Conflict: The Irish at War Exhibition at Ulster Museum in Belfast, Northern Ireland

The "Conflict" exhibition looks as though it pulls artifacts from both sides of The Troubles but upon closer look, many Irish students in the class thought it was Loyalist-sided. I still see it as equally representing both sides. If anything, I noticed more nationalist artifacts. The exhibition creates a consensus that The Troubles were a bad time for the community and all of its citizens agree. The political ramifications for this are that the community as a whole must move forward together. The memories are painful, but only as one can they strive for a better future.

The summary at the entrance to the exhibition makes no mention of The Troubles specifically but instead tells of how the Irish have been at war for 10,000 years. This seems odd since it is at the Ulster Museum and Ulster has been the main war zone for the nationalists and loyalists since the United Irishmen. But perhaps the curator did this to put The Troubles in perspective with all the other conflict on this island since its inhabitation.

In Dr. Lisle's handout on "Museums and Heritage", there is a point about how the history portrayed in a museum is always a history of the present as we place our present values on the past. This was very true for this exhibition in the modern-day plaques, memorials, and letters from victims of The Troubles. All one can do is feel sympathy for these people and not really see what it would have been like back then or see the reason for any of the fighting. No war is a good war and that's what these artifacts tell us. The depiction of those who died by plastic bullets was especially moving because it showed the faces of the victims instead of just a name. To think that young children, who might not have known why their fathers, uncles, and neighbors were fighting, would be the victim of it all... is heart wrenching.

What everyone wants to know is why it has taken so long for an exhibition about The Troubles to present itself in the Ulster Museum. Perhaps it is because the curator didn't think that Ireland was out of the clear yet. In the early 1990s there were peace talks, and then more fighting. Maybe the museum didn't want to present a piece that says Ulster is done with war, if it was still in danger. If I was curator, I would have placed more emphasis on The Troubles and maybe make it a separate exhibition. I would move the other "conflict" artifacts to another part of the museum where they could be looked at by customers who perhaps don't want to go through painful memories but can still experience Ireland's heritage. When the class took their "field trip" to see the exhibition, there weren't any other customers looking at the exhibition and I think it is for the afore-mentioned reason. It is hard to face the past, but hopefully with this exhibition, Ulster citizens can start to make the journey.