[ay]

My girlfriend is Irish, and we went for the 2-day "tour" to Belfast this Xmas.

The overall feeling was quite cautious and tense, and people looked at us as we walked around and sat in the bar.

Less than a week after we came back, there were "issues" - aka some confrontation between the opposing sides.

It felt really strange. You do not expect this in the north of Europe.

I hope it gets better and calmer and the common sense prevails. Belfast is a beautiful place to visit.

(+1 for enriching my vocabulary with a new word :)