Should safety in Northern Ireland be a major concern on your travels? The six counties of Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone (let alone the city of Belfast) still tend to be portrayed as ‘a war-torn country’ in the media and public perception outside of Ireland is made echo of this. But since the late 1990s, the reality has changed dramatically. With the Good Friday Agreement, the voluntary dismantling of weapons by the Provisional IRA and the demilitarization of life in the six counties is definitely returning to normal.
While so-called “sectarian” violence still rages occasionally, especially around July 12, most of the population just wants to get on with their lives.
For the tourist, this means that a visit to Northern Ireland does not pose a special threat. Or at least not a greater threat than you would face at home, including the dangers of terrorism.
Crossing the frontier
Crossing the border between the Republic and Northern Ireland has become less than a formality. There are no border posts and major changes are only visible in mailbox color, currency used, and metric or imperial measurements displayed. If a mailbox is red, charged in pounds, and the speed limit is in miles, then you are in Northern Ireland; in the Republic, it would be green, euros and kilometers.
Signs of Hard Times
However, definitive signs of Northern Ireland’s troubled past will be found. While armed police may not immediately attract the attention of visitors from outside Great Britain and Ireland (where police forces patrol unarmed), the massive armored Landrovers still in use will. Although they changed color for a more “civil” appearance. And seeing the police in a traffic incident securing the parameter with submachine guns is always a strange sight.
Police stations are still largely under a strict security regime with barricades, fences and windowless walls. Not surprisingly, the same is true for any military installation. However, these days it will be extremely rare to see British Army day patrols. If you see them, something could be happening or an active incident could be happening nearby.
The sectarian division
On the civilian side of life, normalcy sometimes means segregation, especially in urban areas: firmly Republican and fiercely loyal neighborhoods can exist side by side and can be divided by so-called “Peace Lines.” A euphemistic term for tall walls topped with barbed wire dividing fractions.
While large areas of Northern Ireland seem normal enough, the visitor will inevitably see the territorial marks left by the more enthusiastic parts of the respective communities. These range from flags to murals, even stretching to humble curbs: painted blue-white-red in loyal areas, green-white-orange by their Republican neighbors.
While driving or even walking in these areas should not be considered dangerous, strangers can attract some form of attention. As a tourist, you would be considered to exist outside of the sectarian worldview. However, it would be inadvisable to openly display opposition symbols in any area. Dress for a neutral effect and avoid both the Irish tricolor and the Union Jack as a lapel pin.
And the most important tip of all: If you feel tension or notice suspicious gatherings of mainly young (ish) working-class men, just walk away calmly.
Additional information required
Other things to keep in mind are:
- Signs on the roadside denoting safety or controlled areas must be heeded at all times – parking a car there can lead to removal or destruction.
- If you are stopped by the police, wait and act normally – despite the many old stories on the internet, there is absolutely no need to panic.
- The consumption of alcohol is prohibited in almost all public places in Northern Ireland, from pedestrian areas to parks.
- And finally remember that the currency in Northern Ireland is the British pound (with several banks issuing their own notes), in the Republic the euro reigns. Many stores, gas stations, and even some parking meters and telephone cells accept the “other” currency in border counties. But this is not the rule and should not be taken for granted, so get money from a local ATM as soon as possible.
