History Being Made

Yesterday, I got to be in Belfast as history was made. Queen Elizabeth arrived on Tuesday in Northern Ireland as part of her Diamond Jubilee tour throughout Great Britain. On Tuesday she first made history by visiting a catholic church in Enniskillen while visiting this historic town. Yesterday, the Queen arrived in Belfast to meet with Martin McGuinness, and other dignitaries at the Lyric Theatre, in South Belfast. Michael D. Higgins, the Irish president, and the First Minister of Northern Ireland, Peter Robinson, were also present, but the spotlight was on Martin McGuinness and the Queen as a significant step forward in peace process. Martin McGuinness, as well as being Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, served as the IRA Commander during "The Troubles." Her majesty and Mr. McGuinness had never met before, and there was obvious tension, seeing that he had been responsible for the death of the Queen's own uncle, Lord Mountbatten, when his yacht was blown out of the water near Donegal Bay in 1979. Martin McGuinness and the Sinn Fein party had refused to recognized the Queen's visit to Ireland last summer as well, in a political statement against continued occupation of the North.


The two put differences aside yesterday, however, as they met and shook hands. It is reported that McGuinness went so far as to greet the Queen in the Gaelic Irish, and something about the Troubles and the Peace Process was said in passing. The stipulation of the meeting was that it was not considered to be part of the Jubilee festivities, as Sinn Fein does not recognize that the Jubilee should be celebrated in Northern Ireland. The meeting went well, however, it was completely closed off from the public for security reasons on all sides. A mile perimeter was maintained from the public around the venue of the historic meeting, as extremist loyalists and republicans were both upset at the step forward. 

There was no getting around the police barricades around the 

meeting with Mr. McGuinness

The venue of the historic meeting- Lyric Theatre

Later in the day, the Queen went on to Stormont, the seat of government in Northern Ireland, where she celebrated at a Diamond Jubilee event attended by 20,000 people. In this location, it was thought safe enough for her to appear publicly, as all the people admitted had been screened before being allowed in and the secluded nature of Stormont in general.

Many were excited for their Queen's visit:

Houses were decked out to the tune of "Rule Britannia" 

throughout the Loyalist areas of the city

Cheering Crowds welcomed their Queen in the streets 

of Belfast, despite her inability to appear publicly, due to

security concerns

Others were very angry about the Queen coming to Belfast:

Graffiti along the walls of the Falls Road District- the Irish Catholic

 neighborhood segregated by the Peace Wall

For those who can't see close enough, it reads "Send the Brit

Queen Packing, Back to the Depths of Hades- You're Not Welcome

Here." These banners were up all over the Irish Nationalist areas, on 

telephone poles and held up by protesters. 

Protesters outside City Hall, asking about the lost victims 

of the Troubles

Protesters along the main route that the royal entourage would 

have had to travel

A very moving image could be seen on the hillside above 

Belfast, near the spot where the United Irishmen first met to

discuss the dream of an Irish Republic in the late 1700s. 

It reads ÉRIU IS OUR QUEEN. Eiru is the ancient personification of Mother Ireland, and beside the giant coloured Irish flag, it was meant to be a symbol to be seen from anywhere in the city as well as from the air. 

Regardless where your religion or politics lie, whether Irish Nationalist or Ulster Unionist, Catholic or Protestant, the day marked a historical event in the move forward for Northern Ireland, as the leader of the Sinn Fein party and the Queen of Great Britain were able to meet and be cordial to one another. There is hope that the situation will maintain its stability to a point where a lasting peace is possible. Still a long way to go, but there is hope.