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Celebrating diversity

Encouraging respect and strengthening bridges

People from all walks of life and professions are now making Northern Ireland their home and place of work, helping to enrich the region, to encourage respect for other cultures and to strengthen bridges to the rest of the world.

More visitors than ever before and from many parts of the world are now coming here for pleasure or on business. As a result, Northern Ireland is changing and changing fast.

The focus is on a future in which harmony, understanding and prosperity will be the main drivers. Fear and mistrust are being left behind as Northern Ireland moves towards a more cohesive and tolerant society. Much has already been achieved but there’s still more to do to transform Northern Ireland into a genuinely multicultural society.

The overwhelming majority of people here now recognise and accept that there are tangible benefits for all from celebrating and embracing diversity.

The government is contributing to this by supporting initiatives that bring people together and foster greater mutual understanding and co-operation between the many sections of the Northern Ireland community. Much work has been done, and continues to be undertaken, to promote cultural and other exchanges between different communities. Substantial funding has been provided to improve standards and employment especially in socially and economically disadvantaged parts of Belfast and other areas.

A demonstration of how things have changed is quite easy. Simply walk down any main street in any city or town in Northern Ireland and you will see and hear for yourself the rich diversity of the people who now live and work here. More and more people want to visit, to work, to live and often, settle in Northern Ireland.

More and more migrant workers have moved here in recent times to provide the skills and labour that the economy needs. Migration not only meets the needs of cities and countries but it also enriches society and cultural life.

Many from India and the Philippines are working in the health sector and those from the Eastern European countries are working in a variety of jobs in areas such as the agri-food industry, construction, hospitality and the health sector. These recent arrivals are providing the labour and skills that Northern Ireland needs.

However, Northern Ireland has been home to minority ethnic people for centuries, Irish Travellers are in indigenous minority ethnic group and there has been a Jewish community here for well over a century. The first members of the Indian community arrived here in the 1920’s and there have also been significant numbers of Chinese people here since the 1960’s.

According to the 2001 Census, the size of the minority ethnic population in Northern Ireland is 14,279 (0.85% of the total population).

However, certain minority ethnic representatives have suggested that the ‘non-indigenous’ population is closer to 45,000 people.

As Northern Ireland leaves its past behind and looks to its future, by embracing cultural diversity, it provides an introduction to some of the different lifestyles, languages, religions and cultures that contributes to today’s multicultural society.

Celebrating and embracing diversity makes the most of what Northern Ireland has to offer, creatively and culturally, and by doing so benefits the entire community.

A rich Viking heritage

Cultural diversity is nothing new to Northern Ireland with an annual festival dedicated to its rich Viking heritage.

A thousand years ago long ships carried Vikings to Northern Ireland’s shores where they dominated the Strangford Lough area of Co Down from the 9^th to 11^th century.

One of the most famous Vikings to reach Northern Ireland, and the only Viking King buried in Ireland, was King Magnus, King of Norway (1073-1103).

Nicknamed Magnus Barelegs, he was considered to be ruthless and ambitious, with military campaigns in Sweden, Wales, Scotland, Isle of Man and along the eastern coastline of Ireland. Born in 1073, he became king on the death of his father, King Olaf the Peaceful in 1093.

His grandfather was Harald Hardrata, the Viking warrior King who died at the battle of Stamford Bridge, fighting the English in 1066.

King Magnus set out on an expedition to expand his empire and in 1098 successfully brought under Norse control the Viking settlements in Orkneys, the Western Isles and the Isle of Man, where in the same year he built his hall on St. Patrick's Isle near Peel, and from there he set his final course for Ireland.

Magnus formed an alliance in 1102 with King Murtagh O'Brien, King of Ireland, to supply manpower for his local wars, in return for cattle, to provide much needed provisions for his homeward journey to Norway.

On 24 August, 1103, having sailed his long boats in from Strangford Lough, and landing near Downpatrick, Magnus waited impatiently for his cattle. Believing O’Brien had broken his promise, Magnus left the safety of his ships to seek out the missing cattle. Mistaken as raiders the Vikings were attacked.  The Vikings were greatly outnumbered and after a brave and ferrous battle Magnus and most of his men were killed.

The remains of King Magnus lie in a common grave, marked by a burial mound, outside Downpatrick.

One of Magnus' men who survived the attack took Magnus' famous sword Legbiter back to Norway. And so ended the life of the last Viking king to rule the Irish Sea.

Today, the Killyleagh Magnus Barelegs Viking Festival at Killyleagh and Delamont Country Park, Downpatrick (pictured) attracts hoards of Vikings from as far away as Norway, Poland and America.