historically accurate. No other place on earth has sparked my imagination in quite the same way. But for the people who live there, it’s all real. 

Belfast Black Cab Tours – How to Book

Thanks to Northern Ireland’s burgeoning tourism, there’s now a plethora of black taxi tours. I’m partial to Cab Tours Belfast which is co-owned by Protestants and Catholics. Their private, 90-minute tours are consistently well-reviewed and led by drivers who experienced The Troubles firsthand. As I see it, a black cab political history tour of Belfast is the single most important thing to do in Northern Ireland. 

Admittedly, the subject matter is somber. But no other event in history has done more to shape present-day Northern Ireland and the collective psyche of its residents. And you can’t claim to know anything about the place if you don’t know something about The Troubles.