Another classmate of mine who lives in East Belfast offered to take me around to some of the most important local places to see. The first part of my tour was to the area of Stormont which is the local government building for Northern Ireland. The use of this building has a tumultuous past in Northern Irish history as the seat of a Unionist government until the beginning of the troubles which repressed the Catholic population of the province. After being shut down for a short time during a period of direct rule from Westminster (London), it was reopened and eventually became the seat of representatives (MP's) from both communities. Primary parties include the UDP for Unionists, Sinn Fein for Republicans and Alliance as a Center option among many others. The power sharing agreement requires representatives from both communities to be in parliament to ensure civil rights are granted to all residents of the north.
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| Government official being interviewed in front of Stormont |
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| Aparently, during WWII when Belfast was being blitzed by the Nazi Luftwaffe the entire building was painted black to hide it from the airplanes flying overhead at night. The discoloration along the pediment of the building is said to be a remnant from that time. |
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| The area surrounding the building to the right and left of this image is a park of wooded trails. |
More photos of my East Belfast tour will follow in the coming days...
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