Changing accents

This past weekend the girls and I took a day trip up to Belfast, Northern Ireland, but it wasn’t exactly the carefree day we had expected. After we arrived in Belfast, we decided our safest bet was to take a Black Taxi Tour in order learn about the historical and political context of Northern Ireland’s capitol.

We ended up learning it wasn’t all history just yet. To this day the animosity between Catholics and Protestants hangs thick in the air.

Our taxi drivers took us to Shankill Road, a Protestant street featuring militaristic murals and 8-year-olds smoking cigarettes. We then drove to Falls Road where Catholics feature murals calling for world peace, including a shout out to President Obama saying it’s time for change, referring to the U.S. embargo against Cuba.

What really gave me goosebumps was seeing the Belfast Peace Wall, which separates the Catholics and Protestants in West Belfast. It’s a much smaller version of the Berlin Wall, about 3 miles long and 25 feet high and covered in graffiti and inspirational messages, now including one of my own.

Unionist mural located on Shankill Road in Belfast
(Photo credit: Sapna Patel)

Nationalist mural on Falls Road in Belfast
(Photo credit: Shanna Oatman)

My inscription on the Belfast Peace Wall
(Photo credit: Sarah Holub)

But how can you tell the difference between a Catholic and a Protestant? “Oh, you can’t just by looking at ‘em,” said one of the taxi drivers in an accent that sounded more British than Irish. Sounds a bit dodgy, huh?

He went on to say that sometimes you can tell by looking at what a person is wearing or the way they pronounce a certain word.

While Catholics wear shirts with Gaelic writing, Protestants don’t. While Catholics say “hitch” Protestants say “itch.” While Catholics cherish their Irish heritage, Protestants try to be British.

Seeing as the Protestants identify as British rather than Irish, they even try to sound British. You won’t catch a Protestant from Belfast saying, “we had loads of craic last night!”

The language used in Belfast was so different from the language I've heard in Dublin and I have to admit that I was not only surprised but a little saddened, as well. It almost felt as if the people in Northern Ireland were ashamed of their Irish heritage. It seemed as if they were completely open to leaving everything green behind in order to pursue a life in the land of orange.

With that said though, it's definitely much more complicated than that beneath the surface.