Garden of Reflection - Tullycarnet

Earlier this month we happened upon The Garden of Reflection in Tullycarnet, a tribute to those fallen during WWI, WWII and global conflicts. The tribute was comprised of a dedicated garden, sculptures and benches. The international link to global conflict and the focus on peace have differentiated this space from many other war memorials across East Belfast and other Loyalist communities in Northern Ireland.

The Garden of Reflection was unveiled in 2010 as part of the Arts Council’s Re-imaging Communities Programme with local participation from Charter NI and Tullycarnet Action Group Initiative Trust (TAGIT) in partnership with Ground Work Northern Ireland. Re-imaging this mural and space, was part of a larger programme on-going across Northern Ireland to make transformative changes to deeply deprived areas across Northern Ireland, where conflict related imagery defined the landscape. 

The murals on the homes nearby reflect the dynamism of the area, reminders of the troubles intermixed with hopeful messages for young people and cross-community links. Of note, there stands a mural of James Magennis, a veteran of WWII and the only person to return to Northern Ireland with a Victoria Cross. He was also a Catholic man from West Belfast. Incorporating this imagery into the murals of the area highlights the focus to build bridges cross-city and cross-community. Not far away is a UFF mural detailed with a group of masked men, a reminder that change is not linear nor immediate. 

Although Tullycarnet is a few miles outside of the city centre and very near the rolling hills of Dundonald and beyond, it has not been immune from the negative impacts of the Troubles. Although many residents believe it to be a quiet neighbourhood, as recently as 2013 evacuations were required because of suspected dangers related to the legacy of the past and broader social issues continue to impact the area. 

  

When we walked by the entrance to the garden, I couldn’t immediately see that it was a unique space. The imagery and symbolism was similar to other Memorial Gardens across the province, and although they warrant respect, they also carry connotations of loyalism which can be seen as territorial and in some cases exclusive. I noticed a painting behind the garden that said “Time for Peace,” and I was drawn in.

The language of the plaques and the nature of the memorial reflects a Northern Ireland transitioning into peace. Although we are 15+ years into the Good Friday Agreement, this language is all too often missing from commemoration sites, which can often be deeply rooted in hurt and blame. The hope and empathy that are central to this Garden of Reflection are the elements required for broader social transition to a fuller peace. 

The messages speak for themselves. 

"DEATH RECOGISE'S NO RELIGION"

"Orange and Green it doesn't matter, United now,
Don't scatter the seedsof peace over our land,
So we can travel, Hand in hand across the
bridge of hope. - Sean McLaughlin"

"Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorry."

Drielandenpunt - Dreiländereck - Trois Frontières

Last week I returned back to Belfast after a whirlwind roadtrip adventure with my friends and former colleagues, Elodie and Lisanne. During our trip, while passing from the Netherlands to Belgium to Germany to Luxembourg in one day, we stopped at Vaalersberg, a small mountain in a forested park, home to the famous Three Countries Point. 

The photo above is of the borders between Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. 

Our visit to this tourist attraction was hilarious. We parked (somewhat illegally) in a parking lot we believed to be just beside a small memorial plaque to the borders. What we found was that when the German hiking family joked with us about it being an hour away, it was a very subtle joke, as it took us nearly an hour to reach the main attraction, which we had very little awareness of. 

Of course we didn't think to bring money to ride to elevator to the top of a look out (because who knew that was there) and of course I fell down on our walk back to the car because I was woefully unprepared for any type of forest trails... 

The experience itself, standing across three countries, is somewhat hard to describe. Because it didn't actually feel like anything. The small children laughing playfully as they jumped from one country to the next were precious, but for me the experience presented a difficult reality to wrap my mind around. 

Again I'm left pondering borders - abstract and exact; metaphorical and literal; imagined and physical. Amidst the ruins of battlefields where so many have fought and died lives this stone in the ground as evidence that the boundaries that divide (and connect) us all, are only as meaningful as we make them.