THE Ireland issue is one that will never go away and is also one of the most difficult to comprehend.

With the peace agreement long ago signed and the height of the troubles more than 20 years ago, there have been genuine improvements, but not too far underneath the surface old prejudices still bubble.

The political furore surrounding Rangers-Celtic games has escalated this season and on the streets of Belfast, the Unionists and Nationalists are still marching to completely different tunes — literally.

This excellent documentary, made by Alison Millar, concentrated on the largely Protestant marching bands of the Shankhill Road and, in particular, young Jordan, who belongs to one of the most famous Loyalist families in the area.

The 11-year-old, whose father Jackie has been in prison — Jordan doesn’t know what for — has already attended practice sessions as a drummer with one of the 13 marching bands that patrol the two-mile stretch of the road.

Unsurprisingly, there’s a Rangers Supporters’ Club branch in the area, which, I should imagine, does particularly well, and there’s strong competition between the bands, with one particularly good musician gaining a “transfer”.

There’s lots of talk about being loyal to your country and, when questioned as to who could join the bands, one man, Paul, comments “A Catholic could only be in the band if he could be loyal to the Queen and the Crown”, and adds “We’re probably more British than people that actually live in Britain itself”.

Lee, meanwhile, at 28 already has eight children and has decided his latest one will make a future band drummer.

Graffiti is sprayed on the walls of the estate not already adorned with Unionist murals, and it emerges Jordan is one of the culprits.

He admits to not understanding the background to the troubles, but is clearly influenced by his father’s teachings despite Jackie’s insistence he will protect his son from the troubles.

Jordan, a plump, smiley ginger lad, makes a shocking discovery about his father’s past and said dad makes the decision to tell him about his history, visiting the old Maze prison, in which he spent time.

The marches attract large crowds and are well-supported, though there are difficulties when the bands cross “borders” into Nationalist areas.

Generally, the Loyalist songs don’t receive as much airplay as the rebel tunes, popularised over decades by the likes of The Clancy Brothers, The Dubliners and The Pogues, but they certainly have their followers.

In this supposedly Christian of battles, it appears the Devil has all the best tunes.