21 Sep Stormont and Parliament Buildings……..
Parliament building of Northern Ireland……absolutely superb grounds and building.
The term “Stormont” is widely used to describe the Unionist government of Northern Ireland from 1921 to 1972.
During this period only one party the, Ulster Unionist Party, ever served in government.
In a sharply divided society, and with nationalists in a clear minority, unionists were guaranteed that they would win every election.
Despite their local majority, unionist policy was framed in an atmosphere of insecurity, often referred to as a siege mentality. Unionists look back on this period with nostalgia.
In comparison with the period of recent conflict, the Stormont era was, for unionists, a period of relative peace, when they had at least apparent control over their destiny.
For nationalists, however, the period was characterized as intensely discriminatory, often summed up by the phrase that Stormont was a “Protestant Parliment for a Protestant people,” although the nationalist community made up more than one third of the population.
Thankfully all of that is now only part fo history and Belfast and Northern Ireland is booming. Belfast is often described as the new Dublin for tourists. It is still locally colourful and not the cosmopolitan mix of Dublin.
The Building is superb though and well worth seeing on our tours of Belfast or tours of Ireland.