The Troubles | Northern Ireland | Children of Belfast | This Week | 1972

*This is a slightly shortened version of the original report.
The team from Thames television’s ‘This Week’ programme follow a group of 12 Protestant and Catholic children on a one week holiday to Butlins in North Wales. These children never get a chance to mix in Belfast due to sectarian divide and the possible consequences of being seen with each other.
First shown: 21/09/1972
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Quote: VT6614

[@toughlifevirgina]

God bless these kids. I hope they all managed to fulfil their wishes.

[@-DC-]

Born Belfast 1971 we finally left in the early 80's this upbringing stays with you for life no matter how normal you appear from the outside.

[@j2msu341]

Hi ! Were did you go to ? I left for Australia

[@letsdiscussitoversometea8479]

"It's like the Garden Of Eden here". THAT made me cry.

[@lgracie33]

I was 16 in 1972 in Belfast…..it was heartbreaking to lose friends I’d made when I was younger before the troubles started….we all lived and played quite happily before 1969 in a mixed area. Would love to see how these children progressed in life, as for me, I moved to England when I married my Catholic husband.

[@jodiemcbrodie4997]

Beautiful little children all them, from both communities, it’s dreadful how children are taught how to hate by adults

[@thomasmclory1604]

Some adults Jodie. Most adults lost their friendships too. I was born in Belfast 1970 and left for London 89. This never leaves you and it gets in the way of you becoming a fully fledged person/adult. Both communities will come together at some point but it's a wee gem of a city now. And yes, they were beautiful little children and still are. Best wishes to you.

[@frazzleface753]

It would be fascinating to hear again from these kids, now in their 50s and 60s, about how their lives turned out.

[@ProfessorPesca]

It will never not shock me how utterly bleak Northern Ireland looks in these films from the 70s.

[@toyotaprius79]

After 50 years of decline since the founding of the NI state it does

[@j2msu341]

And 50 years on from the time of filming,it still doesn't look any better

[@thatsthejobbb8587]

Active war zones tend to look like that unfortunately...

[@joemcconnell2674]

I am from Sligo Ireland. About that comment that after 50 years NI still looking just as bleak I have to disagree. Belfast today is a far more beautiful city than back then. No more barricades and some beautiful modern buildings. Last time I was there the city looked like a y other city in the UK .

[@Shamrock777-oy9vv]

joemcconnell2 I have to agree with you. The 2 main cities Belfast and Derry are totally transformed in recent years. Upwards and onwards.

[@allanlarmour7460]

Anyone of these kids could be anyone of us that grew up here. But it's a lie. I am from the Woodstock Road and most of my friends still are Catholics. Most of my protestant friends are dead. Some murdered, some killed themselves. A couple died in prison. I still hear a man screaming and begging for his life. They will never tell the truth of what happened here. Research Stake Knife.

[@heathsavage4852]

I was born in Halcombe Street. We moved to Australia in 1966. Came back 1970 - daft move! I agree. Most of my mates were Catholics and our family is mixed. We never had any problems, nor gave anyone any.

[@ManannanmacLir69]

I am 52 and moved to the Republic in 94. I still jump out of my skin if I even hear a balloon pop. A helicopter in the sky and I am straight back in Belfast. That place destroyed the youth. It never goes away and I trust literally nobody all thanks to so called FREEDOM fighters on both sides and their stupid ideas. I have met many old guys involved. I have yet to meet one who does not regret what they did. It pains me though that all the politicians on both sides got away with the trouble they caused. They tricked a lot of people and many more suffered because of their lust for power.

[@j2msu341]

Like the boy said get out and go to America, I went to Australia and never looked back !

[@leeboy2k1]

Im an emigrant too, except to the U.S from the UK One cannot run away from a people you dont defend, it's a painful truth all us fathers have to reconcile with.. As the U.S was a Masonic departure from the English Monarchy of the time, Australia was and is a penal colony of the same entities that issue the global currencies we kid ourselves is real money. The Protestant reformation was a regression for the church, inevitable since the earlier Byzantine schism in 1054 pretty much doomed the modern world to a return to the Cancer that is usury. now their bad spending habits have coming knocking for the peasants once again.

[@j2msu341]

@@leeboy2k1 my thoughts exactly

[@jacquiewalton1355]

Do you know my old mate 'Bruce Burns' ?

[@mshaw6836]

Born here, grew up here in the 70s. This was all just 'normal' to us.

[@SamYungling]

My grandparents took in a northern Irish child in 1982 as part of an American program to help Irish kids. The kid stayed with them and my dad, both were about 10 or 11. My dad tells the story of both of them one night: Irish boy: “I can’t sleep.” My dad: “why?” Irish boy: “it’s just too quiet” My dad: “what do you mean?” Irish boy: “I cant hear any gunfire.”

[@Amazing_Avation]

I'm from Northern Ireland here and in one of the streets in our town a building was burnt down bye the IRA and about 20 years later om the same street a man was waiting for a taxi and got shot in the back of the head was killed

[@Daud76]

10:31 This reminds me of an old Irish blessing, "As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction". 😄

[@dereksmith4177]

The worst cruelty we can give our children is to teach them to hate i would love a documentary on these children now they are in their 60s . I was 20 when this was made

[@ManannanmacLir69]

We got the indoctrination from the parents. Brutal beatings and starvation. It was sheer hell.

[@cathailmeegan]

One keeps pigeons,one bates bees

[@oman115]

This is truly heartbreaking.

[@joeloughran1352]

Joe Bateson the kid with the pigeons.

[@martinfitzgerald1605]

Joe's a legend wonder what he's up to. Hopefully living the good life.

[@franceskronenwett3539]

I remember watching a documentary about Belfast in the 80s where a group of little Catholic girls had to walk through a Protestant area in order to reach their school. They were faced by a hostile crowd, mainly adults, who screamed insults at them. The little kids were scared stiff and started to cry. This will always stay in my mind. How deep must hatred grow that makes adults, many of them women, do this to children? Sickening.

[@RobertK1993]

That was 2001 Frances after Good Friday Agreement 1998

[@az1758]

I know about this, I'm also appalled. No one deserves that, least of all children.

[@jackietreehorn5561]

That was holy cross in ardoyne

[@joemcconnell2674]

Born in January 1970 but living in Southern Ireland. Of course living on the same island I remember we sometimes visited Northern Ireland! I remember my family driving through the border the soldiers and sometimes police patrolling them.

[@HBudianu]

Jesus Himself would never condone murder between churches. But the spirit of religion would, because it's the religious people (Pharisees and Scribes) who crucified Him!

[@indiekiddrugpatrol3117]

It's nothing to do with religion they just use that to identify each other. It's an ethnic conflict between Irish and ulster Scots

[@leeboy2k1]

@@indiekiddrugpatrol3117 Not an ethnic schism, a political schism caused by heresies from the 1054 Byzanine schism when the Bishop of Rome sacked Constantinople, this has led to many heresies and the retrurn of the Black sun slavery that is usury, which binds us all,

[@mollydooker9636]

There is an old Norn Iron joke. ‘ Are you a Catholic or a Protestant?’ ‘I’m a Atheist ‘ ‘Yes but are you a Catholic atheist or a Protestant atheist’ But the real root of the division is not really religion its about ethnicity exacerbated by poverty.

[@toffeenut1336]

Doesn’t sound like you’ve read the Bible, especially the Old Testament.

[@jackietreehorn5561]

​@@toffeenut1336a very vindictive testament

[@anotherbrickoutthewall9237]

How things get out of hand... When will our "leaders" Learn from history

[@leeboy2k1]

*Lets fix that with when will humans stop imposing usury before free markets? thus deinsentivizing corrupt 'public representatives' to make policy.

[@toffeenut1336]

When they take accountability and consequences for their decisions and actions. Currently, the face nothing.

[@rachael-777]

Religion divides people. We ought to see a person as a human first & foremost. Hope these lads went on to live freely & fully.

[@leeboy2k1]

@Legion No what divides is the seperation of man's sovereignty from the state, the correct hierachy to protect mankind is what Byzantium had till the schism of 1054, this was as close to a just system mankind had to protect it's poor from usury, ever since the 1054 schism usury comes back like a black sun.

[@c.saigir3456]

Perhaps the problem is not division per se, but how we approach those divisions. Divisions will always be the lot of mankind.

[@lgracie33]

I don’t think religion divides people……some people divide people…….my husband and I are different religions as are most of my family and friends. It’s only the rotten apples destroy the barrel.

[@toffeenut1336]

Religion doesn’t divide people. Forced diversity does.

[@az1758]

Sectarian attitudes divide people, not religion. There were some people in both communities in Belfast who got along OK, not everyone embraced the paramilitary way of doing things.

[@richardcrook2112]

01:07 It's so they can switch windows quickly. If you were making your getaway you wouldn't do right next to even more windows!

[@soniarodriguez6651]

i thought this conflict was about Ireland wanting to be independent from England, not about religion. Sorry, i'm southamerican and became interested in this in recent years. I'm fond of Ireland.

[@kaotiqx]

The Unionists were mostly protestant and the Nationalists were mostly Catholic.

[@soniarodriguez6651]

@@kaotiqx thanks

[@kaotiqx]

@@soniarodriguez6651 your welcome

[@maxpower1337]

People really don't change we fight and kill each other for the stupidest reasons and All over the world never stops same old same old stuff over and over again forever.unfortuntly.😢

[@ecosmart1565]

the wee boy at 3:20 is whacking bees with a stem of toxic Giant hogweed

[@maxpower1337]

I thought hog weed was toxic.

[@ecosmart1565]

@@maxpower1337 caustic sap...photo reactive causes severe burns when sun shines on it

[@toffeenut1336]

“Do you have Protestant friends?” “No.” “None at all?” “No.” “Would you like any Protestant friends?” “No.” FFS why does the interviewer keep pushing for it? No one is required to have X-types of friends. People can get by just as happy without prescribed friendships and communities.

[@rwandanman1218]

Bumshite

[@toyotaprius79]

@Marshall Applewhite's Magically Delicious Pudding and what?