FEATURES

The Secret’s Out

The emergence of gay rights in NI

“I suppose I knew I was gay or that something was up so to speak, I was about 14-15 and fought against it for a while. I just knew it was wrong even though I read about it and tried to learn about it. I did tell my mo...

In Our Time – Creating Arts Within Reach

Creating Arts Within Reach

Belfast has seen a remarkable expansion in community arts activity over the last forty years, since the 1970s, putting it at the forefront of the movement within the UK and Ireland to change the way art is seen. It ha...

Giros

Alternative drop-in centre in Belfast

Imagine a place of freedom and expression for young people, a place to eat at a reasonable price, a place to create art and play music. An alternative space for anyone who didn’t find the mainstream appealing. Welc...

Dealing with the Past

Lives affected by the Troubles

Interviews from those whose lives were affected by the Troubles. Alan McBride Alan lost his wife and father-in-law in the Shankill bomb in October 1993, murdered by the IRA. “I’ve been hurt and damaged, I’ve...

Becoming Irish – Stories of an Indian Community

Stories of an Indian Community

Connections between India and Ireland have been evolving since at least the 18th century but it wasn’t until after World War Two, that people from India came to Northern Ireland in significant numbers, many of them af...

The Edge of the World

Turf Lodge

In the shadow of Belfast’s Black Mountain lies the Turf Lodge housing estate, which for most of its 50 year history has been the scene of much poverty and social unrest. Originally, the estate was built to house peopl...

Tar Anall

Conway Mill Drop In Centre

The 50+ Group was established several years ago by a group of Republican women in Tar Anall, a Drop In Centre for Republican prisoners and their families based in Conway Mill, west Belfast. “After the peace came, a...

Ballymurphy – The People’s Co-ops

The story of Ballymurphy Enterprises

Like many cities in Britain, Belfast suffered industrial decline in the 1960s.  High unemployment rates were the norm for many of the housing estates in west Belfast. “Official statistics in Ballymurphy had 37% of ...

Peace Train (1992)

Belfast to Dublin Peace Train

“The people of Belfast know this train is for peace.” Edited footage of the Peace Train in 1992, which travelled from Belfast to Dublin and back with interviews taken at the time with trade unionists, politicians a...

PERSONAL STORIES

Una McGurk

Talking to an Omagh bomb victim

Marie Breen-Smyth, Associate Dean International, University of Surrey talks to Una McGurk. Una McGurk was 14 years old when she was seriously injured in the Omagh Bomb on Saturday 15th August 1998. The Real IRA cla...

Joanna McMinn

Advancing women's education

Joanna moved to Dublin from Cornwall, at the age of 17, to enrol at the National University of Ireland. “It was 1967 at the beginning of all the riots and student protests in Paris, it was a very exciting time. When I...

Pilib O Runai

Setting up an Irish nursery

Pilib learnt some Irish at school, which was not common at the time something that was not very common at that time. He grew up with the language being spoken around him and always had an interest in it. He participat...

Jennifer McNern

Surviving a bomb blast

Marie Breen-Smyth, Associated Dean International at the University of Surrey talks to Jennifer McNern about her experiences of the violence of The Troubles. Jennifer was injured on March 4th, 1972, during a shoppin...