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Political Murals in Belfast Written by Roland Keates Back in 2019 I visited Belfast and the main reason was to see the political murals and the street art which are on every available free wall. From Falls Road to Shankill Road to Bank Street to Talbert Street; walls filled with colourful political and non-political messages. This article takes stock of nationalist murals in the city of Belfast. Their essential function is to active and perpetuate the national identification process. Public policies for the transformation of murals only superficially curb these conflicting dynamics. The questionnaires and quantitative data point to a negative perception - even rejection - of murals more frequent within moderate organizations and among the most qualified population. Conversely, supporters of radical parties view the murals more positively. The radicals of the two communities thus have a common popular and militant culture - and it seems a reciprocal respect for these works - on which they sometimes try to build intercommunity reconciliation. Much more than an instrument of mass communication, these paintings are tools of class communication. Murals are one of the most famous elements of Northern Ireland's heritage. They are estimated to be over 2,000 across Northern Ireland, and the largest concentration is in Belfast. They are the most visible marker of the virtual border which exists between the two main communities of Ireland. On the one hand, the Unionists / Loyalists, Protestants, faithful to the Crown of England; on the other, the nationalists/republicans, Catholics, in favour of union with the Republic of Ireland. Propaganda tools in a media-locked Northern Ireland during decades of unrest, they are today a veritable open book on the recent history of Northern Ireland. The History of Murals in Northern Ireland The phenomenon of murals in Northern Ireland dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. The first loyalist murals appeared around 1908. They were then performed as part of the commemoration celebrations of the Battle of the Boyne, won by William of Orange on July 12, 1690. This victory marked the seizure of power of the Protestants against Catholics. The phenomenon lost its scale on the loyalist side in the 1970s after the suspension of the Northern Irish Parliament and the direct administration of Northern Ireland by London. Loyalists faced a dilemma between the loss of their power over the Catholic community and their loyalty to the Crown of England. But the phenomenon picked up again from the mid-1980s, in reaction to the first concessions of the British government to the nationalists. Militarist paintings then mark the support for the loyalist paramilitary groups and delimit the "territories" of the various militias. In addition to these militarist themes (still evident today), the loyalist murals pay tribute to the heroes and "martyrs" of the loyalist cause, to Protestant historical figures (Oliver Cromwell, American presidents of Scottish origin, etc.) Republican murals appeared much later, at the end of the 1970s, in a context of support for the struggle of Republican prisoners for political status. They then make it possible to circumvent censorship and ensure the propaganda of the republican cause. As on the loyalist side, they pay homage to the heroes and martyrs of the cause, republican this time. But they also recall episodes in the history of Ireland (Great Famine, Easter uprising 1916, etc.). The mark the attachment of Republicans to Irish culture or their solidarity with other causes in the world (Palestine for example). Since the Good Friday Agreements in 1998 which marked the end of the unrest in Northern Ireland, under the impetus of the population and the authorities concerned with pacifying the atmosphere in Northern Ireland, the protest themes are less present on the frescoes. This is especially true for loyalist frescoes. Militarist paintings increasingly giving way to more politically neutral frescoes, calling for peace or honouring great local figures (in particular footballer George Best or… the Titanic!). But this policy of sanitising the themes addressed by the murals divides the population. Some believing that murals inciting hatred between communities no longer have their place in a pacified Northern Ireland. It is indeed challenging to remain insensitive to certain militarist loyalist murals…), others considering them as a warning of the dangers of a return to violence. You could even say the murals were used as a weapon of war became a war between different groups. Instead of bullets paint cans were used to send a message. See the murals in Belfast. Although murals are scattered throughout Belfast (with the notable exclusion of the city centre and the southern parts of the city), a few working-class neighbourhoods surrounding the centre concentrate the majority. West Belfast is the best known and most visited area by tourists. To the north, Shankill (a name given to the district formed by Shankill Road and the adjacent streets) brings together a Protestant population and therefore shelters many loyalist frescoes. To the south, separated from Shankill by the "Peace Lines" (high barriers built in the 1970s and pierced with crossing points to separate the Catholic and Protestant districts of the city. Thus, limit violence between the two communities), Falls Road is the leading Catholic district of the city. This street dominated by the sinister Divis Tower (a residential tower whose top housed a British army watch post from the 1970s until 2005). This has the most famous frescoes, such as the solidarity wall ("solidarity wall") or the fresco by Bobby Sands on the Sinn Fein headquarters. Further west, adjoining Falls Road, Ballymurphy also includes many Republican frescoes. The other area with a large concentration of murals is East Belfast, the eastern part of Belfast, at the gates of the old Harland & Wolff shipyards. Apart from a few Republican murals clustered on Short Strand, the area is overwhelmingly inhabited by Protestants and is, therefore, home to many loyalist frescoes, on both sides of Newtownards Road and Albertbridge Road. One interesting point to make is The East Belfast neighbourhoods have more politically neutral frescoes. These murals celebrate the Titanic, the Northern Irish national football team and even the science fiction writer CS Lewis, a native of Belfast. These large-format paintings tell us of the impact of Troubles in local communities. As a visitor to Belfast, are the murals seen a call for peace and harmony. Or are they a weapon without bullets? The Jackie Coulter mural on Shankill Parade. Coulter, a ‘lieutenant’ in the loyalist paramilitary UDA was killed by a rival loyalist paramilitary group, the UVF, in August 2000. Splitting messages Within this article, I'm writing about walking the political mural walls in Belfast. In one sense, they are still seen as street art and a message for all generations. For these murals in the different areas of Belfast generate immense discomfort in society. The messages that inhabit the city are multiple, and the preponderance of private messages is evident. These messages come in all shapes and sizes. This Unionist mural depicts a family being evacuated from their home by Republican paramilitary groups, with the news report on the left. The right-hand side shows an empty newspaper symbolizing an unknown future for Northern Ireland. The political murals are equal in measure and reveal a would-be revolution. Political parties are given a manifestation of discontent through the murals that do not want to be seen by a societal fraction. The messages are hidden in plain sight, a percentage of individuals feel at ease with these idealistic messages and others that do not. Political Murals in Belfast Solidarity A mural is symbolising a similarity between the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the British occupation of Ireland demonstrating the solidarity between the two peoples. In general terms, tourist mays not look deeper into the murals or the political message. They might see a message of love and cultural diversity. Everything communicates. The fact of painting the street is already a communication, and the message transmitted in it is read, taking into account the communication’s instance in all its dimensions. Communication What communicates in a mural is a discontent with society and in especial, authority and obedience. The street artists violate the law by placing their messages and their egos in the streets. In Belfast, certain areas are designated areas for political street art, that are authorised by the owners of the wall. Political Murals in Belfast Interpretation When visiting these murals without a guide, everyone sees and interprets what they want. For its part, the aesthetic contribution of urban artists - those who do street art - to cities is invaluable; they decorate the streets historically. Street art creates priceless works, which cannot be purchased by any collector, or donated to the conventional museum. It is art for the passer-by, for the walker, for everyone who crosses, for those who are not looking for art; It is the democracy of art. Tourism Tourism in Northern Ireland has been revitalised since the peace agreements in 1998. Tourism activities are indicative of the tensions that remain between communities in Belfast. Attempts are made to promote culture away from diverse representations of conflict with tourist agency responses and public demand. Where is the Love? Don't Walk but ride Both traditional operators and associations and neighbourhood guides offer tours by bus, taxi, and walking on the theme of the conflictive history of the city. The tours proposed by the local associations are based on the personal experience of the guides, while the classic tours offer a "neutral" history of inter-community conflict. Using Local guides If you are a street art tourist, who doesn't want to immerse yourself with research, then choose a tour guide: these guides are republican or loyalist. Republicans have an interpretation of the conflict centred on the beginnings of the Troubles in 1969. They describe the troubles in a long colonial history, since the invasions by Anglo-Norman in the twelfth century. The the colonial wars of the eighteenth century follow, and finally, the independence movements of the eighteenth to the twentieth century. The Stevie McKeag mural on Hopewell Crescent. McKeag, aka Top Gun, was a UDA gunman thought to have killed at least a dozen people, mostly Catholics. United Irish What else I noticed was that the republican rhetoric puts the stress on the dimension of anticolonial fight and defence of freedom, of political order, and which has not always opposed Catholics and Protestants. The independent guide mentioned that Ireland's defenders of Irish autonomy in the 18th and 19th centuries were not all Catholics, like the figure of Wolfe Tone, leader of the United Irish people. Nelson Mandela, Street art in Belfast Pick a Side The above mural attempts to draw a parallel between the Nationalist cause in Northern Ireland and Nelson Mandela’s anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. However, in recent years, the mural is understood as a symbol of peace and stability, in the aftermath of conflict. Republicans develop an interpretation of conflict in terms of a minority's struggle against political domination and place it in the long run of struggles against oppression. Loyalist guides are more focused on the contemporary post-conflict period. They concentrate on talking about military figures who are often represented by the loyal soldier who gave his life to the nation. Nearer my God Republicans appear to manipulate the history and culture of conflict much better to gain legitimacy internationally in their narratives. Maybe the guides use the tourists as political chess pieces to gain sympathy for their cause. Loyalists have refined their speech to reverse this negative image, but the Republicans draw the symbolism for their benefit, including through victimisation. This colourful mural depicts all the Hunger Strikers of the 1980s, including a larger image of Hunger Striker Kieran Doherty, who died in 1981. Safety while visiting the murals of Belfast At no time did I feel intimidated or uncomfortable, visiting such areas. Neither taking photos, so walking to the sites is a must. I was free to divert and stop when I pleased. Others choose to visit the murals by the black cabs whose drivers serve as guides while touring the Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods. Stop calling me Resilient. Because every time you say “Oh, They’re Resilient,” that means you can do something else to me. The Troubles I still remember all the television footage back in the 1980s and 1990s of the troubles in Northern Ireland. Getting off the ferry in Belfast at Midnight and driving through Belfast to be met by the British army in an armoured car telling me to turn around. Freedom Corner in East Belfast Freedom Corner Thirty years on, the only reminder for me are the murals in Belfast of the past Troubles. I know many people lost their lives and how I see the Political walls are a way of keeping those memories alive. Political Murals in Belfast - Young Citizen Volunteers Two Thousand Political Murals These 2000 murals inevitably remind me of the conflict that turned Northern Ireland into a scene of horror and violence for many years. It is not easy to talk about clashes that caused the deaths of thousands of people. Our guide I felt sided with one political party. He was keen to tell us one story and did not want to take us to one side of Belfast which associated with another political party. This may have been due to fear of being spotted. Whatever the reason, on my walking tour, I surely wanted to, and visited a pub where I was made welcome. UFF Mural in Belfast Coloured Brushstrokes These coloured brushstrokes of history, are like tree roots which run in peoples lives in Belfast. As an outsider, I felt a sense of unrest, as a parallel to what Brexit would do to the peace settlement. The murals of Falls Road Falls Road is the epicenter of the Catholic quarter, and a visit to the International Wall is a must. Martin Luther King's "I have a dream," mural, is bright and beautiful. Murals are showcasing the expulsion of Israeli diplomats from Ireland. The new prime minister, Boris Johnson’s funny spitting image character coming to life. Boris Johnson in street art Belfast International International examples are being mobilised, linking the situation in Northern Ireland with, Palestine or South Africa. Some of these political murals are signs of solidarity with countries suffering repression. Nelson Mandela with his fist held high, local leaders, signs of solidarity towards Palestine, invitations to join Amnesty International. Anti Israel Mural in Belfast Dick and William Murals in memory of Dick and William. Two men who died in Spain during the civil war and whose plaque presides over a large red, yellow and purple canvas. Yet a mural nearby denounces the exceptional laws and mass arrests in the Falls in 1971. In memory of our fallen comrades of the I.N.L.A Bobby Sands Hoards of people photograph and pay tribute to the figure of Bobby Sands. The first of the 10 IRA hunger strike prisoners to die in 1981. "Our revenge will be the laughter of our children." Bobby Sands Impossible to remain impassive before the sentence that accompanies his portrait, located on the side of the Sinn Féin headquarters on Falls Road. It's an obligatory stop. The image shows a martyrdom of a young man with long black hair and smiling as evoking a Christ figure. Sinn Fein Headquarters, Belfast Sinn Fein Headquarters, Belfast Catholic religious imagery is very present and attached to the figure of Christ. As evidenced in the Falls Road Memorial Garden, the war memorial with the image of a woman holding a man in the manner of a Pièta. With the quote of the revolutionary poet Patrick Pearse shot dead after the failed 1916 uprising in Dublin. "The fools, the fools, the fools-they have left us for our Fenian dead; and while Ireland holds these grave, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace." The Wall of Peace They say that in Belfast there are almost a hundred walls spread over 30 kilometres. The walls rose when the riots began to separate and protect the Unionist and Republican communities. These walls still standing. One of them, located in Cuper Way, is the so- called Wall of Peace that divides the Catholic Falls Road from the Protestant Shankill Road. Just walking there you pass by many walls celebrating the death of someone's son, or husband. William of Orange Mural in Belfast Walk down Falls Road until you find Springlield Road. Continue on this street and turn on Lanarnk Way. The impressive presence of the cement and steel walls, topped by high fences, surveillance cameras, and metal doors will indicate that you have reached Cuper Way. When I arrived, in the middle of the morning, dozens of black taxis were already circulating in the area. Many tourists approach this section of the wall to leave their messages of peace among a tangle of graffiti. No more murders. No more guns. We hope that peace has no end — peace, love & rock 'n' roll. The murals of Shankill Road Shankill Road, one of the main streets of the Protestant neighbourhood, runs parallel to Falls Road. As I get there, wandering around Conway Street practically alone, the images that the news had filled years ago came to mind. It seems incredible that what happened in such a quiet area in the eyes of a stranger. Shankill Since Original Belfast 455AD – The Parish of Belfast was formally called Shankill which signifies “Old Church” The rest of Shankill Road, a proletarian avenue full of fast food outlets, is an ode to the English monarchy with hundreds of 'Union Jack flags' blowing in the wind. Political Murals in Belfast If you decide to walk this route, you will visit more interesting murals behind Falls Road. Same messages of unionism repeated along with images of King William III, of the Celtic hero Cúchulainn, facades that honour paramilitary groups such as UVF and the UDA. Murals highlight the right to education and that everyone treated with the utmost dignity and respect. Curiously, even the curbs of the sidewalks are painted blue, white and red so that everyone knows what terrain they step drive-in. The Shankill district The Shankill district has very long commentaries on recent murals and monuments. These murals represent the attacks that took place there, killing civilian victims. The main stops of the visit are the memorial of the bombing of The Bayardo bar in 1975. Ulster Defence Association loyalist paramilitary mural in The Shankill Estate, Belfast The monument was erected in 2008 on the place of the missing bar and, nearby, the Garden of Remembrance (Shankill Memorial Park.) Built-in 1992 in memory of all the victims of the armed forces since the First World War. In the garden, a monument (an old gas spout) was added in 1993 to honour the memory of the innocent victims of the Shankill Road fishmonger attack and all the innocent victims of the Shankill neighbourhood. Lesley Cherry “Nothing about us without us is for us” Is a title of artwork which reflects a slogan used internationally, where social and political change has been paramount. It is understood that each change emerges only through true consultation with the community. That is the wish of the residents of Lower Shankill district. To affect social change and move forward through collaboration with decision-makers and government at every level. The digital image above was created by artist Lesley Cherry who has worked with Lower Shankill district Community Associations for many years. Lesley has a consultation within that process, to ensure a better future for all. The artwork was funded by the Housing Executive, working in partnership with the Lower Shankill Community Association. The artwork replaces previous murals depicting paramilitaries and one of the Northern Ireland Coat of Arms. Bombay Street The Clonard Martyrs Memorial Garden, located in Bombay Street just behind the peace line by the Greater Clonard Ex-Prisoners Association, is a must to visit. It commemorates the victims of the neighbourhood, mainly those of the beginning of the Troubles in August 1969. In the war memorial is added a fresco reminding visitors of the destruction of the neighbourhood, with added photos of the ten victims of this bloody episode displayed in the medallion. The Chronicles of a People peace marker in Belfast The Chronicles of a People The Chronicles of a People From the burning ashes of a Clonard Street, is where I trace my own. Not fifty yards across the wall my blood runs blue as well. The red brick walls and darkened halls where secrets never met, For fear a neighbor lent his ear to something he’d regret. To the sharpened steel and concrete wall that separates our minds Where the language of indifference knows never to be kind. The towering church that rang its bells in a panicked cry for help Drew boys & girls in fearless hordes, through the smell of burning felt. Near fifty years of blood and tears, some said we’d never learn To put the past behind us and embrace another world. But Belfast streets refuse to give its secrets of the past With the unrelenting notion that the die’s already cast. My truth is mine and yours is yours, no need for compromise When a monopoly of victims can hide a thousand lies. When pain and years of suffering is just reserved for some The ones we leave behind us will not escape the gun. Listening to the guides recount Loyalist attacks on working-class communities in Belfast. I overhear them recall the memory of "whole streets burned to the ground." The guides remember the men who committed themselves to save their neighbourhood and lost their lives. The Clonard Martyrs Memorial Garden The on-site booklet first recalls the names (with photos) of the combatants, then the list of civilian casualties and the circumstances of their deaths. The pamphlet states, the monument "Honours the memory of those who lost their lives as a direct result of the conflict resulting from the British occupation." Written on the plaque "This plaque is dedicated to the people of the greater Clonard who have resisted and still resist the occupation of our country by Britain.... Their names would be too numerous to mention, and their deeds of bravery and resistance are un-equalled in the history of our struggle. We, the Republican ex-prisoners of the greater Clonard, salute you, and your reward will only be a united Ireland." There are visible and palpable scars in the walls. These walls hold much blood in them from a not so distant time. Socking up the walls with paint of the dispute between those who supported membership in the United Kingdom and supporters of independence or inclusion in the Republic of Ireland skewed more than 3,500 lives. Wall murals(murals) painted on the gables of houses, walls and any type of building in these popular neighbourhoods, in honour of paramilitary militias and victims of the conflict. They use a pictorial vocabulary drawing from the symbols of the struggle between the two communities. Dark Tourism It is similar to what John Lennon and Malcolm Foley (2000) describe as "dark tourism," in which death, disasters and atrocities are associated with tourism products, beyond attendance. Well-Known sites for commemoration purposes. We seek nothing but the elementary right implanted in every man. The right if you are attacked, to defend yourself. This name covers the visit of very diverse places, cemeteries, prisons, battlefields, sites of natural disasters or sites of acts of terrorism or contemporary conflicts. It seems to us, however, that the notion of dark tourism is all-encompassing and contains a moral condemnation, as pointed out by Michael S. Bowman and Phaedra C. Pezzulllo (2009). Ending thoughts What I did take away from wandering in the Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods is a sense of uneasiness and a sense of change. The most belligerent murals are less and less represented; the new murals reflect cultural issues without political connotations that claim to add and not subtract. A good start, in any case, aimed at mutual understanding, respect and tolerance. Many more political statements can be found in Belfast