The West-Belfast British Soldier

Colum is standing with his prosthetics in the background.

Colum McGeown, a west-Belfast Catholic joined the British army at 23 and by doing so he broke the west-Belfast rules. He said:

"Ok, how about I follow the west-Belfast rules and live in that hostel for the next 50 years of my life and do f**k all, or break the rules, see the world, have a meaningful life, decent job, have some wonderful and challenging experiences and get paid and start a family. You obviously know what one I went for."

Colum said also: "For me, to develop hatred in my heart for something that happened 15 years before I was even though of would be an ignorant stance to take." And here's the important bit: "I can only be influenced by what happens in my life." And that's why Brian Walker was very very right when he said that "Obsessing over history and identity won't educate our kids or bring them closer together."