Surprisingly Pleasant Life in Northern Ireland (Pt 1)

The Northern Irish are a very friendly people who will strike up a conversation with a

total stranger in seconds, usually to be helpful, it is an Irish characteristic. Irish

people like to know who you are and where you come from? Especially if you are

from overseas, it will be your accent, which gives you away. No matter where you

come from, the Irish person who asked you “Where do you come from?” will have a

relative, or a member of his or her family who once lived there, or worked there, or

went there on holiday.

The Irish are like the Chinese, they get everywhere, eventually, the Chinese open

restaurants and takeaways, the Irish are opening Irish Bars and pubs, selling

Guinness, Irish music and food, and the Blarney. In a world of social media, the

Blarney is more interesting, and a much better alternative.

Northern Ireland is a Christian country with almost 80% of the population practicing a

Christian faith. Many Northern Irish make the effort to go to the chapel or church on

Sundays. However, that habit is giving way to other attractions, like staying in bed,

instead. God must compete with Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, alcohol and drug

hangovers, and the gossip about last night, who did what with whom, exchanging

photos and film clips? God may often be ignored on Sundays by the teenagers.

Northern Irish people are a mixture of Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh, English (of

many generations) and Irish Nationals from Ireland. And with a small percentage of

Viking, Spanish, French and African blood in their DNA.

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The English invasion of Ireland, under the control of Cromwell in the1600s, played a

part in the Trans-Atlantic-African Slave Trade, often denied by African American

historians, and by many wealthy Irish generations. Only Anglo-Irish landowners

could borrow sums of money to invest in the African Slave Trade, to the West Indies

(the Caribbean) and the Americas. Irish seaports were crucial to the success of the

Slave Trade, for fresh meat, vegetables, food, and essential water and additional

slaves, always Irish woman and young girls being sold into slavery, especially to

“breed with Black slaves” (Cromwell’s personal business plan). Only troublesome

Irish males were shipped out as slaves, later to be known as the red legs in

Barbados and other Caribbean nations.

Why was slavery so socially acceptable in the 16th century? The Christian Bible, one

of the few Holy books, which was displayed in every church and place of religious

worship carried the message of God. Slavery was acceptable, approved, and

practiced throughout the world according to the Bible. But more importantly, it was a

multi-million-pound industry and an immediate cash generator for Cromwell and

other invading generals to pay their armies.

By Wilde O'Conor