ONE of the first lessons I learned when I started working as a journalist is that no two people experience Belfast in quite the same way.

Spend enough time talking to people and you quickly realise that everyone has their own view of the city.

For some, Belfast is the place their ancestors helped build in the linen mills and shipyards. For others it’s a place defined by music, theatre, sport or business.

Some remember checkpoints and security barriers. Others know only the shops and restaurants. Some arrived decades ago, while others have only recently made Belfast their home.

Brónagh Diamond: Something in me softened at the Clonard Novena – and I saw the future of the Catholic Church

Fabien McQuillan: Half-time high jinx with the happy clifts watching Tyrone v Mayo at Healy Park

All of them will have their own unique recollections and anecdotes of the city.

Read more: Sophie Clarke: The trouble with tourists playing tour guide in Belfast

That thought came to mind recently as councillors debated........

© The Irish News