Northern Ireland # 7 (Mar. 12, 2011)

Ballycastle is a Small Town
Every time I go into town, I see people I know either during the walk or around town. Some of these people are from Corrymeela or folks I have met through connections here, but I am also getting to know a few people around town. These connections may be a short conversation with someone I see from time-to-time when walking along the beach; other times it will be someone from a local store, coffee shop or cafe. Just this morning, I had a great conversation with the owner (I think) of Thyme & Co. Cafe - my favourite place to go for breakfast on a day off (http://www.sabp-web.co.uk/thymeandco/). From previous chats, he knows I am from Canada, so today he asked me if I follow NHL hockey, which provided the opening for a good conversation. He follows NHL highlights on satellite TV.

Walking along the beach about 10 days ago, I struck up a conversation with a man who I think is a few years older than me. He asked if I was "passing through" or going to be in the area for a while. This was a very slick way to engage me. I told him where I was from and that I was at Corrymeela for a few months. We talked a bit about life in Ballycastle and then I had to head off to catch a bus. Yesterday, he showed up at Corrymeela to check out the "Fair Trade Tea" organized by one of the long-term volunteers. I learned that he has a connection to the Co-Op grocery stores in this part of Northern Ireland and had given a lot of fair trade items and information for the tea.

I know these kinds of connections occur everywhere, but I continue to be amazed at the frequency of this here.


Carrickfergus
On my last visit to Belfast a bit over a week ago, I took a day trip via train to Carrickfergus. It is a short and inexpensive trip - 40 minutes each way with a round trip cost of about $6. The sunny weather provided great views of the countryside and the ocean (Belfast Lough) along the rail line. The warm temperatures made it very pleasant for walking around town.

Locals refer to Carrickfergus as Carrick and it is described as a large town (population of about 28,000). Carrick is situated on the north side of Belfast Lough and is home to one of the best preserved Norman castles in Ireland/Northern Ireland. The medieval castle was purportedly completed in 1242. As an urban area, Carrick pre-dates Belfast and for a long time it was larger and had greater economic prominence than Belfast. The castle sits as the most significant building on the landscape of Carrick and can be easily seen from many parts of the town.

  

Carrick is the site of various battles and historic military-related events. One of the most significant historic events in Carrick was the landing of William of Orange (William III of Orange; informally known in Northern Ireland and Scotland as King Billy). After several days of siege, the forces of William III landed at Carrick in 1689 with William himself arriving on June 14, 1690. Without going into a lot of historical facts, here are a few things that may be of interest. William III was Dutch and reigned over England, Scotland and Ireland for the period roughly from 1689 to 1702. Strongly Protestant, he participated in several wars against the powerful Catholic king of France (Louis XIV). Many Protestants consider him as a champion of their faith and was able to use this to his advantage in taking British crowns at a time when there was much fear over the revival of Catholicism under James II. His victory over James II at the Battle of the Boyne is celebrated annually by members of the Orange Order in many locations in Northern Ireland. These celebrations often take the form of "parade or marches" and even today there are examples of these fomenting violence when they intentionally go through known Catholic areas.

King Billy monument & plaque

Over the years, Carrick has been an important centre of the textile industry, but in the past 30 years or so the town has lost much of this economic base. Well before the demise of the textile industry, Belfast overtook Carrick as the largest urban area and shipping centre of Northern Ireland. While it's impossible to gain a clear picture of the current economic situation, it does appear that tourism is an important activity in Carrick. The town likely benefits from being on the main transportation route between Belfast and Larne, with the latter being the location of the terminal for ferries traveling between Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The old town centre is interesting with some notable and attractive buildings such as the town hall, a couple of churches, shops and pubs. However, there are many vacant stores and it certainly appears to be a town that is struggling economically. I toured the local museum (free admission), which had lots of great old photos, artifacts and a good gift shop. The most interesting thing about the museum (for me) was the pro-loyalist perspective on the interpretation of historic events.

That's it for this post. Here are a few more photos to help tell the story.

 One of the churches near the town centre

 

 City Hall 

 

 A great business idea.....