As bad as the conflict in the Occupied Six Counties of Ireland was (and is), there was always a dark sense of humour to accompany the violence. Such an approach is a coping mechanism in face of trauma. It often means that local people will laugh at things while others might find such behaviour wholly inappropriate. One good example of this is the popular TV sit-com, Give My Head Peace. This comedy dealt with issues such as Unionist paramilitaries, Republican militants, RUC corruption and more general social issues. It was all presented in a tongue-in-cheek manner. Here is one episode for you, to sample this attempt by the people of the North of Ireland to soften the hard edges of the rough times they went through.

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