In our Northern Roots series, we speak to readers originally from Northern Ireland but currently living elsewhere, or vice versa – or who’ve spent time away from NI. This week’s interviewee is Zach Robinson. Zach is originally from Ballymena, and spent time in Newcastle in England before moving to Belfast. You can follow Zach on Twitter @YesZach.

 

1. Tell us about yourself. When did you leave Northern Ireland and where did you go? What do you do now?

I’m originally from Cullybackey and lived there until my mid-teens then moved to another jumping village, Broughshane, on the other side of Ballymena. So, I’m from the Ballymena area and lived there until I went to university. I’ve still very much got the accent, although it might be a bit softer, it’s not going anywhere – and after a few pints it’s like I never left. With there not being much in the way of entertainment for us youth in Ballymena at the time, Kelly’s in Portrush, particularly Lush, was like a second home – the mythical 52-seater buses and the legends that organised them.

I left Northern Ireland in 2008 and moved to Newcastle-upon-Tyne to study for my undergraduate degree at Northumbria University and ended up staying there for 8 years. The main reason for this is that the only real alternative was to go back to Broughshane/Ballymena with not much prospect for employment outside retail. I really wanted to move away for university because I just wanted to get out of Northern Ireland – I didn’t like the sectarianism, the obsession with orange and green, and how it infected every aspect of life. I just wanted to be somewhere where all that didn’t matter. My friend went to uni the year before me to Sunderland; when I visited, one of the nights we went to Newcastle and that was it – the decision was made. The people in the North-East of England are very similar to the people here, they have a dark sense of humour and they love the craic. Plus, I’m a lover of accents and the Geordie accent is up there!

After I received my undergrad degree, I worked in an independent cinema in the ‘toon’ called Tyneside Cinema. I worked there for nearly 6 years and had 7 different job titles in my time. That’s where my love of film really cemented itself. The people I worked with, who became some of my best friends, increased my love of the arts and culture more generally, too.

I recently graduated from with master’s degree at Queen’s University, and currently live in Belfast. At the minute, I’m working in something totally unrelated and with little pressure – just what I wanted after the significant stress of the past two years. Where to next, who knows?

 

2. What do you think when you see the Northern Ireland of today, in the news and on social media?

When I see the Northern Ireland of today, I recognise that great progress has been made since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. If I’m looking at the media, I always get a much more negative view of things – it’s always framed in the terms of conflict. I avoid the usual Northern Irish radio shows because I think they’re oppositional, combative, contrarian and add little to the conversation. I just get raging when I’m listening to them, like most other people. I think, ‘what’s the point?’

If I only saw a picture of Northern Ireland from the news and social media, I don’t think I’d be anywhere near it. Yes, that stuff happens, but that isn’t all that happens. There’s a real focus on negativity in Northern Ireland and we’re all guilty of it. There’s so much creativity and positive work happening in this place and that’s what we should try focusing on more.

 

3. Are you hopeful for Northern Ireland’s future? Will Brexit make a difference?

I am hopeful. What’s the alternative – despair? I’m not hopeful when I look at the traditional political parties or the media here – nothing ever changes there – but the increase in ‘unaligned’ voters in the most recent local council elections provides some hope. Most of my hope comes from what’s happening outside politics. Civil society seems to be getting more of a voice and more confidence since the EU referendum.

Absolutely Brexit will make a difference. It already is and it hasn’t even happened yet. Northern Ireland is going to be the place most affected in the UK economically and it changes the context here by separating us from the Republic of Ireland and all the problems that poses for the peace settlement. Before Brexit, the prospect of a border poll anytime soon didn’t seem realistic, but that’s all changed. Depending on how Brexit goes will dictate massively how the next 10 years for Northern Ireland will pan out.

4. What brought you back to NI? Are you happy to be back? How does it differ from when you left before?

I moved back to Northern Ireland to study for a masters in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen’s. When I first moved to England previously, I always said I’d never be back, but here I am. The main difference is that I’m living in the big city of Belfast and not the Ballymena area. From the little time that I spent in Belfast before I left, and on brief visits home, the city has changed massively and feels a lot more inclusive and energetic. The music scene has really taken off as well, and that makes life much sweeter – who doesn’t feel better after a dance?

 

5. If Northern Ireland had a president with sweeping powers, and it was you, what would you do?

The old wish list question – I’ll do serious ones first.

Integrate education – I still find it ridiculous that not only are children educated separately along community lines, but that teachers are also educated separately along the same lines. How can we expect people to live together and for society to be cohesive if we can’t even educate our children together? It won’t suit the two main political parties because they benefit from the division, but it will benefit society.

Bring in a Bill of Rights for all citizens of Northern Ireland, not just reflecting the two traditional communities here but all those people who call this part of the world home.

Remove arbitrary community designation in politics. This had a purpose in the early days after the Good Friday Agreement, but now it just institutionalises division.

Stop the fact that the majority of spending, infrastructure, culture, etc, happens in the Belfast area. The better the rest of this place does the better we all do. Plus, it’d be nice to be able to get a train to Fermanagh.

Most importantly, mandate by presidential decree that every shop stocks Pear Picking Porkys and R.J. Kerr Finger Rolls, the best rolls in ‘the town’! If you know, you know.

 

6. What would you like to see more of on Northern Slant?

I’d like to see more non-political content and articles about good things going on around Northern Ireland. I’d also like to see contributions from more people who aren’t based in Belfast. A world exists outside Belfast, and having those perspectives is extremely important.

 

7. If you could ask three Northern Ireland politicians (past or present) to dinner, who would they be? And why?

David Ervine, because I feel he ‘got’ it. He got that everything isn’t green and orange and that inequality and poverty don’t distinguish. He showed that you can be from a working-class Protestant/Unionist background but still have democratic socialist sensibilities and have the ability to be critical of your own community’s way of thinking. Plus, it seems like he would have been great craic to have a pint with.

Martin McGuinness – I’d love to have a frank discussion with him about his journey from militant to peace-maker and his thought process around that.

Clare Bailey – she’s class. I have huge respect for her passion and commitment to issues around equality and the environment. She seems like she’s great craic as well.

8. Do you have a favourite quote or mantra?

So, I’m going to have some from my two main homes, Ballymena, aka ‘the town’, and Newcastle, aka ‘the toon’. I’m leaving out Belfast, shock!

Town

‘Sure, I’m still livin’ and ‘Well, I’d complain, but who’d listen’

Some superb Ballymena quotes there, but they have to be said in a Ballymena accent. They capture the darkness of the Ballymena psyche well, and the laid back attitude at the same time.

Toon

‘Shy bairns get nowt’

If you don’t ask, you don’t get. If you don’t speak up, you can’t expect it to happen. Bairns being kids/weans.

I could put loads more to be fair.

 

9. What’s your message for people from Northern Ireland? 

Try and spend some time away from Northern Ireland if you can. I know it’s not always easy for people for many reasons – especially financially – but it really helps you to step outside the ‘normality’ of Northern Ireland and see that it’s anything but normal. Even a few months would make a difference. At the same time, don’t forget your roots. I’m proud of where I’m from. That pride shapes me, but it doesn’t define me.

 

10. What did you learn from your time away that may help or be incorporated into society here?

Definitely perspective, living outside Northern Ireland allows you to look at things without being in them, giving you some distance that really helps to put things into perspective. Living in England quickly snaps you out of any delusions you have about Northern Ireland. You soon realise how far down the list of priorities it is in England, and how little people know and understand about it. And why would they? They aren’t taught about it. I was asked did we use the euro in Northern Ireland. I was Irish in England regardless of how I saw my own identity. Along with that come all the jokes about potatoes and not speaking ‘properly’. I even met people that thought my colleague and I from Dublin sounded the same. I mean, in what universe…? Hilarious!

I learned that many things that have huge importance and significance put on them here are not important or relevant there. If they are important to you, that’s fair enough, but they aren’t to everybody and the world keeps on turning regardless.

 

11. Do you plan on remaining in Northern Ireland long-term?

I do think I plan on staying here long-term. That might involve stints away for fun or work, but I think I’d end up back here. I think Belfast is a great city and it reminds me a lot of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which I love and is a second home. Both are similar sizes; both are post-industrial cities with a past in ship building and both exist on the fringes often forgotten by Westminster.

Belfast also has an excellent, and growing, electronic music scene and that’s important for me. The craic in Belfast is ninety! It’s honestly hard to keep up with what’s happening in that regard – and what a great way to bring people together. There are so many great things to talk about, but one that comes to mind is a recent night started by Timmy Stewart and Jordan McCuaig of The Night Institute: The ‘Ballyhackamore Social’ held in Ballyhackamore Working Mens Institute and Club. It’s great to see people stepping outside the comfort of the city centre, venturing out towards the east and having a rave – and £3.20 for a Guinness isn’t bad either, like! Belfast, Bread, Ballymena, Yeeooo.