McGrath, you've touched upon the point that is most difficult for people in the U.S. to understand -- the religion-based partisanship. The idea of Protestants and Catholics being able to kill each other, or even dislike and distrust each other because of their church affiliation is just beyond us. My neighbor might worry that I'm going to hell because I'm not a member of his/her church, and may irritate and bore me to tears proselytizing, but hate me? kill me? We can't credit it, somehow, nor the inability to see beyond it.

One of the really frightening parts of May the Lord in His Mercy Be Kind to Belfast is the section on how people in North have small ways of discovering each other's denomination without actually asking: What dry cleaner someone recommends, what pubs you frequent, etc. -- and how terribly important it is to relationships.

I know it's there; I know it's (to Americans) disproportionately important. But I cannot fathom it.

Sarah