A wonderful 40 hours in Northern Ireland on the L6^th Form History & Politics Trip...

Flickr album: L6th Form History & Politics Trip to Northern Ireland - June 2023 | Height: auto | Theme: Default | Skin: Default Skin

On day one we had an early start waking up at 3.30am to leave at 4am to get to Bristol airport for our flight to Belfast City. We arrived early in the morning and immediately headed to Stormont, the devolved Assembly and former Parliament of Northern Ireland. We had a superb tour and we were so fortunate enough to get the opportunity to have a Q&A  with two prominent Northern Irish politicians - Edwin Poots of the DUP and Mike Nesbitt, the former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. We had lunch in the centre of Belfast and then had a fascinating and thought provoking walking tour by Paul starting at the Divis Tower and around the Falls Road, Shankhill Road and the Peace Walls. We checked into our Premier Inn Hotel in the centre of Belfast and then had a lovely meal at Pizza Express.  

The next morning, Mrs Simper and Rev'd Beverly drove us to Derry. Our first stop was the Free Derry Museum where we met John whose brother was killed in Bloody Sunday. We then had a very educational and emotional tour from Aussie, a former Republican, around the Bogside.  After a walk around the Walls of Derry, we had lunch, and then visited the Guildhall where the Bloody Sunday inquiry was held, and we saw the Derry City Council Chamber. We got back into the cars and drove around the Causeway Coast where Mrs Simper pointed out her home town Portstewart. The views of the beaches, golf courses and Atlantic ocean were spectacular. Finally, we got to the Giants Causeway, which was so impressive and we loved having some sea air and seeing the beauty of the nature. The Final stop was Antrim for supper before back to the Airport to fly home. It was a wonderful trip and so eye-opening. A huge thank you to Mrs Simper, Rev'd Beverly and Mr Fletcher for taking us. Niamh

It was so interesting to see Divis tower and finding out about the British’s strategic use of the tower.  Archie

Some of the areas we saw felt very dystopian. It was interesting to see how both sides saw and felt about each other. Henry

It was fascinating to meet people who had experienced both sides of the conflict and everyone we met was so welcoming and hospitable. Jasmine

We were blessed with perfect weather and all went according to plan. Our tour guides were superb and the pupils really benefitted from hearing so many personal views. Mrs Simper