| Description | Interview with Stuart Heatley. He discusses childrens' realisation of their religious differences through the segregation of schools and playing areas and being chased by children from the other side. He talks about his generation being influenced by the troubles of the 1920s and being able to identify people's religion by the area they live in rather than by name, because there has been some intermarriage. He has a sense that the situation was not so tense when he was growing up, and goes on to talk about the different areas of the city, the boundaries of the Catholic and Protestant areas, and his own feelings about the area he lives in. He does not see how sectarian tensions can be resolved, even in the next generation and gives his opinion about the grievances of the Catholic community concerning discrimination in housing and employment and political representation (tracks 1-4).
Interview with Harry Curran. He talks about being born in Derry in the old Bogside area, looking forward to the Protestant parades as a child and not understanding their sectarian nature. He thinks that the atmosphere of the marches has changed since his childhood, particularly since he has returned from England. He thinks that people are more ready to fight for their civil rights. He goes on to discuss the social and political problems that exist between Catholic and Protestant communities in Northern Ireland, comparing the situation in Belfast with that in Derry, and the levels of unemployment in both communities. He thinks that the stance of the Unionist government in Stormont is partly responsible. He discusses his knowledge of the history of the Protestant parades on 12th July and 12th August and the marches that the Order of Hibernians used to hold on 15th August. He discusses attempts since 1968 to revive celebrations on this day and his view that todays 12th July and 12th August marches are bigoted, and that the Protestant community want to remind the Catholic population that they are in charge. Harry Curran's wife joins the conversation to question why the Protestant community will not recognise the Irish tricolour but will recognise flags of other countries, and the involvement of Catholics in the British armed forces during the two World Wars (tracks 5-12).
Total: 28.08 mins
Dubber's reference number: PLA KF565D0877080 |