I remember sitting in primary school when the teacher asked whether anyone knew the difference between Catholics and Protestants. My hand shot up but Claire, my next-desk neighbour, got there first with: “Protestants don’t like Our Lady the way we do!”

I was relieved I hadn’t been picked because all I could muster was a vague memory of my granda saying something about Presbyterian budgie owners tying up their wee birdie’s swing on a Sunday and somehow, that didn’t seem half as important as Claire’s statement.

The reason for the question became clear when we were sent home with a letter asking permission for us to go on cross-community trips with Taughmonagh Primary School over the following weeks. We all brought it back excitedly, ready to meet this other species of Christian we had apparently been learning about.

The aim of these trips was very much in the spirit of the popular TV show School Around the Corner: gather a group of children and gently reveal that “the other side” was made up of children much like themselves - but with slightly less chance of mortifying parents on national television.

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