A strange thing was happening in Belfast when I woke up this morning - the sun was shinning and it was warm enough outside to take your coat off, but fear not dear blog readers by 4pm global warming was but a mere memory and it was bucketing down.
Now for today's report. As we saw at Kilmainham Jail in Dublin the one thing that the English have excelled at over the years is locking the Irish up. In the 21st century one thing the Irish have become very good at, it seems, is telling world all about it. Yes folks it's prison time again.
The Crumlin Road Jail in North Belfast only opened it's doors to the public in 2012 and whilst it was built in 1845, it didn't close until 1996, so is a name that frequented the news reports throughout "The Troubles". Both Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams spent time there (although not in the same cell I hope!).
The guided tour was very good. We were taken down into the tunnel, under the Crumlin Road, which linked the jail to the now derelict courthouse opposite. This was followed by a tour through C-Wing that culminated in being shown the condemned man's cell and execution chamber - the last hanging was in 1961.
This is somewhere I would thoroughly recommend to visit.
This is somewhere I would thoroughly recommend to visit.
Walking back into the city centre later, I did find some remnants of the old days when the kerb stones were painted (Red, White and Blue in Loyalist areas, Green White and Orange in Republican areas). But you have to look hard these days, times have changed.
I have spent the rest of the day chilling and wandering around the city centre and I write this earlier than I would normally do, as tonight in order to demonstrate the cultural side of the city I'm off to see Rigoletto at the Grand Opera House.
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