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Northern Ireland boys connect in Loudoun
Garaeth Hammond, 16, and Cathal Crossan, 15, landed in Loudoun County from Northern Ireland the evening of June 27. They crossed the ocean to get to know each other better and to see that even though one is Protestant and the other Catholic, they have a lot in common.For six weeks, the boys are staying with the Loison family – Roland, Cindy and their 12-year-old son Alex – of the Loudoun section of Great Falls, through a program called Children's Friendship Project for Northern Ireland. The program promotes peace and friendship-building between Northern Ireland's Catholic and Protestant teenagers and their families and friends, with the hope of fostering understanding and continued interaction.
“We haven't had any arguments yet,” said Garaeth, who laughed, saying he has a slightly confrontational personality.
The boys have bonded well, sticking together throughout their stay. They have played video games, basketball, and soccer and participated in the many events planned for them through the program – volunteering at the Folk Life Festival in Washington, D.C., attending an open-heart surgery at Inova Fairfax Hospital and visiting representatives on Capitol Hill.
The boys do not speak directly of the conflicts in Northern Ireland – a topic host parents have been asked not to raise – and are getting to know each other as fellow citizens, not as “Protestant” or “Catholic.”
They discovered they have common friends, they live close to each other and they hang out in the same town, Banbridge.
“This gives the kids a means to see something different,” said Roland.
This is the ninth year the Loisons have hosted children through the friendship project.
Recently, the political tensions in Northern Ireland have begun to dissipate. Leaders from the two political parties are talking out the issues at an all-Ireland summit, the North-South Ministerial Council, in accordance with Northern Ireland's Good Friday peace accord.
Even though the tensions will, he hopes, become part of the past, Roland says the program will continue to be important for these teens.
“It is a leadership program where they can go back to their communities and promote understanding,” he said.
As Garaeth and Cathal enjoy their next three weeks in the states, they are looking forward to some good food at Kobe Steakhouse in CountrySide and "lying about."
Both said they hope to hang out with each other when they return home July 25, but the program does not end there.
The boys and their families will meet in September to talk about the experience and continue their communication.
Contact the reporter at lwolstenholme@timespapers.com
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