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NORTHERN
IRELAND | Democracy & Social Change
2
of 2 reflections
A
memorable experience? How can I write
down just one memorable experience from
my semester in Northern Ireland? From
running into Gerry Adams or Mark Durkan
at a speech given by John Hume to listening
to the stories of ex-IRA and UVF members,
my trip was packed full of memorable experiences.
If pressed, I might have to say that a
chance meeting with Michael, a survivor
of the Bloody Sunday incident in 1972
tops the list. On our tour of Derry/Londonderry,
my small group had the amazing fortune
of striking up a conversation with a man
walking outside the Guild Hall. We learned
that his name was Michael and that he
was there to give his testimony in the
ongoing inquiry into the Bloody Sunday
events. He had been shot several times
that day 31 years ago by British paratroopers
during a civil rights march. Though he
himself had been shot by the “other
side”, his thoughts were not so much
couched in bitterness or hatred, but in
disgust and sadness over the legacy of
the Troubles. To be sure, he was very
passionate and ardent about his belief
that the paratroopers are still lying
about their involvement, but he never
cursed them or the Unionist population.
He only told us about how awful the Troubles
had been and how senseless the violence
was. His attitude was somewhat remarkable,
because I sensed there a real readiness
to move on – past the Troubles, past
the Sectarianism. It may have just been
a seed of a feeling, but its presence
alone was reason for hope.
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