Newry: The Good Old Days

bingo_bango

That's an age old issue Caz. Been the same since this all started, and it will continue.

It actually has more to do with the geography of these towns, where by a quirk of fate, the easily accessible border towns are generally nationalist.

As for the local LOL blocking roads in their own community.... I expect it was too far to walk to a nationalist area??

Edit: Actually,on re-reading Caz's post they make the following point.

caz2703 wrote:

I could "understand" if these devices were placed say on the Shankill Road where those affected are from the very side of the political divide they dislike so why target their own community?

As snowyowl has mentioned above the dissidents want the British establishment out of Ireland, not the protestants. Placing a bomb on the Shankill has no real benefit other than to alienate the protestant community. I think it's always been the case that the general population on both sides tend to take an attitude of 'they're only harming themselves, as long as they leave us alone let them kill one another'.
I realise that that can be taken to be a very wide and sweeping statment, but I do believe that to be the case.

When you say those from the very side of the political divide they dislike, who do you mean? Do you mean loyalists, do you mean nationalists aligned with Sinn Fein, or is it the middle of the road parties like SDLP and Alliance? You may not have realised it when writing, but saying 'political divide' rather than religious divide is exactly the point here. It's not about religion, it's about the politics of this tiny piece of land, with it's tiny population. The situation here hasn't really been about religion for more than 300 years IMHO.

I've quite enjoyed the past few years, having to explain to my (now 15YO) son what it was all about. He was learning about the troubles in school as part of the curriculum!! He had very little knowledge of what it was like to live in a time when checkpoints were a fact of life, along with 4 hour detention in the street, and illegal strip searches at the side of the road. I watched bombs go off, I've seen people shot and killed, I've been threatened with a gun on more than one occasion (generally in the hands of security force members, but not always) and I had my whole life disrupted because of what went on here (wish I'd emigrated when I was 18 TBH ).
The reason I enjoyed telling him, was because I had a vague hope that he would never witness what I did and would have to rely on me and others to tell him what it was really like. Now he has 'lived through' his first bomb (he lives in Newry, I used to) it's bringing it all into sharper focus for him. The people behind this current bout of madness have no idea what they're doing to the stability of our children's lives here. :mad:

SnowyOwl_2

I think the point - if there was any point to this disgraceful bomb - was to do with the recent Hillsborough discussions regarding policing and justice and their being devolved to NI. The courthouse was a strategic target because obviously it's to do with the British justice system, and also because the locality is mostly Nationalist. As far as these dissidents are concerned any involvement of the British, even in a power sharing agreement, is not wanted. I noticed a sign on the Camlough Road the other day along the lines of "No PSNI, no British police in Ireland". These bomb setting idiots are just that - idiots.

drew2k9

i think some of you are giving these dissidents too much credit, they are defiantely not that intelligent (probably why most of the bombs never go off)

their goal is as simple as they are, they want to break down power sharing, meaning britain will be in direct control, then this will give them cause for another civil/political war, becoming political prisoners rather than terrorists, they want to be seen as patriots rather than they scum they really are.

their easy equation goes as follows:

1 - i dont like police or army
2 - i want to kill police and army
3 - i will lure police and army with bombs
4 - government wont like bombs
5 - dup and sinn fein fall out due to sinners being linked with us
6 - devolution fails
7 - army back and police checkpoints
8 - we have targets and try to look like heroes

simple as that/themselves.

caz2703

Drew - very good points.

My husband is from London and came over here around 2000. His parents, needless to say, were worried about him living here but although he'd seen some stuff on TV there's a lot he doesn't know. I was telling him recently about the police checkpoints in Belfast City Centre, no-go areas, knowing coded warnings for big shops (mum was told a certain code phrase for Castlecourt which when she heard she did a runner for the front doors only to be met by police & fire brigade).

I love my country and although I wasn't in favour of the Good Friday Agreement I don't want things to return to the way they were. I don't want my kids growing up with the same crap I did but unfortunately there are those who cannot see what peace has done for this country and only want to cause havoc and mayhem.

jammin_2

caz2703 wrote: »

I wasn't in favour of the Good Friday Agreement

Could you say why? Genuinely curious..

caz2703

jammin wrote: »

Could you say why? Genuinely curious..

Please keep in mind I wasn't long eligible to vote so my reasonings are probably immature. Back then I had experience of the devastation of the Troubles and couldn't for the life of me figure out how people would suddenly change their attitudes overnight if the GFA was passed. I also didn't agree with anyone being let out of jail early regardless of their political beliefs. If you killed or maimed you should serve the time. To me it seemed as though it was all 'forgive and forget' and sod those who have suffered.

I guess my vote was a combination of voting against prisoner release but also voting to say I didn't think it would work. I know the GFA wasn't meant to be a miracle but with what's happened in my lifetime, I certainly don't feel like our country has totally escaped from the dark days but I hope that the actions of those minorities don't escalate to the point where this country becomes a distant memory to me whilst I move aborad.