| Hint of The Troubles | | | | opportunity not to be missed. With quite an |
| I suppose some people would say that being | | | | amount of guile for ones so young we made our |
| brought up and living through "The Troubles" was | | | | way to the top of that hill and peered down at |
| bound to profoundly impact on any person. For | | | | them, some out of curiosity and others out of |
| many that is true, but for me personally, although | | | | some bewilderment. Although they were still |
| havoc and chaos surrounded me, I guess doing | | | | clothed, there was quite a bit of fumbling going on |
| normal things just took up most of my time. By | | | | and I recall that caused quite a bit of concealed |
| the time the civil right's marches had started | | | | sniggering and laughing. One of our gang managed |
| around 1969, I had turned 11 years of age and | | | | to convince us that the girl would definitely be |
| my days were taken up with the things that | | | | pregnant by now and ignorance caused us all to |
| normal kids that age do. Apart from the normal | | | | agree. |
| school activity, like measuring rain fall in those silly | | | | Anyway, boredom soon set in as they continued |
| test-tubes, studying the shape of leaves on a | | | | and somehow it was decided that this could be an |
| nature trail and building a sun-dial that would never | | | | opportunity for some fun. The balls we had |
| be used again, we also got to do what I would call | | | | gathered up, soon became used for something |
| fun stuff. | | | | else. Slowly the first ball was set free tumbling |
| That included a small branch of a tree, some | | | | down the hill and rolled in between the couple. |
| fishing line, a hook and worms and a trip to the | | | | They didn't seem to notice that, so another was |
| Layde river that runs through the small town of | | | | sent towards the target. A couple of balls missed |
| Ballycastle. Then we had the tree swing across | | | | the target but eventually one of the balls got their |
| the river and many a plunge was taken into that, | | | | attention. The man jumped up, rubbing the side of |
| some intended but most not. Either way, a fire | | | | his head and shouted something that ended in |
| quickly constructed from the surrounding debris | | | | "off." He looked all around and his girlfriend then |
| quickly dried us out and also proved to be a | | | | stood up and watched her boyfriend slowly climb |
| source of entertainment. We even managed to | | | | the hill. As she adjusted her clothing, his rather |
| make a boat, well something that served as a | | | | long legs clambered up the hill and we retreated |
| boat, from branches twine, barrels and tyres. | | | | into the long grass, scattering in many directions. |
| Somehow it worked and managed to hold about | | | | Just as he reached the very top of the hill, a golf |
| ten of us without any major mishaps, except for | | | | ball nearly took the top of his head off. He fell |
| the odd boy who got tipped over for one reason | | | | backwards down the hill and we did hear, but not |
| or another. I can recall making a few trips over | | | | see his girlfriend shriek. As we lay in hiding trying |
| the edge myself but then I guess all of us, who | | | | not to laugh, for fear of giving away our places of |
| dared board the hand built raft, also made the | | | | concealment, three golfers arrived on the fairway, |
| plunge into the cold dark river. I do remember | | | | the man and his girlfriend arrived at the top of |
| going home and my parents and Grandmother | | | | the hill and a huge shouting match shouted. |
| being glued to the black and white television | | | | It lasted for what seemed ages and at one stage |
| watching the news. On reflection they seemed | | | | fists were seen but not used and then the couple |
| troubled about what was happening, but we were | | | | walked off, cursing and swearing towards the |
| sent elsewhere, most likely their way of offering | | | | beach, and the golfers proceeded on with their |
| us some protection from the real world. | | | | game, also cursing and swearing. We waited until |
| Our next favourite hobby, and this is really going | | | | they had passed and then collected up the balls |
| to upset any golfers reading this, was to take a | | | | and made our way back to the club house to use |
| trip to the Ballycastle beach. A beautiful links golf | | | | our sale's techniques. We learned a lot that day. |
| course ran along the side of the beach, peppered | | | | So although the battle lines were being created |
| by tall grass, sand dunes and the odd water trap. | | | | across Northern Ireland, fishing, golfing and |
| We used to lie in wait for any drive or iron shot | | | | courting continued on as normal in my small |
| that missed the fairway and when that happened, | | | | secluded world. There was a sense though that |
| we all started crawling towards the ball through | | | | things were changing. Even within a small town of |
| the tall grass. If the ball was found before the | | | | only 3,000 people attitudes were not only |
| annoyed golfer arrived, it was pocketed and | | | | forming, but hardening. I would not have known |
| eventually sold back to someone at the club | | | | back then but in my small town, which was 90% |
| house. Needless to say the annoyed golfer only | | | | catholic, the council was formed only of |
| became even more annoyed as he declared his | | | | protestant people. To me at my young age that |
| lost ball penalty and cursed the heavens. Being a | | | | mattered not a jot, but to some it mattered a |
| golfer myself these days, I now fully understand | | | | great deal. |
| how high his frustration may have been. | | | | I recall conversations about small local political |
| One rather funny incident comes to mind, as, on | | | | issues that had suddenly become very important |
| one of our usual money-making trips to the golf | | | | ones. Band parades was one of those issues, and |
| course, we came across a courting couple, who | | | | where in my younger days we watched these as |
| for whatever reason had decided to set up their | | | | a great spectacle, suddenly we were told to stay |
| love nest at the bottom of one of the rolling hills | | | | indoors, in case there was trouble. There was just |
| on the actual golf course itself. I would have been | | | | a sense of foreboding that things were about to |
| aged 10 or 11 at the time, so the sight of a | | | | change, and change for the worse. |
| couple kissing, and especially in public, was quite a | | | | Read more in Part Three of this article. |
| novelty. For us, it was a novelty and an | | | | |