Jack Anderson: Not yet summer in Northern Ireland but communities are moving slowly

In many ways, the slow, contested development of Casement Park in west Belfast symbolises what is going on now in the North

REMEMBERING: Supporters parade in memory of Sean Brown and Patsy Kelly before the Allianz Football League Division 1 match between Derry and Tyrone at Celtic Park in Derry on Feb 4. Pic:  Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

I lived in Belfast for 15 years. The city is a bit like Cusack Park in Ennis; it always seems smaller than it is. In Belfast, this is because of old sectarian divisions and the Troubles. The peace walls are the most obvious manifestation of the divide. The divide in some people’s heads is now less pronounced, more nuanced, but its foundations remain just as deep. Where you live, your name, your school, even the way you pronounce words or letters can all give subtle signs, as, of course, does the sport you play.

In Belfast, I played hurling. There was nothing overtly political about that. Coming from east Limerick, I didn’t play any other sport. We only played Gaelic football when it was getting dark.