Open the door – it’s not locked

With the day that was in it, I visited Belfast City Hall yesterday.  Myself and my friend parked in a street at the rear of the building and made our way to the front door. As we turned to go in, we saw the front gates decorated by the presence of some flag protestors, complete with Union flags. I’m not sure if this was in protest over the flying of the flag on designated days (as it happens, the Union flag was flying yesterday, St Patrick’s Day being one of those days) or in protest at all the Irishness going on inside. But they did look a lonely little knot, with almost more police than protestors.

We made our way upstairs where we were offered free shamrock – we were already decorated – and into a hall filled with talk. Much of the talk was in Irish, mingling with the music onstage and the chat and laughter throughout the hall..The Lord Mayor was there but mostly it was ordinary people – Belfast people who were happy being Irish, happily enjoying the music, the craic,  the cup of tea and the tiny bits of iced dainty. The room, in short, held everything that the unfortunate people at the front gates lacked.

What would have happened, I wonder, if instead of standing at the gates with their flags, the protestors had set down their poles and come inside? I suspect they’d have been greeted warmly and they would have felt like people who’d crashed through some invisible barrier and found themselves in a new world of music and companionship. And the fact that they were Protestants/unionists wouldn’t have mattered a damn – I saw at least one Church of Ireland clergyman, complete with dog-collar, enjoying the festivities.

There’s a bit in the Bible about a man who discovers a pearl and goes off and sells everything he has so he can come into possession of that pearl. (My apologies if I’ve screwed that story up – I’m not a Bible scholar.) I feel convinced that many unionists/Protestants are unaware or choose to be unaware of this precious pearl -Irish culture – that is theirs for the taking. All they need  do is push open the door and become engulfed in the happy hubbub of a more open, relaxed world.  How much more sensible that would be than to loiter sulking at the gates, fearg le dearg, – red with rage –  brooding resentfully over the idea that fenians were inside their City Hall, having a good time.