Is Northern Ireland dangerous? Should safety in this area be a primary matter on your trips? Our post will let you know the truth!
Is Northern Ireland Dangerous?
According to the public media, the 6 counties of Tyrone, Fermanagh, Down, Derry, Armagh, and Antrim (not to mention Belfast) are full of conflict and violence. As a result, people who live outside Ireland will obviously suppose that this is the real situation in this area.
However, in fact, during the late 1990s, life in Northern Ireland changed excessively and the nation is now safe to stop by.
Specifically, after the Good Friday Agreement, the Provisional IRA would voluntarily be decommissioning arms and de-militarized the 6 counties, life was indeed returning to normal.
For the visitor, this indicates that a journey to Northern Ireland appears no threat at all.
Crossing The Boundary – Northern Ireland Dangerous
Transiting the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic has appeared less than a formality.
Border posts disappeared and you can only see primary changes by the postboxes’ color, the money used, and the metric or imperial measures shown. If the color of the postbox is red, you are set in Pounds and the limitation of speed is in miles. On the other hand, if you are in the Republic, the results will be green, Euros, and kilometers respectively.
In fact, you will only know that you have entered the Northern Ireland region when your phone changes over to roaming and greets you to the U.K.
Signs of Troubles
The armored Landrovers you see around parts of the region belong to the police. In order not to scare outsiders, they even switched the car’s color to a more supposed “civilian” appearance.
Police here have firearms and this can be jarring to tourists who are used to peaceful patrols in their homelands.
The Sectarian Range – Northern Ireland Dangerous
While considerable zones of Northern Ireland appear regular enough, the guest will certainly notice the territorial prints. They are, for example, flags, murals that can be stretched down to curbs, etc. For the loyalist regions, the colors will be blue, white, and red. And their Republican neighbors will be green, white, and orange.
Being a visitor, you are not relevant to their sectarian worldview. However, it would be unwise to show signs that are aligned with a certain political side. Outfit for a neutral influence and bypass both the Union Jack and Irish Tricolor as a lapel pin.
The most crucial advice above all: As soon as you feel tension or notice suspect groups of working-class males, just leave in a relaxed manner.
Helpful Information
Follow signs that indicate controlled or secured locations and don’t park your car here. People will consider it a danger to the safety of the place and remove it.
Drinking alcohol is banned in almost all public areas in Northern Ireland, from parks to walker zones.
Remember that in Northern Ireland, people use Pounds Sterling, meanwhile, the currency in the Republic is Euro. Though stores, gas stations, parking meters, and telephone cells receive “other” capital in the border counties, you shouldn’t take it for granted. Try to get some cash from a regional ATM as soon as possible.
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