It's wrong. Into Why are. They hit. What we just live show as a vain. And we'll. START A was produced by Jenny golden with research by friend wire. Went on B.B.C. Radio brags that negotiations continue it's time to take a trip back in time with Mary Louise Moore and hear what life was like living on the border between northern Ireland and the Irish Republic in 2005 this is border lives. I've left Londonderry and I'm heading towards Castle darg. Known as the most westerly time in Northern Ireland. Taking a look around me and getting my bearings I can see high rises and church spires it heart of the hunger strikes because I'm interested in finding out from him just exactly what it was like and what his impressions of the time were and every 1st arrived. Well to be quite honest sometimes after I spoke my mind I would've looked after the car you know to make sure the ball had been placed there it was stuck kind of alive when I came I didn't have a hole but I remember having a C.P. In the car because I was out along the border roads and people how to have the sort of stopped the border roads their cars taken are forced to break off as it turned out I was always that afraid of having said. That I did feel of Quite honestly. My life is in God's hands that he would look after me provide that I didn't take on the necessary rest did you wonder the times was he looking out for you and he said here to castle at the height of the hunger strikes in 181 it was a fear but it was nothing compared to thought to have people who are members of the security forces part time when you take somebody wearing uniform maybe at night time and working in the shop have been I think of all of them too toxic who was shot dead in a shop just across the road issue shop and I remember it wasn't long before dot that I saw in uniform of that war memorial on Remembrance Sunday. I think my wife said to me you know he's odds are very brave very very stupid because she was able to look into trees or glass and see even in the shop when he was such a soft target and of course stopped that sort of thing happened to many other people as well do you think as well that the proximity of Castlederg to the border added to the violence definitely because we're so close to the border the you go over some of the fetus the border would be maybe and by the way. Up to the border of where many of the folk at there are there are petrol and diesel and I was only 3 violence. So it was very very easy and even the roads that were sort of on possible and it bears a compass and means the terrorists were able to find their way across. Days I mean I've been chatting to people just the last few days asking them how they have signed the situation sort of how has it would compare it would say 10 years ago and everyone I've talked to have said that there's a moral mess here in the community. That to. A project we send 16 young people 8 Protestants a tough nuts to New Orleans they stand the brunt of July there and we've been doing not now since 1901 shots well over 200 young people have gone from here and their families have to be involved but does a better feel abroad to place and I think there's more. Sort of cross border traffic on board shopping now and. So this change for the better. That was not from here 10 years ago there was no carnival. There wouldn't have been an entertainment for children youngsters. Today. Generals who supply a time when the whole you know would shatter probably certainly years but it's picking up you know this is. The time is going to be brighter inone. About for a good future. So I've just left Paris church and. I'm just trying to get my bearings here and. Take a look up to the main street to my left I can see the diamond and the War Memorial it's a pretty grim. A overcast day and that still is a bustle about the place there are quite a bit of traffic and people milling around and doing their shopping and around the corner there's a big new spar which is supposed prosperity that's come to this New Castle darg There's also been a cross community and cross border carnival taking place in Castle dark for the past 5 years and I'm on my way to meet the man responsible for it Gordon spear of border arts Hello Gordon. You too thank you for the scenery so this is the Carnival hub is it. We're going through. All this stuff here to the back Gordon spear you are the project coordinator with border arts and you've grown up here and Castle darkie grew up on a on a farm outside you know I'm like collator it's just a bit. Just like going to our farms near the border all day. So when did you get involved in cross community work or being but in 94 Taylor got involved the local school and just developed from there was a small group doing drama and music projects just small or Captain things. And land on 2 border art. Which then used later. And then to start organizing. To stage were organising carols and going to across borders or was just you know put a 15 year process. And in many ways has it been a process for you as well because would you have crossed the border when ever you were a young fellow growing up here and have been across the border on top of it. 2000. That is but incredible you know I mean a lot of people listening would say that hi can you live so close to somewhere and never cross it that is the simple isn't it just falls. Over just got involved with her walking on the value education of all must say to those new. Order. Those opened up. And all the way to. Young people even though in a 2 years ago and. They had never been across the border no not that far away so it's a 2 way thing and both sides would have equal suspicions I teach other when did she sets things were starting to teens Oh didn't have to open up a bit at least a couple of years before you know even got much movement back and forward to start off very slow going just built up but then I think things started to change for the better for them to let her go back during the payment to increase started off with the standoff and the local It was even in the local community there was a sort of taffy chair a little bluff and stuff and tension study and a game to after 30 years of golden couple of weeks just it all back like stepping in where we were delighted to be back joined the traditional right when it didn't take long to build it up again after a couple of years again and things of course back to. Normal but whatever normal day did you ever feel like giving up. And it aims you know it's a step forward in the back. And I've always thought. Why do you think that is is there something about. This part of the world that's holding you back it's just for the. Doubles of being so many people have been killed in so many balls of armed officers just a lot of attention from at longer to sort of get out of the system of thinking. You didn't realize that it was more difficult than normal school but looking back at it the troubles added extra problems with as a basis for putting it and problems that you were entry into dealing with you. You have to think your way around them and think a drip drip of very careful and very tentatively Brendan Ronan you are the former head master of since 2000 tie school here in Castle dark and we're sitting in your front room the window of a big window looking straight at night under the high school so even though you retired back in 1908 you can never get away from it no it had advantages been near the school but it had disadvantages to. You were at the school and running it during the Troubles all kind of situations that you find yourself in probably the worst time in my teaching life was. One time and a few teachers combusting into the office and this asked me what's wrong and I didn't know what was wrong and the said The children were just leaving the classrooms and they didn't know what was happening and they went to try and find a return to the staff room and said I would do it and the youngsters are all just milling about and leaving the school and I discovered that some word had been circulated about a protest a 12 o'clock a day and the word had been brought into the school and youngsters out accepted it and they were heading out the front of the school going on a protest March and the time. What was the protest about it. It was a time of the hunger strike and I would say it was after the death of someone or all of the hunger strike you could easily have been Bobby sound. There must have been some motion to have a protest March or stoppage in the area I didn't want to have voted or neither did any of the teachers how did you talk I'm dying I simply talked and this is the thing that you've know with no interest rates and to do I talked simply talked and kept talking and then the end I said remember suddenly they did I said look you want to do something if you just if you agree to March right in the school inside the school grounds I don't March with you but they looked at one another and they seem to settle on that and that was what happened and they marched right in the school. With a good back row in the front they were talking to me and I said No you've 5 minutes before the next Belfiore hope you get your bikes seem to accept. A little bit off but I sweated blood they have the worst experience ever do you miss teaching. I did certainly after I left I missed the children and your guests were used to children it can be frustrating but. The troubles in the time masked other problems that are still prevalent today Castlederg has always suffered economically from its location infrastructure is poor here and investment lacking which means some residents travel long distances for work education drop light is also very high and there's a high rate of female unemployment in the area but there are groups working to address these problems and I'm on my way to meet Paddy Devon he helped find one of them the church time Community Association. When we were 11 and. They're going to state up their interests quite a good estate and were formed more or less as. A pressure group to encourage sage sect of the various authorities to. Keep up the appearance we don't want it to end up in the slum because of a good house is not a. Wish trying to trying to deal with the various agencies were. Actual nightmare even a shoulder story and in the course of talking to the people in the area there are a lot of other things that they needed and wanted us to do. So. I suppose you could say we changed tact and became involved with us and it's game you know doing and decorate and garden and so forth and visitation to their elderly and see in their needs on the various forms one thing another. And it was need that we were trying to address and which was the other thing that we have resisted arc writers as long as possible was put in tags and people got too many people interested in putting tags from everybody on everything we resist not the only target we need we need and that is the major problem we have. Made 60 percent of the. Young people are leaving school without formal qualifications we have 60 paid percent of the female population are economically inactive we have a high dependency on state benefits of some kind or another yet for me driving around. I can see lots and you Hyson developments there is a sense of prosperity but coupled with prosperity you do get the feeling that castle dark is just slowly recovering from something. In the mashie years of recovering yes maybe that the major catalyst for change with I could come in and hear. A serious of the developments on the periphery of Cashel there. I think if one looks at the infrastructure and honoring cash in day example the roads I'm told. Are for me and Thora fares are just casual they're going to do nothin to attract a new form of unburden bash men nor did wallet and because and we also say that because we're on the wrong side of the bad people tend to forget about us. We share in the wrong side of them if you look at the. Local consciousness Syria. There is not one yard of your carriageway another country areas and the story. You know and as for where not far the. People going away to work can now times. Go away Corporal whatever the defense is that you say you and then you have been dealt they could mean part. And that continues to be. The millionaire. Be away for the fights that we just completed the weekend. Some heading towards the border not control even though we're selling Castle tired the fines are saying cough and Park which is a. Development over there so ready the sense of meeting don't need all this is coming through. It's cost of on there we're just going to D.L. Red So they're feeling that getting closer to something called. I see a kilometer sign so that gives me an indication that I must. Be crossing the border I think. So you see the clutter sign and of course. Welcome to country Donegal. Told to drive on the left that's reassuring and of course in the distance you can see the effect that us natural station that Casey has raised its gets a little high for and it's your chance factors. That I were just driving past Michael when he said Anybody who thinks of a fable immediately think of Michael and he's. A big family owned store and I think it's probably sold more tresses more wedding dresses to north than brights on and off. This park up here. And get out and have a look. At you thanks. Russian words to the marketing manager of Michael had these I was just so struck you know whenever you drive into Bali the Fayette is such a huge store it's almost like I can't believe something of the size and such a small place yeah the business for the stones of $971.00 John Mica and they are but to stash it in a $600.00 square foot building but what about the troubles we can't. Talk about a store which is right on the border of they call it control and not think about the troubles in Northern Ireland to that effect or trade in any way. You would have to say no nyc obviously with the roads from bombed and maybe they were on passable admitted offer for people to travel to the store but whether it was a longer journey around boat way that they had to come to get to the store they still made that journey because of the offering that there was nowhere in their local area if you think Castle Dare and smaller time saying that. This is just simply because of the Troubles but you didn't get off scot free though because most of their a firebombing of the store in the late ninety's yeah there was on the 13th of Fabray and 987 we had with Sandra device plant in store. Stores actually closed for over a year it was actually got it because of the fire bomb damage that was created but you know we have come back have come back even stronger but that most of the over the last an awful shock because I suppose the sit here and you do think that the trouble to happening across the way there are there across the border and suddenly you're right and think of it yeah like it was. A very testing time for everybody like there was a few Think of all the people locally that were present of a job for over a year and people just thought that there was no way back you know we weren't used to us you know any sort of bombings except the face it was a huge surprise for everyone but you know it's just something that you know. Have to say right. And this just in but Micah Mr Michael Hayes said look what a cold day we're going to close down and say goodbye to what may drain. Belled And that's exactly what he does and no we employ over 200 people. That's 11th attacks. He was. My. Dad was. I would say at the back of it all we are alone in saying that we did have children from the moment we've been over the years coming to the school. Children from Peru and I we have no children and Donegal here but years back it would have been children who'd been passed the border I'm going to come to think here I would have and they are against but. Since the troubles began I support the border being those that would have stopped my gentleman from Amman and I are to Rome. I've just arrived at same primary school and scrub and immediately we're being attacked by mid-season I don't remember these meds he's been here the last time but to Pauline Kelly You are the principal of the school I was saying that 10 years ago I don't remember these Mitty's being here therefore Oceanus must must have just moved and in the recent past. If I welcome discussion any images and alternatives or not it's great to be back again when I was here the last time the principal of the school was Mary McHugh and I know that she's no longer here that in fact she's died hasn't it the hospice right sadly Mary died in 1996 and she was a great lady and. You know a great innovator and there were computers and screw haven very they weren't computers and other schools and you know she very forward thinking wonderful later died for a young girl a lovely plaque here. At the in the grounds of the school in memory of her yet says In memory of Mrs Mary McHugh who taught here in 1903 to 1996 in a beautiful tree there as well. Not. And here we've got children no doubt hugs and scruff and Mrs Gormley my colleague Good afternoon and. A very good very good diet so how many children there were that have been in the mid thirty's when I was last here I'm sure it was early forty's there with their fish you know and we have as well the reception children were taken during the year anyway but we have 21 on our rule and before leaving this year and just to new ones coming in and here is so unusual as well because although we're standing in country to roll what I remember from the last time is that you're standing in kind to Troon Donegal and it's literally just outside the door but you also have a 4 man a phone number we have from on a phone number are where and district councils are actually in part of. The crossroads of a few different district councils district councils the said Donegal from Ana. And we go swimming to. The cars for us it's handy to pull down the road there's a road that leads straight down into cash from here it is they do overlap from different districts and. When I was here in 1994 I met 2 local men Joe McManaman and Paki Michael Hill they had such great stories to tell about the area and they also took me to a blocked border road I'm on the way to meet them again to take a stroll dine what Paki night tells me is a great conveyance between petticoat and Castle. So if you and I walk through these yellow ball ards here. It's a bit mucky isn't it. To me a walk through because no Baker nor anything here to. Be. So you and I are on the other side of the followers why are we still unkind to Tarun or what entity and role welshed own country but you. Are defining the. People got used to that well maybe. Go see till you get used to that last March and learn. To McManaman and packing like a hole did you ever think that 10 years later I bring you back to this spot and high different it looks yes I know of a good in the mud not astrogation when we're 3 Bakiyev off there was years now you want to see such a change in the locality in this sort of the area like if. I'm the road open the 1st thing you see the little critter on the road to block it off. And there was no shade in front also no you know of at the time. So I had an uncle James. And he was studying that how his shop and then not an uncle followed that in there would let a crime like to know. He was dying President I'm cursing the song and they were sake to know Pierre you see and he didn't notice nothing clear he wouldn't write the basic into the critter on the road. I'm in the basic and all show definitely and there's complete mystery measured in the water so after some experience from the human. Litter remember here you have to pot a Jimmy Oh I say she Jimmy you must go to turbot shock when you had the water in a splash. But Wonder 20 or worse. Rather than just all right yeah it was no point in me champ Mike Tyson what them know at the base you give Jim a head that's something yeah sure if you think he had his priorities right down to a bit of a 1900 I've actually got a picture with you here of this road with yes the Army on it is taken from September 19th 70 and the soldiers a replacement spike right approved order wrote it. For then use a picture of your contractor's reach shore 1st and the reopened road to China Road that another on the 7th the upper 9095 well I'm so pleased to have come back here and particularly when you said the last time you could never imagine seeing this road we all know when how and here we are no no on day no. Thanks this change so much is wonderful to you know after 10 years and washed Al Gore on this nice to see it so we head back across the border again yes one laid must there I hadn't known. Crossed by Teddy P.S. And I am hoping the sun will come with on full fully ready to make diggin I think see in the cell and some other don't jam. Here we go. That was great to be back and see the schoolchildren and walk down that road at last with Paki and Joe But if I'm brutally honest when I was coming to Castle dark I came with a certain amount of trepidation I've grown up with reports of bomb attacks here of the men being killed and a terrible impression of hatred and fear that even at the pubs in the tines but on religious lines and so Castle Dargan my mind was almost a ghost time a microcosm of the rest of northern Ireland and even driving here it's off the beaten track it's hunkered down in the dark valley and set apart it strikes me even as a time struggling to put its past behind that I'm welcomed warmly but there's a wariness to the welcome these people have lived through terrible times and who's the stranger to come into their midst and ask them what life is like. I'm glad I've made the journey I know this time will heal itself but it's not going to happen overnight and I get the feeling that castle dark will be the barometer for the rest of Northern Ireland's journey. Was produced by region.