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Brian Rowan: Belfast breathes sigh of relief as efforts to preserve restraint pay off

Security reporter Brian Rowan reports on the efforts to keep the peace among loyalists and republicans
Monday, 3 November 2008

Stewards marshalling the Sinn Fein-organised counter-demonstration on Sunday

More pictures

It was a day when Belfast got away with it — got away with a situation that allowed all sorts of sides and feelings and emotions onto its city streets, and all at the same time.

And it was one of those days when Belfast breathed in before allowing itself to breathe out again.

It feared the worst, hoped for the best, and came through a few hours of parade and protest pretty much unscathed.

At the republican meeting point at Dunville Park in west Belfast yesterday morning you could sense the intention and the plan, and you could see who was in charge.

Sean Murray and Bobby Storey — significant men of the old IRA — set the tone and measured the steps for this walk of protest, down the Grosvenor Road and to the edge of the city centre.

And before anyone went anywhere, Murray spoke of the need for an “effective, dignified and solemn protest”. He also made clear that anyone who could not “sign up to that” was not wanted.

There were many republican stewards, and there was no sense that this protest was going to bubble or boil, not even in one tense moment when the opposing groups came face to face, only a few fragile barriers away from a large loyalist crowd.

Work had obviously also been done on that side to manage and control a difficult situation.

There was a police presence in between, but not one that suggested or hinted at anything that was going to get out of control.

Loyalists did throw a few fireworks, coins and insults towards the republican protesters, and for the few minutes it took to pass at this point of its route, the military parade was met with a mix of cheers and jeers.

It could have been so much worse, but that situation was not allowed to develop, and that did not happen by chance. It was obviously worked on and worked for by all sides. Had republican and loyalist wanted to clash yesterday then they could have, but they did not.

Sinn Fein left yesterday’s scene with Gerry Adams still criticising the decision to stage the military parade: “This is the second largest city on the island of Ireland. It’s an Irish town and for the British Army to host a march at this time is totally and absolutely reprehensible,” he said.

It was a day that could have left much debris behind — political and security — but it did not, and, so, it was a better Belfast day than many had expected.

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230 Comments

UNFECKINBELIEVABLE!!! Ive just spent the last hour or so reading the posts on here. Im still in Afghanistan at the minute and due home next week, I worked with some of the RIR in some bad and unpleasant places facing extreme danger. Im saddened to see that ill be coming home to some morons who live in the past! Its 2008 and time to grow up and get on with your lives. Well done the RIR you deserved your Parade and i wish i was there myself. Well done and thank you to all the decent people who welcomed the lads home. To the rest of the biggots on either side you dont make me proud to be British, The lads in the armed forces and the decent people of Northern Ireland do!!

Posted by al, Nad ali, Afghanistan | 05.11.08, 06:49 GMT

Ian, great response to me earlier "Wrong Steven, Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales. Great Britain is England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland makes Britain Great!"

Very funny! At least I think you meant it as a bit of craic!

As a UK citizen, I see my British culture as something very different to George; I see the English language, (Shakespeare, Blake, Wordsworth, Burns, Byron), British literature (Austen, Bronte, Orwell, Lewis) world sports including football, golf, tennis, boxing, snooker, badminton, cricket, rugby, music (the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bowie, Sex Pistols, Led Zeplin, the Who, Pink Floyd, Van Morrison), BBC TV & Radio, James Bond, Art, Architecture, science and innovation (Newton, Darwin), jet engines, computers, penicillin, the World Wide Web, fish 'n' chips, Sunday roast, whiskey, the National Health Service, Oxford, Cambridge, Queens & St Andrews Universities, WW1 & WW2.

The Queen just doesn't do it for me I'm afraid!

Posted by Steven | 04.11.08, 20:36 GMT

To: Britische Kultur. British Culture to many people here is apparently: marching around with bowler hats, setting fire to old tyres at bonfires where everyone gets blind drunk, painting curbs red, white and blue, throwing bottles and stones at the police who are on patrol at a parade for British soldiers, supporting 'loyal' paramilitaries involved in drugs and racketeering....and loving the Queen. With the exception of the last one I very much doubt the rest of the UK identifies with this 'British culture' but perhaps someone in Great Britain could clarify. - Regards, George (proud Northern IRISHman, in Belfast, in the UK.)

Posted by George | 04.11.08, 19:22 GMT

Paedar said: "In Northern Ireland we tend to be divided into 2 cultures one of which is British. We do not need desperation to hang on to our cultural identity. There are parts of London that don't have any British culture at all."

Not being funny - but can someone explain to what 'British culture' is exactly?

Posted by Britische Kultur? | 04.11.08, 19:15 GMT

Fed up with this nonsense. Stormont is in a mess. The political parties have realised they are completely incompetent. They have realised that intelligent people, intelligent voters are catching on to their scam. But they want to hang on to their cushy little jobs - so they will stir things up - in the hope that voters will be scared and return to their old sectarian views - and forget that their leaders are crap and vote them in again. Don't you people get this? It is a scam. STOP FALLING FOR IT. On this site there is a gallery - nightlife. Its full of young people out enjoying themselves. Take a look at it. Most of them weren't alive during the Troubles. They don't care. These people are our future. You sad old people can continue your same tired old arguments but it is pointless. It is over. Finished. Move on. There are more important things - rising fuel costs, rapes, recession, blind people being attacked. Waste your energy on sorting that out - not squabbling online. Saddos.

Posted by TheOwl | 04.11.08, 19:09 GMT

Chris Taylor - my cousin who lives in Shetland is no longer British then? - dont even start me on the Falklands.
Point of history - British have been in Ireland for at least 900 years. Many aspects of British culture exist across the island. In Northern Ireland we tend to be divided into 2 cultures one of which is British. We do not need desperation to hang on to our cultural identity. There are parts of London that don't have any British culture at all. Perhaps you should take a look in your own backyard before making very silly uneducated comments.

Posted by Paedar | 04.11.08, 16:26 GMT

To Steve from Oz. You are completely correct. Belfast is in the British Isles. But so is Dublin. All of Ireland is in the British Isles. Does that make Dublin, Cork and Galway - British cities? There are many other islands also in the British Isles. However Northern Ireland is NOT in Great Britain. Northern Ireland is in the UK. Look at a UK passport. It clearly states: Great Britain AND Northern Ireland. I suppose people in Belfast can claim they are British but only in the same way that a person in Dublin can. At the end of the day the facts are that the people here are Northern Irish or as much of the world sees us - just Irish. We currently part of the UK. These are the facts.

Posted by FactHunt | 04.11.08, 16:16 GMT

To Chris Taylor from England, Belfast is in Northern Ireland which is on the island of Ireland , this is basic geography.
The island of Ireland is in the British Isles,thats a fact .
The British Isles and the island of Ireland being part of that is not Unionist or Loyalist propaganda , its geography.
The UK is made up of Great Britian and Northern Ireland.
Belfast is in the British Isles , thats a fact.

Posted by Steve from Oz | 04.11.08, 15:15 GMT

Just to tie up a few loose ends - Northern Ireland does not feature in Great Britain - it is the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland & as rightly said, the whole island of Ireland is included in the British Isles. Take a long time to move forward from the historical conflict here but slowly but surely we have to understand each other.

Posted by Stephen | 04.11.08, 14:54 GMT

To Chris Taylor from London.

You come across as such a pompous idiot - and talk about Northern Ireland being a provincial backwater. Sounds like you are speaking for the masses on the mainland and want rid of Northern Ireland - Maybe you should confer with Gordon Brown to give us "provincial backwater" people a refund of all our taxes that we have all paid since we started work. Mmm, that sounds good. I'd be up for that. Just a thought..........

So, as suggested on another post, get a life and get back in your box.....

P.S. Never forget the volunteers from "then" Ireland who aided the British in WW1, not to mention WW2. Could you have done it without them? I think not.

Posted by Lullabelle | 04.11.08, 14:33 GMT

This whole discussion has the feel of the Belfast Telegraph of 50 years ago. Enough already, I agree with the person who said that nothing new has been said. I almost get an impression that, in some sick way, there is an air of disappointment that there was no violence, nothing new to fuel the fire of bigotry on both sides!
By continuing to promote this story you are only showing to the WHOLE WORLD this cancer that is still is present in N.Ireland's society. I could understand why corporations might not want to invest in this part of the world with this antagonism still alive!

Posted by Ed | 04.11.08, 14:09 GMT

Steven, why are people so intolerant? I too acknowledge that some people in Northern Ireland prefer to adopt the identity of those from the Irish Republic and indeed some refuse to acknowledge the very existence of the border. Whatever floats their boat I say. However, I think what hacks these people off is the very presence, or very essence of those who also share the "island of Ireland" and prefer to lable themselves as British or Northern Irish. The very idea that to be "Irish" could in fact mean two differing cultures - that "Irishness" is split in to two very separate ideologies including those of British/Unionist/Protestant/Orange values...this is the crux of their bitter hatred and loathing. They have no desire to SHARE what it is to be Irish (diddley-diddley-fiddle music, GAA, rebel songs, irish dancing etc).

Until they do, this notion of an "Ireland of Equals", the notion of "parity of esteem" etc etc, their notion of a Unified Ireland - will ALWAYS be a pipedream.

Posted by mickey | 04.11.08, 11:02 GMT

Wrong Steven, Britain consists of england, Scotland and Wales. Great Britain is England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland makes Britain Great!

Posted by Ian | 04.11.08, 10:59 GMT

The post is starting to get really pedantic now, so it must be my turn! :)

The British Isles is made up of five countries; England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland & the Republic of Ireland.

The island of Ireland consists of Northern Ireland & the Republic of Ireland.

Great Britain consists of England, Scotland & Wales.

The United Kingdom is a sovereign state that is made up of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; the international title given to this sovereign state is often the UK, or sometimes it is refered to as Britain (due to all citizens of the UK being granted a British passport).

I don't mind people not wanting to be British (UK Citizen's), I have lots of friends in Northern Ireland who have opted to obtain a Republic of Ireland passport, that's not a problem, that's a political choice.

I am very proud to be Irish (Northern Ireland people are Irish), just as I am very proud to be British, but why do some people have a problem with that? Why so intolerant?

Posted by Steven | 04.11.08, 10:02 GMT

Thank you Chris taylor for speaking on my behalf but really it wasn't necessary and I wouldn't have even said the same words so please be a gent and pop back in the box and gently shut the lid down.
When you comment please get the facts right. Ireland as an island is part of the British Isles but at the same time not part of Great Britain. So although Northern Ireland is politically part of the UK geographically it isnt part of Great Britian which is the largest island in the British isles. When talking about the UK population it is correct and accepted terminology to use the word British. One cant be UKish. So it is perfectly correct for anyone over here to call themselves British, if that is their leaning because thats what they are.

Posted by soarer | 04.11.08, 09:36 GMT

Welcome home troops, like our forefathers you are heros!

Very brave men doing a fantastic job!

Dont listen to any of the terrorist narrow minded idiots who cant see past an armalite.

Thanks again guys for serving and protecting us!!

Posted by Rab | 04.11.08, 09:11 GMT

Great to see the army on the streets of Belfast, for once without their riot shields and batons!!.

The sooner we all get used to living together in peace, the better!

Posted by Andrew reid | 04.11.08, 08:40 GMT

I left Northern Ireland in 1977 and have been back periodically to reinforce the reasons why I continue to stay away. It is such a tiresome place filled with small minded but vicious people whose only claim to any sort of identity is to continually confront people who do not agree with their particular form of dictatorship. And the weather is not that good either!!

Posted by William | 04.11.08, 06:35 GMT

Well done to those who behaved. The families and friends of the RIR had every right to welcome the troops home - just as republicans had every right to protest. What is not allowed is for scumbag loyalists to throw bottles, stones, golfballs and fireworks at police and protestors. Thugs. Also I looked at the photos from the parade on this website and was disgusted to see loyalists carrying a banner with Eoghan Quigg's photograph on it saying: "Eoghan Quigg supports our troops". How pathetic. How dare they bring this child into this sectarian mess. I'm quite sure the child does not want to be associated with these people. Disgusting.

Posted by Jenkins | 04.11.08, 00:03 GMT

I think two nations can exist on the same island without being of the same nationality - England, Scotland and Wales share the same land mass but have separate identities - this OK with you Chris? Similarly New Zealand is made up of two Islands - this OK with you Chris ? I think your opinions are a little trite. Enjoy your "Englishness" - your email speaks more about you than I can write here.

Posted by Jon, Edinburgh | 03.11.08, 23:40 GMT