Big shifts are taking place on the island of Ireland – pointing towards a possible unification of north and south.
Ireland’s unionist population may no longer be in the majority, and crucially Britain’s departure from the EU has provoked a political crisis, undermining the Good Friday peace agreement. This week-long tour explores the possibilities and problems that a united or what some call a “New Ireland” might prompt. Our Ireland Tours includes Londonderry/Derry, Belfast and Dublin, and includes meetings with communities, politicians, and experts from across the spectrum.
Ireland Tours: Background
The peace process that saw an end to The Troubles is over two decades old, but faces a new threat in the wake of the result of the British referendum to leave the European Union. That sectarian conflict, fought between state security forces, Irish republican paramilitaries and Ulster loyalist paramilitaries, killed over 3500 people including 1800 civilians, and injured nearly 50,000. The violence looked to be relegated to the past following the Good Friday Agreement, which ushered in a cessation of hostilities and political representation for combatants. However, it now looks in doubt with one of the most contentious issues – the Northern Irish border with the Republic of Ireland – uncertain following Brexit.
As The Economist ominously wrote in the early stages of Brexit negotiations, “British voters forgot that the peace deal depended on both sides [UK and Republic of Ireland] being part of the European Union”.
The border, as per European Union policy, had been open, allowing citizens of either country to work and move freely across it. Now, with uncertainty over the border’s future abounding, many worry about how it will affect their lives and broader peace and stability in the region.
In Londonderry – or Derry as it is known to Catholics (who make up 75% of its population) – some worry that a botched divorce from the European Union could flare up sectarian tensions that exist today, though have not yet manifested themselves in violence. EU policies allowed Northern Irish republicans to feel connected to their southern neighbours. Meanwhile, unionists felt they were a part of the United Kingdon. A hard border would draw a literal line between the two countries, with Sinn Fein, the republican political party formed from the ashes of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) paramilitary group, have indicated they would seek an island-wide vote to unify in such an event. Meanwhile, the chief constable of the Northern Irish police force warned that checkpoints on a hard border would be considered legitimate targets by insurgent armed groups.
Brexit could also greatly disrupt trade between Ireland and the UK, with nearly 3400 Irish exporting businesses trading exclusively with the UK in 2016, according to official statistics. Brexit could greatly expose Irish business, as free trade between Ireland, which will remain in the EU, and the UK is a non-certainty. As a result of the European single market, cross border business had boomed in the 1990s and 2000s.
Michael Cox, a leading academic on Northern Ireland, argues that Brexit has also exposed the myth that “ the British government is some kind of fair minded referee mediating between the different sides in the North,” adding that any stance as such is undercut by the Conservative government’s choice of coalition partners, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which has historical links to unionist paramilitary groups during the conflict. Some unionists remain skeptical of the Good Friday Agreement, and Brexit could provide a way to undermine it.
It will also complicate the relationship between Westminster and Dublin, which had traditionally been centred on a Europe-friendly approach. If the two jostling parties in Belfast (Sinn Fein and the DUP) are able to manoeuvre a wedge between the two, it cannot bode well for stability in the region.
Ireland Tours: Reading List
“Making Sense of the Troubles: The Story of the Conflict in Northern Ireland,” by David McKittrick and
David McVea
- Publisher: Viking (2012)
- Language: English
- Pages: 404
“Making Peace: The Inside Story of the Good Friday Agreement,” by George Mitchell
- Publisher: William Heinemann (1999)
- Language: English
- Pages: 208
“Beyond the Border: The Good Friday Agreement and Irish Unity after Brexit,” by Richard Humphreys
- Publisher: Merrion Press (2018)
- Language: English
- Pages: 250
Itinerary
Our Ireland Tours start in Derry. We start at 7pm with dinner and introduction to the week ahead with our expert speakers.
Overnight Derry
Derry/Londonderry (take your pick)
On our first full day we get an overview of the Troubles, and the situation in the city today. We get a guided tour of the city walls, Apprentice Boys Hall and the Bogside. This is where some of the earliest clashes of the Troubles took place, including the infamous shooting by the British Parachute Regiment of demonstrators on Bloody Sunday.
We will get an early lunch before heading out to Liffford on the Derry Donegal border. This will give a sense of both the proximity of the border to Derry and the current political atmosphere (And a talk on how the border has changed over the years – customs, army checkpoints, border posts and none at all).
Local politicians and journalists give their take on the city today. Dinner in the city.
Overnight Derry
We drive to Belfast via the Giants Causeway. After checking into our hotel we get an introduction to the geography of the city and a presentation on the pattern of the Troubles in Belfast and their timeline.
We explore the so-called Peace Walls, which divide Catholic and Protestant communities. While the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1997, there are more walls than ever before, and a very real reminder that divisions persist.
Overnight Belfast
Before we begin to look at the question of relations with both the UK and Dublin, we get a briefing on how the Good Friday Agreement came about. The deal that saw both Republican and Loyalist paramilitaries put down their guns was in part based on the fact that both Ireland and the United Kingdom were part of the EU (this in turn meant there was no need for border controls between the North and South). Brexit ripped that all apart – plunging the province into a political crisis.
The dilemma for Unionists is this – a trade border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland was put in place to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. A solution essentially imposed upon Unionists – to allay nationalist fears and secure an agreement with the European Union.
Consequently, the member of the Northern Ireland’s largest Unionist party the DUP has been boycotting the province’s legislative assembly and no government is in place. A leading newspaper editor – a Unionist – outlines his community’s fears.
Overnight Belfast
Tour of Crumlin Road Prison close to Belfast city centre. Now closed to inmates, the Victorian-built jail served as a remand prison for much of the Troubles. Meet the prisoners – two men from very different backgrounds describe their personal experiences. How do these people both from opposing traditions see their future in this context?
At some stage in the not-too-distant future, Northern Ireland will have a vote on whether it wants to join the Republic of Ireland and leave the United Kingdom. A mechanism is already built into the Good Friday Agreement. But a move to a United or New Ireland is not a foregone conclusion. An opinion pollster takes us through the diverse views that exist. A growing number of voters refuse to align themselves with nationalists or unionist and are independent.
We have a series of meetings with Members of Northern Ireland’s Legislative Assembly (MLAs) at the Parliament Buildings, Stormont. We look back at the power-sharing agreement that apparently made the best of friends out of two men who were once the worst of enemies – Martin McGuiness of Sinn Fein and Ian Paisley – both now deceased.
Stormont’s role as an assembly has evolved over the last 50 years. What would be its role if unification took place?
Overnight Belfast
We leave Belfast this morning and drive across the border to Dublin, where we spend two nights. On arrival, we turn back the clock to look at the growth of Irish nationalism – as well as the role of some literary greats. Joyce, Yeats and Heaney all play a crucial role in shaping new Irish identities. A walk from the GPO to St Stephen’s Green – memorials to the Boer war and Tom Kettle, a nationalist who died on the Western Front. Back in the 1880s Irish independence was far from inevitable – and there were numerous takes on how it would do so.
We also look at how Ireland has moved away from its earlier Catholic and conservative (and non-aligned) self. The point here is that identities and nations evolve.
Thoughts then turn to the Republic and how it approaches this question. An economist looks at the costs or unification – is Ireland ready to take on the cost of the North (which receives more money per capita than most parts of the UK)?
What kind of constitutional framework would it be – federal or binational? And would Ireland possibly have to be more British (taking into account it would have a substantial Unionist minority)?
On our last day of our Ireland tours, we meet with a range of politicians, journalists and commentators.
Overnight Dublin (2 nights)
Ireland Tours ends after breakfast.
Meet Your Expert
William Graham is a political journalist based in Rostrevor, Northern Ireland and a member of Arts a Wonder Collective committee. He is a former political correspondent for the Belfast Telegraph and Irish News and was a special correspondent for the LA Times (in London) and for the London Times.
Graham entered journalism in 1968 and covered the early civil rights movement, the troubles, and all negotiations leading up to the Good Friday agreement as well as the establishment of devolved government in NI. He covered the political talks in Belfast, London, Dublin, Brussels, and Washington. He occasionally writes for daily newspapers on the ongoing political situation in the north of Ireland.
Essentials
The tour is mid-summer. Days can be hot and evenings cooler. Some rain is to be expected.
The maximum size of our groups is 14 people, ensuring the small-group experience.
We provide genuine learning experiences through the eyes and ears of an expert, politician, or journalist. Travel like a reporter.
Accommodation, meals (breakfast, lunch, and most dinners), and water are all included in tour package.
Our Ireland tours start and end in Londonderry/Derry and ends in Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland.
The British pound is the currency in Northern Ireland; the Euro is the currency of northern Cyprus.
Airports:
Belfast International Airport or Dublin Airport have frequent international flights.
Both airports have taxi services, buses and train connections. Please contact us if you would like help with a car and driver. Aircoach runs regular buses which will take you directly into the city centre of Derry/Londonderry from both airports.
City of Derry airport has direct flights from the UK- London Heathrow, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.
What’s Included
All of your accommodation and meals with water are included, as well as local transport (except during your free time).
Flights are not included in the price and need to be arranged by customers themselves or with an agent.
Following the news
Like all our tours the itinerary is focused on current affairs. Events on the ground may change and the final schedule may be adjusted accordingly.
COVID-19: We won’t go to a country unless it is safe to do so- we remain guided by the UK Foreign Office travel advice. For this reason some dates may change depending on the situation on the ground.
We follow local Covid-19 safety measures and guidelines.
Group size
As on all our expert-led tours, on our Ireland tours the groups are deliberately small and will not exceed 14 people. Frequently we travel with 10-12 people. Limited spaces are available.
Visa
UK passport holders do not need a visa. Other passport holders may require a visa. It is always good to check with the embassy in your country for latest advice regarding visa requirements.
Weather
The Ireland tours are mid-summer. Days can be hot and evenings cooler. Some rain is to be expected.
Sunblock and rain gear are essential.
What to Wear
Dress is generally relaxed and casual. We suggest taking layers as the weather is different in the various regions. Rain showers are not uncommon too so please ensure you pack a rain jacket. Most important is to have comfortable shoes for walking.
Men: Will need a jacket and tie for some of the meetings.
Women: You will need smarter dress for one or two meetings.
FCO Website
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office publishes regularly updated travel information on its website www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo which you are recommended to consult before booking and in good time before departure. Where it considers it appropriate to do so, the FCO may advise against all travel or all but essential travel to particular countries or parts of particular countries. Similarly, the FCO may withdraw any such previously given advice. Where the FCO issues such advice, we may as a result cancel your tour or make changes so as to avoid the area concerned (see clause 10). Alternatively, we may ask you to sign a form confirming you wish to proceed with the tour notwithstanding the FCO advice. It is in the nature of the itineraries we offer that the FCO may have issued such advice in relation to the country or parts of the country we are intending to visit prior to confirmation of your booking. In this case, you will be asked to sign the above form before we confirm your booking.
Medical Requirements
Advice on health requirements may be obtained from your GP, or alternatively from the Department of Health leaflet Advice on Health for Travelers, or the Department of Health in the UK. For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit http://www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/destinations.aspx
We suggest you visit your own doctor or local travel clinic who will have the most up-to-date travel advice, and be able to recommend any vaccinations prior to travel based on your medical history.
Currency
Great British Pounds.
Electricity
Plugs are 3 pin UK.
Internet access
Wifi is available in all hotels as well as many coffee shops and restaurants.
Related Material
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Ireland Expert:
William Graham
William Graham is a political journalist based in Rostrevor, Northern Ireland and a member of Arts a Wonder Collective committee. He is a former political correspondent for the Belfast Telegraph and Irish News and was a special correspondent for the LA Times (in Ireland) and for the London Times.
