SquaresRenew 23: Peace Tree
Peace TreeIn Belfast many of my posts had hope in the title. In Derry it will be peace. This Peace Tree, sculpted by Maurice Harron, is in Ebrington Square, just behind our hotel, and represents a youth-led peace building initiative. Over 400 pledges have been engraved on metal leaves, mainly by young people, to encourage everyone to persevere in the pursuit of peace. John took a close up of a couple of the leaves, but it wasn’t until later that he noticed one carried the pledge from the late Martin McGuinness.
Peace Tree, detailI pledge to work tirelessly with everyone to ensure tolerance, equality and mutual respect become the bedrock of a new shared future.
Martin McGuinness, a former IRA commander, was Deputy to Northern Ireland’s First Minister, and Protestant firebrand, Ian Paisley. Once sworn enemies, they became so friendly that they were known as the “Chuckle Brothers”. There can be no stronger move forward than that.
Part of Becky’s SquaresRenew Challenge, using images from our April 2024 trip to Northern Ireland to illustrate one or more of the following:
- Move forward
- Reconstruct
- Renew
- Burgeoning
The Glasgow Gallivanter 
How lovely! And seeing former “sworn enemies” now learning to get along is just wonderful. The world needs more of that. Lots more!
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I agree. Can’t imagine it somehow – though I couldn’t imagine “the Chuckle Brothers” either!
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Lovely tree and a symbol of hope and friendship.
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Yes, it’s a lovely idea.
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That is a lovely way to remind people of the importance of peace.
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It is – we loved it.
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I wholly agree about Eton.
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There is no doubt that the future should be in the hands of the children, but the people who are making a mess of the country now must have been children once. What happened to them?
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A serious question to which I have no good answer, although the flippant answer in the case of the uk govt is Eton which really seems to mess you up! I suppose in NI the current generation of leaders lived through the Troubles. The next generation will have no experience so traumatic and might do better.
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Heartening, Anabel.
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Yes, it encourages optimism.
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I love your focus on hope and peace. Please keep it coming
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Still another week to go! It has been both harder and easier than I thought. Easier because I started to see the theme everywhere. Harder because I seem to be incapable of posting one picture and shutting up!
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That’s a lovely idea! And if Martin McGuinness was able to work in collaboration with Ian Paisley, maybe there’s hope for other conflicts to one day be resolved?
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I keep telling myself that – Northern Ireland, the Berlin Wall, apartheid South Africa. All came to an unexpected (to me) resolution, even if not perfect, so maybe other things will too. Some day.
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One of my favorite songs from Into the Woods: Children will listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gey1PtXYwLI
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I didn’t know that song, but the message is so relevant. If children hear adults hating each other they will learn that behaviour.
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Relevant, indeed, Anabel. That song brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it.
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Do they fall off in winter? Bob.
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I hope not, they could do a lot of damage if they fell on you!
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Things seem to have come a long way since The Troubles.
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They do, and let’s hope they stay that way. I felt hopeful overall after our visit.
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Hi Anabel – yes that relationship was strange, yet a delight to see – and how many others in the world at various levels have the same rapport, but from different points of view. I note that some school-children had their peace messages included too … interesting to read them all – sometime. Cheers and thanks … as I hadn’t come across it before. Hilary
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It was strange and unexpected! I hope the school children remember their part in this project and try to live up to the pledges.
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Amazing how two sworn enemies can eventually become good friends, and I love the pledge 🙂
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I only wish it could happen more often.
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Did you visit the peace wall in Belfast?
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We did, on the conflicting opinions walk I wrote about near the beginning of the month. I didn’t include it at the time because I found it quite depressing- I was shocked to learn that the gates were still closed at night. The Derry peace wall will make an appearance in a few days.
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I agree, the lock up is rather a shock.
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Apparently in North Belfast they have stopped, but in West Belfast it carries on.
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it is quite extraordinary how they became friends after all they had both said and done. I wonder if people are reminded of the pledges they wrote
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It was a development that no-one could have predicted!
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