Belfast - murals and the ‘peace wall’

Belfast’s tradition of political murals dates from 1908 when images of King Billy (William III, Protestant victor over the Catholic James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690) were painted by Unionists protesting against home rule for Ireland.  The tradition was revived in the late 1970s as the Troubles wore on, with murals used to mark out sectarian territory, make political points, commemorate historical events and glorify terrorist groups.  As the ‘voice of the community’ the murals were rarely permanent, but changed to reflect the issues of the day.  In recent years there has been a lot of debate about what to do with Belfast’s murals.  Some see them as an ugly and unpleasant reminder of a violent past, while others claim they are a vital part of Northern Ireland’s history.

In recent years there has been a move to replace the more aggressive and militaristic images with murals dedicated to local heroes and famous figures however, many of the original murals still remain.

The first Republican murals appeared in 1981, when the hunger strike by Republican prisoners saw the emergence of dozens of murals of support.  Also prominent is the image of Bobby Sands, who was one of the ten prisoners who starved themselves to death - Bobby was elected as a local MP shortly before his death.  A phoenix rising from flames (symbolizing Ireland reborn from the flames of the 1916 Easter Rising) is commonly seen in Republican murals, as well they often show support for other rationalist and republican movements around the world, including Palestine and recently Catalonia.

Loyalist murals have traditionally been more militaristic and defiant in tone.  Paramilitary insignia and images of King Billy are common, as are references to the WW1 Battle of the Somme in 1916 in which many Ulster soldiers died: it is seen as a symbol of Ulster’s loyalty to the British crown, in contracts to the Republican Easter Rising of 1916.

The most visible sign of the divisions that have scarred the area for so long are the so-called ‘peace walls’ that controversially divide Belfast’s Protestant and Catholic communities, covering some 34km in all.  Begun in 1969 as a ‘temporary measure’, the 6m high walls of corrugated steel, concrete and chain link have outlasted the Berlin Wall.

Can you see where I signed the ‘peace wall’?

 The gates on both sides of the street are open right now...but they will close later in the day

The longest section divides the Falls Road and the Shankill in West Belfast...and even today its steel gates are generally open during daytime hours, but closed at night!

Taxi tours are the best way to see the murals and the ‘peace wall’ - in general they’re an intimate and entertaining way to see the sights, with the taxi driver being a local person, often someone who lived through the Troubles.