Protestant Boy

(Paperback)

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On a visit to see his ailing mother in Ulster, Geoffrey Beattie is faced with memories of growing up in this fiercely Protestant community. As his mother's health deteriorates he reflects on her remarkable character, on his personal experiences as a boy in Ulster, and the effects of the political situation on the tightknit community. Growing up, Beattie had watched his friends get caught up in the ceaseless violence and hatred of the sectarian divide. On visits back to Northern Ireland, he learns the fate of those friends he left behind; prison, death or family loss, usually as a consequence of the troubles. A picture emerges of a struggling and sometimes violent community, living by its own rules, but submissive in its optimism. Reaching back to his roots, Beattie reflects on memory itself, his own and that of the community. Deep in Ulster's past lies the heroic actions of the Ulstermen in the First World War, and he considers how it still effects the community today. In his quest to understand the past he interviews his neighbours about the impact of the troubles on their lives, considering particularly how violence is justified and how those affected manage to leave these experiences behind. Finally he, too, is able to let the past go.With riveting insight and startling honesty, Protestant Boy is a remarkable personal journey into a troubled past.

Author Bio

Geoffrey Beattie is Professor of Psychology at Manchester University, and regularly appears on television as psychologist on Channel 4's Big Brother. His previous books include We Are the People: Journeys Through the Heart of Protestant Ulster and On the Ropes: Boxing as a Way of Life.