Thursday, 12 January 2012

Penultimate day in Northern Ireland

Well, what a surprising week this has been. I can't really believe what I've experienced, what I've seen, and who I've met!

Yesterday I went to Londonderry, to meet the Dean of St Columb's Cathedral, the Very Reverend William Morton. Another wonderful man, in charge of a wonderful Cathedral, which is steeped in history, recent and hundred's of years ago - including the hymns of Mrs Alexander (All things bright and beautiful and others) as her husband had been bishop there.

The Dean, William, started out by telling me of people in his congregation. These included a lady now in her early 80s, whose husband was killed by the IRA 40 years ago, and it was mistaken identity. She was a lady who was still very strong in her faith, and who had a strong personality.

And then he spoke of another lady, whose husband and daughter were both killed by the IRA in the same place, but on different occasions, and the man who did it went on to be Mayor of the City.

Many other examples were given.

Our discussions ranged from Martin McGuinness, to Colonel Gadafi, from gunmen/statesman to the role of political parties today.

He also spoke to me movingly about about when he was a journalist, and reported on many of the atrocities.

A quote he used, which I had heard on 2 or 3 occasions "They don't want the Crown, but they want the half crown!"

Today two very interesting and different people. Revd Gary Mason, a Methodist minister who runs the East Belfast Mission - an organisation involved with helping people into employment, dealing with people's rights, counselling people, and running various projects. All this is attached to a Methodist Church.

And the other person I met was a former UVF terrorist, whose story brought the whole thing to life - rooted all that I had heard from others, into the first hand reality of what happened.

He gave me many quotes: "Those who forget the past, are those who are people doomed to repeat it!" "God was on our side, because we were right" to use just two of them.

More tomorrow - journey home - so much experienced, so much to reflect on!

Tonight it's the cinema "The Iron Lady"

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