The history and legacy of the war in the six counties (I don't like the euphemistic Troubles, if plays down the enormous loss of life and suffering) is such that it would be more or less impossible for one person to tell the story in a way that did justice to all. The organisers of this walk get round this by giving you, effectively, two tours - one, along the Catholic Falls Road, led by a Republican, and a second, along the Protestant Shankhill Road, led by a unionist. Consequently, you get two very different, indeed totally opposing, perspectives. On the one hand, it is depressing to see the - possibly irreconcilable - divisions that still exist and the. On the other hand, it is a stark illustration of those differences that have shaped this country's history.
Each half last around 90 minutes and gives you the background to the war, key events that happened in the area, and an at times graphic account of conditions both in West Belfast and for those jailed for their parts in events. It also positions the conflict firmly as a social, political and cultural conflict rather than a religious war - something which surprised two American visitors on the tour.
You also get to see many of the murals and memorials that commemorate people and events. On the day we went (Monday 7th November), I felt the Republican guide provided a little more context than his Loyalist counterpart, who focused more on (slightly repetitive) stories of IRA killings rather than the wider political conflict and repeatedly told us he had no answers to the problems. From the Republican point of view, the near-apartheid of 1960s Northern Ireland could have been emphasised even more - the first guide gave us a flavour of this, but if anything held back on the full extent of how bad things were, perhaps because of time.
I must admit, my own family is Irish and I am what you might call a student of the war, so I heard little that I did not already know, apart from (embarrassingly) the fact that part of the community in West Belfast is still locked in behind huge steel gates every night. That said, it was an education to hear the stories from people who had lived them and to see the deep divisions laid so bare.
It's important, though, to remember context. The two guides were both talking from their lived experiences in West Belfast. The city as a whole and indeed the six counties have made enormous strides since the GFA and for people under 30 the war is ancient history, something they have no experience of. For them, the past and its divisions are irrelevant, and they simply want to have normal lives like anyone else. However, the political uncertainties here, especially since Brexit and with shifting demographics, do mean, though, that peace cannot be taken for granted. The tour is a stark illustration that divisions still exist in society and could yet resurface.
Although the tour, and especially the second half, was at times depressing, there still remains hope. At the halfway stage the two guides met for the handover, and during some banter about a united Ireland shared a genuine, hearty laugh. I wish I had taken a photo of the moment, as it showed that even with the deepest divisions and a legacy of death and maiming, people can still find some common ground and get on with each other. There is indeed hope.
