Belfast Days by Eimear O'Callaghan

Author:Eimear O'Callaghan [O'Callaghan, Eimear]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, Historical, Personal Memoirs, History, Europe, Great Britain, General
ISBN: 9781908928894
Google: ps_noQEACAAJ
Publisher: Merrion Press
Published: 2014-01-15T02:48:16+00:00

The phone call telling us that a Japanese reporter might want to speak to my father about sectarian killings caused quite a stir. While it was comforting to think that people so far away as Asia might be interested in something my father had to say, my mother was more concerned about having something in the house that our visitor would be happy to eat. Our home was a regular meeting-place but we were disappointed when the Japanese man didn’t show up, unaccustomed as we were to such exotic callers.

Local people – friends and neighbours – visited regularly: school-friends, neighbours, friends of my parents, and colleagues from their political and fund-raising activities, as well as the odd journalist, looking – via the CDC – to pick my father’s brain.

Friendships which my mother carried over from her time working in the Civil Service before she was married gradually petered out, as women became reluctant to leave their own districts or travel across the city at night. Those old relationships were replaced by cherished new bonds, forged out of a shared sense of excitement, bewilderment, isolation and fear.

A loud explosion or a rattle of gunfire was guaranteed to bring at least one of our neighbours, clutching a packet of cigarettes, to our front door before the kettle finished boiling for another of the interminable pots of tea. Tea and home baking characterised those get-togethers, as women waited anxiously for children and husbands to arrive home safely from school, town or work.

Like the tricoteuses of the French Revolution, they waited at the kitchen-table for news of what happened, sometimes tuning in to the crackling, intermittent transmissions from the police or army short-band radio. They offered each other moral and sisterly support, helping each other manage ‘ordinary’ family life in extraordinary circumstances.

Sat, June 3

Mammy wanted to go down town and so, expecting a good day’s shopping, I decided to go too. However, Daddy and Jim also came and so we ended up being chased round the shops, being urged to hurry up.

Returned home having bought nothing but a file, a file refill and a Spanish dictionary – how exciting! Watched the news.

UDA marched in Derry and rioting broke out – 3 cheers!

Sun, June 4

Mammy had suggested that we might go to Cooley today – but we didn’t go. Spent a couple of hours doing Spanish revision.

Daddy went to a meeting to discuss the setting up of barriers in Fruithill at night – but the idea was rejected (I think).

We all went to the Corpus Christi procession in De La Salle grounds, except John – he said he was too busy to go! – this led to another row between him and Mammy. I did my Spanish till Suzette arrived at 8. She didn’t stay very long once I gave her the hint that I had work to do.

Man shot dead in shop, Carlisle Circus. Catholic.

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