Introduction

Construction of Identity in Northern Irish Novels 261
on the marchers, that is, everyone except Saoirse and Daisy who have to stay in
the garden (Caldwell 3); and they do not go to church, “not even at Christmas,
when everybody else goes” (ibid. 51). For Saoirse’s father the church is just
“Magicking Nonsense” and for her mother going to church is more dangerous
than staying away from it as she has advised her daughters to say “We don’t go to
church” in case anybody should ask (ibid. 51). Only when the Pentlands’ marriage
breaks up does Deirdre return to her faith. The church appears to be like a prison
to Saoirse and Daisy, however, mainly because of the black bars across the windows
(ibid. 52). What serves as a protection against attacks from radical activists
here at the same time becomes a metaphor for the religious situation in Northern
Ireland: Religion becomes a prison itself as it is quite hard for anybody to flee
from its stigmatising effects. Even if one is not an active Christian one will always
be considered being a Catholic or a Protestant in the North. Religion thus becomes
an “ethnic marker” and justifies delimitation (Mitchell 2005, 8).
In 2000 and 2001 interviews with 35 people were taken by Mitchell, among
them with a young woman called Niamh who claimed to be a non-practicing
Catholic. Although she did not go to church and did not believe in anything told
by it she would have her children christened. Furthermore, it was important to her
that her children went to a Catholic school, learned Irish and played Gaelic sports.
“Thus the import of Catholicism for Niamh is that it is not Protestantism”,
Mitchell claims (ibid. 8). For her religion itself does not play a major role but the
cultural difference it implies. Another interviewee, Joe, recounted how he was
beaten up for being Catholic and had problems finding a job (ibid. 9). These examples
show the importance to identify oneself in Northern Irish society and to
mark oneself off the ‘enemy’ and it also illustrates the prison again from which
one cannot escape; according to the motto once a Catholic, always a Catholic.
Nic Craith has observed that although it seems to result from difference conflict
between groups very often actually has much in common. The groups involved
artificially create distinction by making use of the same sources and applying
analogous tactics. “Where communities are remarkably alike, it is similarities,
rather than differences that generate conflict as great creativity is required to construct
cultural boundaries when the cultural other is very alike” (Nic Craith 2003,
1). Jake poignantly summarises this problematic socio-religious situation in Northern
Ireland:
The tragedy was that Northern Ireland (Scottish) Protestants thought
themselves like the British. Northern Ireland (Irish) Catholics thought
themselves like Eireans (proper Irish). The comedy was that any oncestrong
difference had long melted away and they resembled no one now as
much as they resembled each other. The world saw this and mostly wondered,
but round these parts folk were blind (McLiam Wilson 163).