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SCANNAL

In June 2001 Holy Cross Primary school in North Belfast became headline news around the world.   One of the North’s most shocking episodes of the Troubles and this happened three years after the Good Friday Agreement.  Innocent school girls became the target of vicious Loyalist picketing, stone throwing and verbal abuse. Few will forget the distressed faces of the children (some as young as 4) as they huddled behind their parents to avoid being hit by stones, urine filled balloons and bottles.

“Imagine getting up for school every morning and fearing that you’re going to be spat at, you’re going to have stones thrown at you, you’re going to be called terrible names.  The full glare of the world’s media is on you and you have to behave impeccably…. that was some challenge to them and they did … you know some people went low.. the children went high.”

 Mary McAleese, Former President of Ireland

What began as kneejerk protest in June, was not resolved over the summer marching season and on the first day of term in September 2001 Loyalist Protesters turned out in force.  RUC in full riot gear tried to protect the school children and allow them to walk the Ardoyne road to their school. A pipe bomb was thrown, one police officer was injured and the children were terrified.  Loyalists claimed Republicans were using the school as cover and were spying on their area.

“Sílim gurb é an rud is measa a sheasann amach – bhí gach rud uafásach – ná an buama a chaitheadh ar na páistí, agus fiú Billy Hutchinson a bhí ceangailte leis an UVF dúirt sé gur chuir sé náire air. Go ndéanfadh dílseoirí a leithéid…… Ag an am céanna tháinig sé ar ais agus sheas sé ag an bpicéid an lá ina dhiaidh”. Robert McMillen, journalist

Any peace dividend in the wake of the Peace Agreement seemed to have bypassed this area of extreme deprivation.  Sectarian tensions were as high as ever before with a widespread feeling,  among the loyalist community of Glenbryn,  of being surrounded and under attack by nationalists of Ardoyne. 

“Protestants didn’t want to bring their children up in areas that were dominated by painted kerbstones, by flags, by paramilitarism by drug dealing, hardly suprising that they wanted to move out”. Anne Cadwallader, Journalist & author “Holy Cross: The Untold Story”

“Ag an am céanna bhí fadhb  Drumcree ag leannacht ar aghaidh,.  Agus luadh I bPáipéir Aontachtach go raibh na páistí ag iarraidh siúl ar a mbealach traidisiúnta – their traditional route – rud nár ceadaíodh do na hOráistigh,. Sin an cinneáil dearcadh a bhí ag dul ar aghaidh –  Ní ligeann sibhse dúinne siúl ar bhóthair Garavaghy so ní ligfidh muid dibhse siúl chun na scoile” Robert McMillen

The protest continued for weeks and weeks, but was pushed off the news agenda by 9/11, IRA Decommissioning, the Re-instatement of the Stormont Executive, and all the while,  day in, day out, the girls ran the gauntlet to get to school.  Finally in November after interventions by the First and Deputy First Ministers the protest eventually came to an end with promises of regeneration and tighter security.

“Sometimes some people are so blinded by hatred that they will continue no matter what. John Hume used to say “ an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind” but if you’re already blinded by hatred, you mightn’t be able to see that quite so clearly”. Anne Cadwallader, journalist

Stiúrthóir & Léiritheoir Feidhmiúcháin: Kevin Cummins         

Taighe & Tuairisciú : Daráine Mulvihill  

TX: Tuesday 22nd September, 7PM on RTÉ One