FRANKIE GALLAGHER - one of the most important lojalistycznych politicians in Northern Ireland, but who are not directly involved in the everyday business of government. One of the leaders of the Ulster Political Research Group (UPRG), a political superstructure of the Ulster Defence Association. Gallagher, more than the political salons are known for many years of work as social worker - community worker. As a spokesman for UPRG it was he officially announced in 2003 by the UDA ceasefire. In 2004 he participated in the historic meeting of the leaders of the organization lojalistycznych Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland.
is known for tackling hard drugs and crime in loyalist communities. Is also involved in projects to enable a return to normal life in society, ex-prisoners - members of paramilitary organizations on both sides of the conflict. Recently, the project charter for Northern Ireland works include environment for the integration of migrants living in East Belfast - the majority of Poles - the locals.
- I was born in Belfast. I grew up on the Newtownards Road, in an area where today there is a Freedom Corner. Then it was my part of the street. I was one of twelve siblings. Two of them died at the age of a few years, ten of us survived. Now I have a large family - six children and two granddaughters. You could say that I am "family man".
- My childhood was not easy. My family was poor. There was no We stand on a lot of things we did not have a lot of food ever. Grew up in a small cramped house with two bedrooms and a kitchen. It was hard. Since childhood, I remember that they were always in Belfast and Protestants and Catholics. But then people were not as divided as it is now. All were hard-working people, hard, not bojącymi struggle and rivalry. People from east Belfast do not like those from the west, but it was not a Protestant hostility to the Catholic, it was not any sectarianism. One district did not like the other, as in every city. I remember as a boy, as the port przypływało a lot of Royal Navy. In the vicinity of the docks you could meet many sailors. I remember that it was good times, happy times. There was no trouble, there was no "Troubles." Anyway, as I was a boy it did not even know what it means Roman Catholic, and who it is.
- For me, the conflict began in 1970. I was twelve years old. I remember when I went then with my colleagues at the end of the Newtownards Road. We shot around the pubs, and sometimes we were able to get a few pence, when we have a little money, we went to a chip-shop for food. One evening we were near the pub, when I saw blue flashes and heard the approaching thunder from the Catholic church. Matthew. I realized that someone shoots someone shoots a machine gun. They shot across the street, the men who stood before the pub. Someone told us to flee to their homes, and in the morning, we learned that two people were killed, wounded, was probably twenty-seven people. This was the beginning of attacks on the Protestant community of the IRA. It was also the beginning of the conflict for me personally. I knew one family, which then lost someone. And then he started something called the "tit for tat" - shooting and killing. When someone has killed someone in one community, in retaliation killed someone on the other, and then again - "tit for tat, tit for tat ... I remember that it was scary ...
- Those were horrible times. I remember as a time when the British troops entered Belfast. Then began a mass removal of Protestants and Catholics. People left their homes to move to where people lived with their religion. Catholics began to live together, Protestants the same way. Then began the deepest divisions. The army came to protect the Catholic community, I remember how the Catholic residents of the district prepared for them tea and coffee, and treated to the soldiers. But also remember, as a military outpost was blown up. When I started to grow somewhere between 1972 and 1974, a year ago, I witnessed the death of five of my close colleagues. They died right beside me. Died shot by the British army. Not killed by the IRA were killed either by someone else. I remember a street clash with the soldiers, when the whole district community spawned on the streets. Thousands of people, hundreds of soldiers, fighting sticks, arrows ... This is how the conflict developed, it was a shock for me. Just as we are fighting with the British army, which I thought was his army ... Those were really tough times.
- One thing for me was always quite confusing. Some people think that because I consider myself British from Northern Ireland, it certainly is my story, the story of my family here is not long. Yet this is not true. We've been here since before the Plantation. My family and our community is here for two thousand years, we are part of the Celtic nation. People around the world are a little distorted picture of what happened here. History is never simple, and here is extremely complex.
- When the conflict began to grow, my Protestant community began to organize to defend himself. To fight the IRA. That started to develop the Ulster Defence Organisation. But again, the more the UDA attacked the IRA, the IRA there harder match. And vice versa. Nobody thought about the future. When violence chased violence, it was not possible to talk find a way to peace. When someone tried to find a solution, look for peaceful ways, it has often been specially killed. Just that there was no dialogue. Nobody thought about peace, about the future, we thought only about survival.
- I believe that this place will in future be a much better place for our children. One of the strange things in the conflict is that it is simple. You feel safe around them. Do you know where your enemy is and who is your enemy. You are here, the enemy is out there. Everything is clear. The conflict is over, most of the violence ended. But it turns out that peace is very difficult. Dangers arise elsewhere, do not know who might be your enemy. I have a friend is one of the leaders of paramilitary organizations. He supported me and support throughout the peace process, but once told me, "Frankie, I will finish this peace ...".
- Some people do not know how to stop, some people still want to fight. While working for my community in UPRG since 2000, I spent a lot of time dealing with people who wanted to fight for the same fight. They did not have any idea, do not want to fight for the glory, for the cause. For them, the struggle was the only meaning in life. They did not know anything else. Many also have been sucked in criminal activity. There was a situation that people with paramilitary organizations, through its position in the community began to make money. Were seen as important, as "tough guys" as "big guys". Working with all of this was very hard. We were threatened with death many times. But we worked on these people. Peace requires great effort, much bigger than the war. But also brings a lot more. Now we build a common future for our children.
- I would not call this process a miracle. It was a blessing. But also require many, many, a lot of hard work done by many people. One of the biggest threats after the conflict was that the crime occurred. As with all conflicts around the world, so it was here, this problem also affected my community. When she turned to violence when there is peace, they also come here people from other countries, began to settle. And that was another issue with which we had to deal with. Because over the years, members of my community lived in fear of the Irish. They feared that they want to expel them from their homes, deprived of their land, take away their identity. When foreigners started coming here, some began to fear the same thing. Fear of the IRA has been replaced by fear of immigrants for economic reasons. These times also brought us new challenges. But many people here in my life have I seen someone with a different skin color, or not talking with someone for whom English is not their first language. It was a novelty for them. Recently we started telling people from our community about how the Poles fought during World War II. The fact that the Air Force fought in the Battle of Britain, with the famous 303rd Squadron I mentioned during the Remembrance Sunday also of Polish soldiers who died fighting on our side, and rest in our country. We will also be conducted workshops. Already, we see that the response from our community is very good. The British appreciate when someone fights to defend their community against tyranny. This collective case will definitely make a link between the local community and the Poles. A story about people thousands of miles from their homes fought and died side by side with our grandparents in my view point from which to start building a real relationship, an agreement between our two communities.
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