Visit to Northern Ireland

Fourteen IB students and staff visited Northern Ireland as part of the CAS programme. This annual trip combines several elements of the syllabus; politics, geography, philosophy as well as cultural and social activities.

The students were taken to see some spectacular scenery and weather on the North Antrim coastline. The group enjoyed a guided tour of the Giant's Causeway, a remarkable geological feature of international geological importance. As it occurs on the coast students were able to walk across the incredible regular jointed columns of basalt caused by lava flows. We visited 13th century Dunluce Castle, now a spectacular ruin joined to the mainland by an arched walkway.

A trip to Derry City provided the opportunity for the students to explore the tension that still exists between the Nationalists and the Loyalists. The Tower Museum gave us a wonderful insight into this famous city and region. It is well worth a visit to understand more about the Battle of the Boyne and three famous city sieges. Bloody Sunday, 30 January 1972 was also introduced and explained. Julia Hammett guided the students through the Bogside area, the murals and the route the Civil Rights march took on that fateful Sunday. We then crossed the River Foyle to Union Street and Square to review the Loyalist murals and the kerbsides painted in red and blue marking the boundaries.

In Belfast city we had the opportunity to explore the political, economic and social life of the region. We explored the Falls Road and the Shankill Road with the peace line separating communities. The students visited Stormont, the Parliament Buildings of the Northern Ireland Assembly, as well as the Harland and Wolff shipyard, dominated by the huge Samson and Goliath cranes. The shipyard was where the Titanic was built.

Feedback from students helps to give more of an idea of the experience.

The conflict between Nationalists and Loyalists is the most interesting political aspect of Northern Ireland. It was interesting to drive through some Nationalists' villages. The police stations in these villages still were extremely protected by high walls and fences and CCTV. The conflict was very good documented, the town where Bloody Sunday took place. In the Unionists' quarter the pavement was coloured in the colours of the Union Jack. We also looked at some murals in both (London) Derry and Belfast; they showed how the views of Unionists and Nationalists differ in respect of the incidents that happened in the last forty years. Sven Wenner

I found special interest in the murals, which were very detailed and symbolic, all of them addressing a special group of the Irish population, giving them various messages. I was surprised that they had not been taken down, because I consider the murals as a barrier to completely move away from the dark past, as the murals are an everyday stimulus for remembering the past. Nevertheless, I find it very good that the murals still exist, as they are an integrated part of the culture and identity of Ireland. I also found interesting the Giant's Causeway, as I have never before seen anything like that. I enjoyed the nature around the place. Daniel Bunsen

Of course the most interesting was how one nation can divide into two blocks and fight with each other. In Northern Ireland two religions-Protestants and Catholics chose their sides as either Nationalists or Loyalists. Even though officially there is a peace between them the divisions are still visible on the streets as murals or kerbstones. Kaja Zielinska