Troubles / trioblóidí: Orange disorder

Dec 07, 2022, 07:57 PM

"A simple idea. Locate and have a conversation with a woman who was born in the late 1960s on or around the 12th of July in Belfast as the so called ’Troubles’ began to escalate. I wanted to hear what that small girl thought, felt and experienced growing up in such a place.

"I spoke with Mary*. Female, born 12 07 1968, raised Catholic and living just off the Falls Road in West Belfast. What Mary said about the trauma of childhood in Belfast was deeply affecting. 

"My intention was to use the recording of the conversation in the sound work. However, the individual chose to remain anonymous and did not want the interview used, expressing genuine concern that her family might be at risk from intimidation and violence if identified. Mary allowed for some of the conversation to be transcribed to provide context for the sound work.

“'Born in '68, I grew up in Northern Ireland in the 1970s and ‘80s during the Troubles. We never celebrated my birthday. I never had party, it was just too dangerous. For myself, my parents, relations, friends and just about every other child or adult, daily life was punctuated with bomb attacks, incendiary devices, kidnappings, kneecappings, tar and featherings, murders and extrajudicial killings. All motivated in one way or another by sectarian division and hate. There was fear and conflict then and it continues to this day.'

"'The sound track of my life was silence and then violence and then silence again.'

"‘Troubles / Trioblóidí: Orange Disorder’ sound work uses the original field recording of the Orange Order march, which takes place every year on the 12th of July in Belfast. The base sample is combined with found sound processed using an impulse response (IR) recorded at St Peter’s Cathedral, located in the Divis Street area of the Falls Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

"Please be aware there are sudden, loud reports in this work. Caution is advised when listening with headphones."

* Not her real name

Orange Day parade reimagined by Simon Kennedy.