The highlight of our trip to Belfast, besides meeting my cousin, was attending this walking tour featuring murals from the troubles. This was an incredibly eye opening experience. Since this I have been obsessed with any and all literature and documentaries I can find about the troubles.  I have also learned the the troubles are far from over. If you are not familiar with the struggles of Northern Ireland start here. Just about every person we met had strong opinions on where they stand though none ever really dove into what their opinions were, solidifying my belief that the Irish are the nicest people on the planet.

The tour is split up between 2 hosts. One is a former prisoner from the IRA and the other is a former Loyalist prisoner of war. We begin at Divis Tower with Rocky and his dog. Rocky spent 17 years in prison and knew Bobby Sands, among many of the other famous players of the height of the troubles. You can feel the anguish and anger radiate from the stories of the atrocities he was telling us.

This is the most famous mural in Belfast.

You can see the bullet holes covering a school near Divis Tower from the August 12-16th, 1969 outbreak of political violence marking  the beginning of the thirty year conflict.

We were handed off at the Peace Wall for the second half, and other point of view with Robert. Fact: These gates still close every night. Fact: Since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, 40 more "peace" walls have been built. Fact: Since the Dali Lama visit where he famously danced between the only door in the wall, that door has not opened before or since and is now welded shut. You tell me if the troubles are over?!

Stepping through the gates most definitely felt like stepping out of Ireland and into a new country.

While we were there the city was erecting these towers all over town in preparation for annual bonfires to mark several dates in history but none more famous than the 11th night.

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I cannot recommend this tour enough. You will be left with a sobering personal account of the horrors these people have lived through and still are dealing with.