How Do You Say Glaswegian?

    Off to Scotland. We once again took the Ferry, this time heading northeast as we returned to the island of Britain. Our three weeks in the north would begin in Glasgow.

Georges Square

    Upon entering the city we were met with a most unusual site. It was a statue of the Duke of Wellington with a traffic cone on his head. This was not a prank but is the natural state of things in Glasgow. And it does represent the city. A respect for the past with with a touch of irreverence. A major city with the feel of a small town.

  Our flat overlooked Georges Square, a gathering place for all ages both day and night. Here we watched Government workers in their suits come out of their offices for morning breaks  on the square next to parents with  their babies and toddlers. Afternoons brought the students in their school uniforms to meet up with friends, or workmen on their way to the pub at the end of the day. Families went out for one last walk before bed as the sun set around ten pm, enjoying every bit of the long days of summer.

Shiva Nataraj (Lord of the Dance) 

  Our location also was centrally located so we were within walking distance of museums, churches and restaurants.Glasgow prides itself on being a city of tolerance and acceptance as we saw at the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art located in the Cathedral Precinct of the city.  http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/st-mungos/Pages/default.aspx

Here exhibits show life milestones such as birth, coming of age marriage and death through the traditions and rituals of different religions.

  On the Glasgow Greene, at the east end of the city is the People's Palace and Winter Gardens. Built in 1898 this greenhouse and building was built to provide a place for the citizens of Glasgow to gather for social and cultural events. It is now a museum dedicated to the different experiences of Glaswegians at home, work and play.

.Displays include life in a :single end” (a one room tenement home), going to a “steamie”(the communal laundry), and nights out at “The Dancing” in the famous barrowland Ballroom.

. http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/peoples-palace/Pages/default.aspx

  It was here at the People's Palace that we learned the story of the Dukes statue. The cone on his head did start as a prank in the 1970’s. Officials would remove it and within a few days the cone was back on his head. Eventually it was determined that the statue was being damaged more by both groups climbing up to remove or replace the cone and so the cone was allowed to stay making this one of the few statues in Britain not discolored from pigeon droppings.

   Work hard, play hard could be the motto of the city. You can feel the people have energy and purpose but without taking themselves too seriously. So go get a traffic cone and put it on a statue. You will feel much better.

   

A Fragile Peace

Northern Ireland.How could we understand?  The very existence of Ireland as an independent  nation while part of the Island remained under British rule was confusing enough, (and still a surprise to many Americans) but throw in fighting in the streets over religion?  It seems ridiculous in a modern Western country like Great Britain. From quick bits on the evening news in the 70’s and 80’s, stories of armed military personnel and checkpoints from those who visited Belfast in the 90’s and finally a truce in 1998 with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, the fighting was the only story we  knew. The  American press presented it to us as the fault of the terrorist group, the Irish Republican Army (IRA).  During our travels here we discovered there was more to the story.  

  The Troubles, as the period from 1968-1998 is known, is only a piece in the centuries long conflict between the Irish and the English. As we traveled through the Republic of Ireland we had learned a great deal about the abuses the Irish people suffered at the hands of the English.  Now we were crossing into the region of Ulster and the country of Northern Ireland. This part of the island has remained part of the United Kingdom since the rest of Ireland became independent in 1922. Here we hoped to learn what the news didn't tell us about The Troubles.

 We started where the violence began; in Londonderry/Derry. The city goes by both names, a clumsy but effective part of the truce. It was here that The Troubles became international news when police fired into a group of Irish Catholics  and others peacefully marching for civil rights in 1972.  This event was known as Bloody Sunday. But the history of the conflict goes back to the 1600’s when businessmen from London received a charter from the King to confiscate Irish owned land and “plant” settlers from England and Scotland in the city to eliminate Irish control of the region.  It was at this time that the majority Irish Catholics in Ulster would become outcasts and were legally discriminated against by the minority, but Protestant (English) controlled government.  Thus began the struggle for equality under the law for Irish Catholics.

 We visited the Tower Museum  http://www.derrystrabane.com/towermuseum within the city walls which covers the events of the past  to where the city is today. Here the appearances were that the conflicts had been resolved and the city was “moving  forward together”. Yet as we left the walled area in search of the famous murals we entered a neighborhood that was obviously at a lower economic level known as Free Derry.   We saw not only the murals but monuments to those who had been killed in their fight against religious discrimination. It seemed that the city was moving forward, but not necessarily together.

   As we spent the next days in the Northern Ireland countryside we began to notice the flags that were flying. In some areas it was the Union Jack; in others it was the Flag of the Republic of Ireland.  These silent symbols spoke volumes. This is a country divided.

   Upon our arrival in Belfast we knew we wanted to continue our education of The Troubles. We discovered from talking to others that the best way was to take a taxi tour of West Belfast. http://taxitrax.com/about/ .

   Belfast’s largest Protestant community, Shankill,  is separated from The Falls — the city’s largest Catholic neighborhood — by a peace wall first erected during The Troubles. This dividing wall is the only one still in use in Europe, the gates continue to be locked at 6 each night.

At the Peace Wall

 Our driver Kevin did a good job explaining both sides of the conflict as he pointed out key events  and people that were represented on murals throughout the area as well as taking us to specific locations of violence. Although the wall is scheduled to come down by 2023 it may take another generation before the people feel secure enough for it to be removed.

Independence without Ulster

honoring a Protestant Sniper

Bullet holes in a school

   Yes, the fighting was religious based. But the government sanctioned discrimination against Irish Catholics was the true cause for The Troubles. As the number of Catholics or those who wish a united Ireland increases, the current  situation may change. We can only pray that whatever the future may bring it will be peaceful.

this poster was hanging in our apatment

The Princess in the Castle

    One of the best parts of our nomadic lifestyle is the variety of homes we get to live in. We have enjoyed everything from big city apartments to thatched roof cottages on working farms. But so far the most unique has definitely been the Barbican in Glenarm, Northern Ireland. http://www.irishlandmark.com/property/the-barbican/ A barbican is the outer defense of a castle or walled city, especially a double tower above a gate or drawbridge. In this case the term castle is misleading as Glenarm Castle is really a manor house. This 1825 neo gothic tower was built for decoration, not defense but whatever the purpose it is delightful.

   As with so many places in both Britain and Europe in general, the way into the Barbican rooms is by stone, circular stairs. The balustrade is sections of rope, so there is something to hold on to as you climb up and around to each level. First the bedroom then up to the living/kitchen area and finally to the rooftop patio.

    It is hard to be a princess in todays world. Instead you are expected to be a Wonder Woman; both functional and ornamental. The fairy tale, happily ever after, rescued by the Prince stories that I was raised on are, to say the least, politically incorrect and just plain impractical in the modern world. The life I lead today would not have been possible if I had not had a 33 year career. And I am thankful that I was able to  choose  to work outside of the home instead of being socially forced to quit my teaching job, stay home and raise the kids. For other women the reverse is true. They often experience social and/or economic pressure to participate in the workforce when their dream is to be a full time Mom.

    And that is where it all breaks down. I think every woman has her own mental picture of what it means to be a Princess, but don’t we all have the shared idea that it means you get your happily ever after? With or without a Prince?

   Ok back to the Barbican. The deck on top was our favorite place to be, especially in the morning. We would take our coffee, survey the land, listen to the birds and watch the sheep graze in the fields. And of course it was the perfect place to people watch. We could easily see the people of the town come and go, off to work or school or just to walk through the barbican gate onto the manor grounds.

   As we were sitting up there one morning, a group of schoolchildren came by. They were 4-5 years old, walking with their teacher and some parents on a class outing. As with most other people the class paused to look up at our tower. But unlike the others the kids were visibly excited at the sight of the castle tower, set apart from any other building.  We laughed as we heard them exclaim, “Who do you think lives there?  Do you think there is a Princess in there?’

   Of course we had no choice. First John leaned over the wall and waved.”Oh look”, the children cried, ”I see the Prince. There he is!” They waved at him and called out hello. Then I came over to join him. “It’s her,it’s her. There IS a Princess in the castle!” As I waved, I smiled at the childrens’ words. Yes. Today I am a Princess.

    As we stood and waved and laughed together with the other knowing adults one little girl turned to her teacher and asked, “Isn’t she too old to be a Princess?” I was momentarily crushed; were my Princess days gone forever? The teacher quickly gave the best of all answers, “Maybe she is the Mother of a Princess?” “Oh yes”, said the child,” that must be it, so could she be a Princess too”?  “Of course”, replied the teacher looking up at me with a smile.

   After the children went on their way with backward glances and last waves of farewell we prepared for our excursion of the day. The words of the little girl and her teacher stayed with me. My daughter is a princess and so am I. My husband and son are both princes. Not because we live in a castle or have relatives who were royalty but because like the princesses in the fairy tales we face life's challenges with kindness and courage as we search for our happily ever after.

   And what happens when the Prince rescues the Princess? She rescues him right back.

Irish Eyes Are Smiling

 I must confess, both John and I were predisposed to like Ireland. After all, we both have (to the best of our knowledge) a considerable amount of Irish blood rushing through our veins. But I don't think either of us were prepared to absolutely fall in love with this island and the people.

 While our days in Dublin were filled with visits to museums,churches and attractions (pour the perfect Pint at Guinness) it was the unexpected that filled our hearts.

 Whether dropping into a pub to discover a Traditional Music Jam session (ok that Was in Dublin), staying for a week in a thatched roof cottage outside of Tipperary or walking with the sheep on hills above a beach along the Ring of Kerry, the beauty of both the land and the people truly stole our hearts away. The history of the people, their struggles for freedom and for life itself were hard to hear; they were after all, our family histories. But no matter the past, we constantly heard the questions-Are you enjoying your trip? Is everything good?,Are we treating you well?  And of course,(with a twinkle in the eye) Are we friendly?  The answer was always a resounding YES.

 From Dingle to Donegal and everywhere in between, be it town, castle, cathedral or pub, we heard the stories of a people who would bend but not break. This in spite of the actions of a variety of government leaders,specifically Henry VIII and Oliver Cromwell. The documented abuses the Irish faced seem insurmountable yet the people have managed to rise above, to embrace their future while acknowledging their past. There's not a bitterness or resentfulness but a hopefulness that fills the people and reflects in the overwhelming natural beauty of the land.

As the song says, we heard the Angels sing..

From the Wrath of the Norseman

From the wrath of the Norsemen…. This is the only quote I know of from the Book of Kells. I don't know anyone who knows any other. Maybe my friend Jeannie. The point is the irony of this book being displayed a few miles from the Dublinia museum was not lost on me. Dublinia shows the history and influence of the Vikings in Ireland. Their contributions made me feel better about the pillaging and plundering my Scandinavian ancestors had perpetrated against my Irish ones, (Actually, the Swedes raided in Russia and the Baltics, but you get the point).

    The Book of Kells,kept at Trinity College Library, https://www.tcd.ie/visitors/book-of-kells/ is an Illuminated manuscript in Latin containing the four Gospels of the New Testament.  I think it is important to note that the Vikings attacked the Christian monasteries not because they had a problem with the religion but because that is where the valuables were located. This included the gold leaf used on many pages of the handwritten and illustrated writings of the early Middle Ages.

    As it turns out my opening quote is not from the Book of Kells but a prayer of Celtic Monks: “From the fury of the Northmen, O Lord deliver us.”  Despite the Vikings’ plundering of all things holy, the Irish eventually gave them Christian faith. In return, the Vikings gave the Irish towns and a place in the international economy.

   This turn of events brought together two groups of strong, creative and determined peoples as we saw in the exhibits at Dublinia http://www.dublinia.ie/. From the long ship in the front to the recreated villages and homes inside we were able to follow the influence of the Vikings on the lifestyle and economy of the Irish. I think Grandpa Olaf and Grandpa Seamus would be proud of the result.