The ISH Photos

• The intrepid band of travellers, after a long journey to the north, were faced with a steep climb up to "Arthur's Seat" and then a panorama of Edinburgh before heading off to the shower and then a taste of some Scottish liquids to warm them up.
• The valiant band arrive at Oban on the west coast of Scotland in the evening and stand at Mactaig's monument with the harbour below and the Isle of Mull on the horizon.
• In Belfast the group venture out into the Protestant area of the city known as the Shankill Road. Here we see them before one of the many murals that adorn that part of the city. This one celebrates the paramilitary force known as The Ulster Volunteer (UVF).
• Another mural on the Shankill Road. This time for the paramilitary grouping known as The Red Hand Commando. Our group are confused that a group that uses weapons in order that their province will not become part of The Republic of Ireland uses the Irish language on one of its murals.
• After visiting the Protestant Shankill Road, the Catholic Falls Road and the Milltown Cemetery where the hunger strikers and Guiseppi Conlan are buried (have you seen 'In the Name of the Father'?) the group saw the parades of marchers commemorating the Easter Rising of the republicans in 1916. Finally they retired to ornate Crown Liquor Saloon to contemplate (over a Guinness) what it was that they were seeing in this section of the United Kingdom.
• Then, of course, it's quite a big subject so we needed more Guinness.
• Of course we all know that is wasn't as dark as this, it was just the camera (witness Tim's shades). We had left the latent aggression of Belfast behind and were getting a breath of fresh air in beautiful, beautiful Antrim; and, also, remembering a night of drinking and dancing at The Fullerton Arms. But, wait! we still have to go back along the ropewalk.
• After a lot of talking we're leaving The Crown Liquor Saloon and Belfast. Belfast wasn't a 'fun' part of the trip. It was more a education about the types of attitudes that can be found in this disunited part of the kingdom and perhaps a lesson on how students need to work at overcoming such attitudes wherever in the world.they may eventually find themselves.
• The open air, the beautiful, beautiful cliffs of Antrim, the nesting birdlife are all uplifting everyone's spirits; but, will the ropewalk hold?
• My god! that's a long way down! But, of course I'm not laughing from nervousness!
• Some are braver than others,
• After beautiful Antrim, we arrived at the The Bogside in Northern Ireland's second city (named Londonderry or Derry depending on whether you are Protestany or Catholic). Remember the young kids playing football next to this mural "You Are Now Entering Free Derry"? When the answer to their question "Where do you all come from?", was, "Antigua, Trinidad, Switzerland, USA, Russia, China, Germany, Brazil and Australia" one could see the strained awe on their young faces. It was as if the cumulative effect of meeting real people of a vague geography was straining to imprint another variation of the notion of freedom on their young minds. And what about the local resident who elected to show us the other murals. It's a pity nobody captured his creative genius.