Walking the Dog

Northern Ireland was a sectarian society long before “the Troubles” started in the late 1960s. A sectarian society is one where different communities live in the same space but separately, attending different churches and schools, frequenting different pubs and shops. For the visitor, the dividing lines can be difficult to see – a change of graffiti, different flags or emblems. Even for the natives it can be a challenge when you meet a stranger on neutral ground, in the town centre or a shopping mall. How do you know who is who? This story by Bernard MacLaverty, set in Northern Ireland at the height of “the Troubles”, deals with this question.

Read more in Access to English: Social Studies, pp. 376-382. Then do the tasks in the textbook and on this website.

walking dog