The Bogside

The trip to the bogside is an experience that I will never forget. Nothing that I learned in my three months of class or research on the subject could amount to the knowledge I received from the Bogside artist. When we took a tour around this historic nationalist neighborhood outside the city walls of Derry is when it all clicked for me; this is not a religious problem! After listening to speakers and talking to facilitators of different organizations in Northern Ireland I realized that the cause of the conflict is actually unclear. The conflict has been divided down many lines; ethnically between the British and the Irish, geographically, between the North and the South of Ireland, and religiously between Protestants and Catholics.

It was easy for me to understand the struggles of the Catholics in the Bogside and compare their Civil Rights movement to the struggle of African-Americans in the United States. I was happy that our tour guide gave the impression that his community uses their struggles as a source of strength which is something that I can sincerely relate to. I thought that the Civil Rights movement was one that was unique to African American culture, but I am glad that Northern Ireland religious groups, like blacks in the US are on a path of finding peace and reconciliation within their respective cultures. The truth is that nationalists in Northern Ireland, however, have long identified with African American civil rights activists in a cross-cultural quest for equality. From Northern Ireland’s very first protests against discrimination, civil rights campaigners firmly aligned themselves with the ideological framework modeled in the United States by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The Bogside community is now famous for the event commonly known as "Bloody Sunday". Signs and remembrances of Bloody Sunday and the Conflict are especially evident along Rossville Street, where many of the events occurred. Perhaps the most famous symbol, and one which was there before Bloody Sunday occurred, is the Free Derry sign that ardently declares the Republican rejection of British rule. Also the murals painted by the Bogside Artist have recently become famous even outside of Northern Ireland. The following two murals are my favorite murals by the Bogside artist.

This mural is a representation of Bloody Sunday. On this day the British Army opened fire on a Civil Rights demonstration and killed 14 people. The mural shows men, led by a local Catholic priest , carrying the body of Jack Duddy from the scene of the shooting. Depicted in the background are the marchers carrying a civil rights banner.



This mural commemorates the beginning of the struggle in Derry for democratic rights. These early marches are an example of the events inspired by the civil disobedience campaigns of Martin Luther King.

Taneea’s first day at “The Junction”

As part of the Bucknell in Northern Ireland program each student is placed in a field work site based on their personal interest. I was placed at “The Junction.” The Junction is a community relations resource and peace building center. They do a lot of conflict awareness projects, and make a sincere attempt to provide resources to underrepresented groups in Northern Ireland. My first day did not go exactly as I planned but I learned way more than I expected and met amazing people.

I assumed that I would walk into this remarkable organization that has had a huge influence on the peace process and they would instantly allow me to participate in “hands on projects”. This was definitely not the case as the immediately put me to “busy work”. My first day consisted of answering the phones, filing documents, and rearranging the display wall. Like I said it was not at all what I expected. The Junction director apologized to me for not having anything structured for me to do, and explained that the center was wrapping up the end of their funding season. It might seem odd but I learned so much about the organization simply from organizing their paperwork from this year. What struck me the most was that The Junction not only focuses on issues in Northern Ireland, but at my astonishment the organization also has an interest in international issues. In their show room there is currently a photo expedition of children in the ghetto of Kenya. I plan on asking the director particularly about the international aspect of the organization on my next day work.

The best part of my day had to be interacting with the other employees at The Junction. The office has a very relaxed atmosphere, and it was nice that the employees were also my age. One of them was even American! (So she knew how weird everything seemed to me). It is also a plus that jeans and t-shirts are appropriate attire. While I was doing my “busy work” we shared stories about how different schooling in is Ireland and America and compared Facebook to Bebo. They gave me a tour of the shopping centers during our lunch break and showed me the popular places amongst college students to go at night. There is also an intern at The Junction office that is from Poland. She has only been here for two weeks and I talked to her about how her experience has been so far and her adjustment to a completely different culture. Coming to Ireland is both of our first trips abroad!

Since it was my first day I did a lot of feeling the place out and I think it can only get better. I think The Junction is the right place for me to be, and their activism in the area of human rights is something I plan on doing one day from an American perspective. I already know what to expect now so I plan on coming to work every day with a specific agenda and certain questions to ask. Can’t wait to write about how Thursday goes.