This thread is really to satisfy my own curiosity. Therefore it probably lacks a 'point' as such.
Still , I would like some cross-spectrum perspectives on the reality of community relations in NI , specifically where it is best (in your view) and where relations are particularly lowly.
Say , Lurgan can look pretty entrenched to me from what I've read whereas Antrim town has always seemed off the radar , and (I then presume) more cohesive as a result. I could be wrong.
Bangor's pretty chilled out. There's a fair few Catholics in the "loyalist" estates, and lots of Protestants at the Catholic schools. There's no GAA club, which is a pity, but maybe that means that people are more inclined to mix? The only identifiably Catholic area is VERY middle class.Originally Posted by Paisley_Buddy
Your finger on the dial can take the finger off the trigger, Confidential telephone. Belfast 652155.
Castlereagh and outer East Belfast has a number of predominantly Protestant / Unionist areas but a healthy mix too with respect on both sides. I know Catholics in Sydenham, Stormont, Cregagh, Cairnshill, Knockbracken, Four Winds, Knock, Belmont, Lisnasharragh, Gilnahirk, Bloomfield, Ballyhackamore, Holywood etc. Religion or who you vote for (many many don't) isn't an issue and community relations have no problems at all from what I can see. The Catholic community is growing in most of those areas and nobody cares. That's something for a census form not everyday life.
Community relations and interfaces are experienced worst on a forum like this!
You've probably got something there!
Although the estates in Antrim are pretty mixed apart from a couple I though there is tension though I might be wrong. Glengormley is a mixed bag. You've mixed estates and then you've deeply divided areas and at least once a week wee ************************ bags having free for alls in the middle of the village.
Off the radar??!! in what way!!
Choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil
I'm making an admittedly simplistic guess that because its a fairly large town I never hear anything much about , that relations within it are at least quiet.
Interesting question.
Carrickfergus is a heavily unionist area, they are catholics though but I have no heard of a sectarian incident here in years. There a catholics round the corner from me but they (as Nationalists would bitterly call them) West Brits. One catholic family even has a bbq on the 12th which I found weird. There is a catholic church right next to a UFF heavy estate down the road from me, used to get attacked all the time in the 90's, but it hasn't been touched in a decade - which is good.
Love me. Cherish me. I'm a unionist.
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It's a mainly a unionist town, with a fair percentage of nationalists, it's had its moments but generally relations are quite good. I wouldn't say it's a fairly large town, but it does have a fair number estates.
Choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil
I live in a village, population about 850 and almost exclusively Catholic. Very quiet and pleasant.
I think it depends what you actually want.
Some people like to live in mixed areas but again I think that depends on whether its a "nice" mixed area or not so nice.
Essentially Norn Iron is a patchwork of Irish and/or British towns and villages. Live in (say) Comber, County Down and youre to all intents living in a British town. Live in Coalisland, County Tyrone and essentially you are living in "Ireland".
Arguably this pattern is more obvious around Lough Neagh. The Birches (Protestant) is alongside Catholic Maghery. Coagh (Protestant) beside Ardboe (Catholic) and Aghalee (Protestant) alongside Aghagallon (Catholic).
To some extent ....it has been argued in the 1970s......that the most difficult streets in Belfast were the 51-49 percent streets as there was a tension which did not necessarily exist in streets which were 95-5 in balance.
I think thats fairly true about towns as well. While one extreme has it that "heads as low as a Larne Catholic", Im generally heartened that it seems the case that minorities are tolerated where they are not seen as a "threat" to the established ethos of a town.
Lurgan, which I know well is a very divided town with practically a visible line across the towns main street. The population is fairly balanced, although figures are somewhat distorted because some places are officially in "Craigavon", which effectively doesnt exist as a seperate entity.
Portadown for example has a Protestant/unionist ethos and Catholics n that town are on the Garvaghy Road (which actually includes some very nice estates as well as the down at heel Housing Executive "Churchill" Estate.
At the end of the day every town and village has an ethos that is either Irish or British.
That does not mean that the footpaths have to be painted green,white, orange or red, white blue.
It just means that theres an ambience.
No matter how good "community relations" are there is always a default position......for one or other.
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