Lost Childhoods...

The Troubles have impacted on children and young people.  Many children have had difficult experiences and the direction of many young lives have been influenced by the violence.

I was with my aunt whenever she was killed
It was my eleventh birthday.
I was linking her.
My head was so blank
and I got up and run.
Then over in my house two years ago
the UVF came into my house
and killed my cousin.
This fella came in
and he'd shot him in the neck
then shot him another twice in the head,
and I was there.
I froze - I couldn't do nothing
I lost a brother there seven months ago.
He was dead close to me that one.
And that wrecked me so it did.

  ......

There was a sort of securitywith me.
 I was never allowed out on my own, ever.
We always had to be with other people.
We weren't allowed to give our 'phone number
to anybody in school or anything.
If anybody asked what your dad did,
we had to say he was a civil servant.
Every night, when I went to bed
I always kissed and hugged my dad goodnight,
because I knew there was a real chance
he wasn't coming home the next day.
 

Proceed to next section 'All in a day's work'

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