Seeing the murals of Belfast is an eye opening way to discover its history and cultural values, depicted in this colorful street art. Belfast and Derry have the most political murals in all of Europe. And Belfast displays about 300 good quality murals throughout the city. Furthermore, these murals display along the famous Peace Wall, along with nearby buildings and gates. In the summer of 2017, I hired a 3-hour Belfast Murals tour. Overall, here is what I learned, plus, photos of my 10 favorite murals.
Northern Ireland History of “The Troubles”
The tumultuous history began in the 1920’s, when Northern Ireland remained under British Rule, while the Republic of Ireland claimed independence. Also, comparatively the conflicts reflected in the religions, with the North as Protestant and the Republic as Catholic.
Later in the 1960’s the conflict ignited to the level of becoming a civil war, with most of the violence in Northern Ireland. Finally, ‘The Troubles’ ended in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. Overall, more than 3,500 people were killed during “the Troubles’ and about half of these deaths were in Belfast from bombings and shootings. In addition, about 50,000 people were injured.
The Peace Walls – Belfast Murals Tour
During this conflict, the citizens of Belfast built the Peace Wall to divide the Catholics and Protestants. Starting in 1969, these peace walls now stretch over 21 miles (34 km). Eventually, the walls became a canvas to express through murals the political views and tumultuous history of this community. Consequently, these articulate murals evolved over 50 years into some of the most expressive and famous political murals in the world.
My Top Ten Belfast Political Murals
Firstly, this colorful yet solemn collage depicts those that participated in the Hunger Strikes of 1981 and is my favorite. Eventually, the hunger strikes became a showdown between prisoners and the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. Even more, one hunger striker, Bobby Sands became elected as a member of parliament during the strike while in jail. However, Sands and ten prisoners starved to death from their hunger strike. It’s overall very emotional to see this chilling reminder that these individuals sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom.
Bobby Sands became an icon of the times for many reasons, including his poetry that he wrote throughout the protest. Most notably, his best work includes poems, such as, Weeping Winds (end of blog) and The Rhythm of Time. Furthermore, Sand’s anthology, Skylark Sing Your Lonely Song shares many of his poems and narratives. Plus, his poetry was sung by Sean Tyrell for his album A Message of Peace.
This mural symbolizes the similarity between the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the British occupation of Ireland. More abstractly, it represents the solidarity between the two cultures.
Built in Belfast Harbour, the Titanic set sail in 1912 on its fatal voyage. Furthermore, the ‘Ship of Dreams’ made Belfast’s dock the major trading post that it is today, by improving infrastructure. The region is now named Belfast’s Titanic Quarter.
Related: Literary Dublin & Guinness Brewery – A Walking Tour
Overall, My Belfast Murals Tour
Being old enough to remember “the Troubles” in Ireland, I appreciated coming here to learn firsthand about this colorful history. Furthermore, these murals invoked a deep emotional empathy for me toward all those affected by the civil unrest. Most importantly, it’s now mostly peaceful in Northern Ireland. However, these murals candidly express their truth, reminding us of the perilous past, and hope for unity in a peaceful future. Finally, the best way to sum up this time and history is by a poem from Bobby Sands:
Weeping Winds
Oh! Cold March winds your cruel laments
Are hard on prisoners’ hearts,
For you bring my mother’s pleading cries
From whom I have to part.
I hear her weeping lonely sobs
Her sorrows sweep me by,
And in the dark of prison cell
A tear has warmed my eye.Oh! Whistling winds why do you weep
When roaming free you are,
Oh! Is it that your poor heart’s broke
And scattered off afar?
Or is it that you bear the cries
Of people born unfree,
Who like your way have no control
Or sovereign destiny?Oh! Lonely winds that walk the night
To haunt the sinner’s soul
Pray pity me a wretched lad
Who never will grow old.
Pray pity those who lie in pain
The bondsman and the slave,
And whisper sweet the breath of God
Upon my humble grave.Oh! Cold March winds that pierce the dark
You cry in aged tones
For souls of folk you’ve brought to God
But still you bear the moans.
Oh! Weeping wind this lonely night
My mother’s heart is sore,
Oh! Lord of all breathe freedom’s breath
That she may weep no more.
