Original article and images by Belfast resident Liam Moore.
Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland, has been home to some of the worst violence Ireland has endured. The Troubles, between the late 1960’s and 1998, divided the nation, mainly between Nationalist Catholics and Unionist Protestants. The Agreement on Good Friday (April 10th, 1998) brought an end to 30 years of suffering and bitter feuding between these communities. Throughout The Troubles both sides painted large murals on buildings, particularly in residential areas on houses at the end of terraced rows:
Many of these murals glorify paramilitary groups such as the Irish Republican Army (IRA) or the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). The murals of Belfast have acted as beacons to people, declaring allegiances from one area to the next:
Murals of Belfast have in the past and still do create a sense belonging and identity for residents. However, not all such murals were designed to incite hatred or divide communities. Some show a more Celtic flair and inject colour into less established areas:
Murals concerning the political polices of the USA and the war in Israel have been popular as well, because many Belfast residents feel they can relate to the violence in other countries:
As Belfast emerges from a decade of peace brought on by the Good Friday Agreement, things have begun to change. Murals promoting a political or religious belief within Northern Ireland are being painted over and replaced by neutral colors or advertising for local businesses:
Iconic soccer figures such as George Best and Samuel English now grace some of the walls too. Belfast residents now prefer looking up to a different kind of hero than the paramilitary fighters of the past. A new generation is emerging, growing up in less dangerous times:
It is fair to say the murals of Belfast are as diverse as they are artistic, made with dedication and skill by people of different communities and differing opinions, each wanting to make their voice heard.
They are a way for people to make known who they are.
A way of belonging.
Liam Moore is an Interactive Multimedia and Design student at the University of Ulster. He currently enjoys taking photos, listening to lots of music, watching films and is interested in all kinds of art and design. The images above were photographed by Liam with a Sony Cybershot DSC H5. Visit Liam’s blog to see more original photography and design work.
Enjoy this post? Feed, fave and bookmark the site! Interested in having your work published on Web Urbanist? See our guidelines for how to submit ideas, images or full articles.
If you are new to WebUrbanist, click here to sign up for the RSS feed and take a look through our archives and urban galleries. Also be sure visit our green twin the wonderful WebEcoist and and see architecture, interiors, fantastic furniture and more designs at Dornob or click here if you need to design a free flash website.
Great Related WebUrbanist Articles:
Banksy Art and Graffiti: Photos & Story
The following seven examples illustrate the fascinating range of Banksy's life and works through his most controversial and compelling projects.
5 Ways to Take Control and Subvert Your Surroundings
Subvertisements are an excellent means of turning the commercial world around you upside down, make humorous or critical commentaries on consumer society, or even get rid of ads altogether.
3 Types of Unusual Legal Urban Street Art
Here are some engaging types and works of visual and performance art that have prompted critical thought or stirred up controversy, all without getting the artist(s) in trouble.
55 Comments
August 3rd, 2007 at 3:33 pm
Cool stuff! And, I had no idea. My family is from Armagh the city where my grandparents grew up. I followed “the troubles” from the US for many years, but it was always a distant problem in a land so very faraway. Kudos for your friend’s work.
August 3rd, 2007 at 3:50 pm
Nice post. I’ll bet most countries eventually incorporate their revolutionary icons and war propaganda into commercial marketing, as unsettling as that may be… In the US, a bunch of ads depict Uncle Sam saying, “I Want You” to buy some product or another. And ol’ Sam’s hat is even used to market the Yankees. It would be interesting to see how this marketing phenomenon plays out in other nations.
August 3rd, 2007 at 4:05 pm
So sad that these are slowly being erased - glad someone is photographing these before they all disappear!
August 3rd, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Amazing murals — a real shame they’re being painted over.
August 5th, 2007 at 4:38 am
There is some fantastic art there. What a real shame.
August 5th, 2007 at 5:08 am
Please go and make as many high res photographs of these as you can to conserve them, then put them on a single website. Unlike these low resolution images that would truly conserve them for the future ! If you’re scared of the bandwidth consumption then please contact me and I’ll host them somewhere for you.
August 5th, 2007 at 5:16 am
Fortunately, Liam (the contributing photographer) has the original high-resolution images as well as many others. We will consult him about putting them online, and will be sure to contact you if bandwidth becomes an issue!
August 5th, 2007 at 5:17 am
Please - it’s art that supports the violence in Belfast. They should be painted over. Imagine if Atlanta had murals saying - keep the blacks out of this neighborhood - i doubt there would be too many tears over it being removed. Yes - many of the works displayed here are valid political and social statements as well as artwork. But not displayed are the ones with the men in ski masks with AK-47’s saying ’screw you paddy’. For Belfast to move into peace - these murals have to go.
August 5th, 2007 at 5:25 am
Fair enough, Joe. All the same: we look back and try hard to recover propaganda of the past … it stands to reason that this will be no different: once lost, people will regret not thinking twice or better documenting these images.
August 5th, 2007 at 5:31 am
it will not matter to the people on the Malone Road if they are painted over.
August 5th, 2007 at 5:36 am
paint it over and move on! the irish have been living in the past for too long, forgive and forget.
their murals - posh graffiti - non permenant political scrawlings…..
white and grey paint.. much better
August 5th, 2007 at 5:40 am
I grew up in N.Ireland and agree with Joe these murals are an ugly blight on the community. They serve no purpose but to increase the segregation between communities and any ‘artistic merit’ is over-shadowed by the message of hatred and violence they promote.
How would the people of NY or the rest of America react if someone was to paint a mural in NY glamorizing and glorifying osama bin laden? Because that would be no different, both murals would be promoting terrorism.
In order for the people and economy of N.I to move forward these murals must be removed. Do you think businesses want to setup in an area which looks to still harbor sectarian beliefs?
But if you want to document and preserve them then feel free but just make sure alongside your prose about the loss of such great art work you also write about the hundreds of people, civilian and armed forces, who died because of the ideas and hated those murals represent.
August 5th, 2007 at 5:47 am
I’ve lived 10 miles outside belfast all my life, why preserve these murals, they degrade the area. So its not a shame to have them painted over, Northern Ireland is moving on, we don’t need stupid comments like,
‘There is some fantastic art there. What a real shame.’
or
‘So sad that these are slowly being erased - glad someone is photographing these before they all disappear’
the history of northern ireland won’t be forgotten any time soon, The people who live here know and remember !
August 5th, 2007 at 7:23 am
The University of Ulster has already made extensive research and documentation into Northern Ireland political murals in any case, with details of location, description, year and current status, with photographs of some (but admittedly not all):
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/murals/index.html
The CAIN (Conflict Archive on the INternet) archive also has a lot of information on the troubles, politics and society of Northern Ireland in general for anyone who is interested; a good resource of all kinds of information.
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/index.html
That said, while they should be documented, a lot of the murals themselves should be removed as indeed they are; they do nothing but emanate hostility and continue to divide people. There are better ways to maintain a sense of identity than a show of paramilitary strength.
August 5th, 2007 at 7:37 am
They should be both documented and removed. I’m all in favour of remembering the past, but as others have said, in the right way. Having these displays doesn’t help those get over what’s happened - they just bring up the past. The people of Northern Ireland, regardless of their beliefs, have shown the world what decent folks can achieve when they demand peace. They’ve decided to forgive others, to shoulder the burden of moving Northern Ireland into peaceful times for future generations - ramming history down their necks is doing them a great injustice, as it only serves to increase their burden. Murals of peace, of community, and of hope are the only way forward for these brave folks.
August 5th, 2007 at 8:18 am
Well put Dave…
I was born in Belfast and emigrated to Canada with my family at the height of the Troubles (1971). The resolution of the conflict in Northern Ireland, and previously in South Africa, should serve as an inspiration to others around the world: forgiveness and compromise are critical components of the process, something the USA should remember.
Re. the murals, they should be documented for the important part they played in the conflict, and then removed to promote the peace.
August 5th, 2007 at 8:39 am
I live outside Ireland and view this as ugly propagandist graffiti. Get over yourselves and move on.
August 5th, 2007 at 8:41 am
As Ryan says, we won’t forget the events which killed our relatives, friends and innocent bystanders. Can you call something art if it promotes violence?
August 5th, 2007 at 8:52 am
I actually live in Belfast
The murals that are being ‘painted over’ are periodically changed - the greys just an undercoat. They are painting a version of Picassos civil war painting over it.
Many of these murals are actually big tourist attractions
I won’t give my opinion on them but at least you could get your facts right
August 5th, 2007 at 8:58 am
PS. that advertisement for ‘local businesses’ is actually for a company that offers tours of the murals- as I said they are very big tourist attractions
Although it must be said that many of them have changed in tone recent years, this is by no means a dying phenomenon
August 5th, 2007 at 9:40 am
bad new but some of those are not that old, many of the older ones were painted over by the ones you see now
August 5th, 2007 at 9:52 am
Too bad to see the historical murals go down. The “Palestine” murals on the other hand are an eye sore. Why doesn’t anyone make a mural about suicide bombers blowing themselves up in a crowded mall?
August 5th, 2007 at 11:24 am
Actually the ones about Palestine are just an opposite side of the story you choose to hear/believe. Just because it goes beyond what you see on T.V. does not make them any worse.
August 5th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
I’m glad the murals are being photographed. I’m also glad they are coming down. Having grown up in Belfast, it was just another reminder to me that I was in an area where I could get beaten up for being one of the other sort.
We need to remember them, but we also need to heal, and we need to stop putting boundaries, be they physical or psychological in our own neighbourhoods.
August 5th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
The article itself does not suggest the murals should not be erased over time. However, it does raise awareness that they should be well-documented for the future and not painted over out of hand and without mapping and photographing them for the sake of history.
August 5th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Many people have commented that it is sad that these murals are being painted over and “history” is lost, this is not the case the truth is that these murals have constantly been repainted, normally with current political happenings.
It happens that peace is now more or less a reality in Northern Ireland and with the change in political landscape, so that reflects on the walls of Belfast.
It is also true that the communities are trying to replace murals that depict offensive images and are now painting murals that reflect cultural identity. The murals in Belfast will never be lost but just updated as they have been through their history.
People have also mentioned that these murals should be recorded and they have been, for years, by a professor at Queens university. You can find the list at http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/murals/index.html Not all of the murals are online but they are recorded in his collections. You may also like to view that site to find a bit more information about the history of the troubles in Northern Ireland.
August 5th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
This is just the natural progression of society. The art and message in these murals is amazing and it’s truly a magnificent snapshot of the times they represent. I’m glad someone is taking some very good pictures of these murals before they are being removed and documenting their importance.
August 5th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
Those are actually really nice works of art, it’s a shame that they’re censoring political and artistic expression.
August 5th, 2007 at 11:15 pm
It’s a real shame that they’re censoring the political and artistic expression, those paintings are absolutely beautiful in artistic composure.
August 6th, 2007 at 6:04 am
I was there a year ago for my first visit to Ireland. I saw many of the murals and believe they should be preserved because it is history. Erasing and painting over them takes so much away. With the peace moving forward is a GREAT thing and the English ropps leaving last Tuesday is GREATER news. Now it is up to the Irish people to finally be left alone to forge a new peaceful united as one future. Ireland is an island country that should be one and let the people of Ireland decide their own fate. I pray that the peace will last forever and all Ireland will be one united country.
August 6th, 2007 at 11:04 am
I have lived in Belfast all my life and have been surrounded by these murals. I cannot understand how anyone can say simply paint over them and get over it etc.. these paintings are fantastic works of art and very unique to Belfast. Not only do they evolve with the city; in terms of practicality they generate a massive income to local companies and tourism in general.
August 6th, 2007 at 11:06 am
And one more thing..sometimes its important to be reminded of the past, to remember how bad it was and never let it get like that again.
August 6th, 2007 at 11:50 am
It’s not a shame they’re being painted over. Many represent and promote an out-dated, damaging and provocative ideologies and (often implied) hatreds.
They should, without doubt, be recorded for future. But having them replaced is no loss for the people who have to live with the consequences of their existance, though that is little comparated with the forces which created them.
I don’t, however think they should simply be replaced with ‘nothing’. More modern, less inciteful murals certainly could have a place in the city.
August 6th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Gosh, such a debate folks! Who’d have that some paint on a wall could get some people talking, shame that didn’t work for the politicians here about 30 years ago ;)
I didn’t know people from other countries felt strongly about our culture/history over here. I guess people can see that wherever they are in the world, about people moving forward and learning from the past but never forgetting the old days.
I for one am surprised and pleased to see a real international work of art taking the shape of a mural, Picasso’s Guernica is getting put up and hopefully finished any day now.
Who knows, maybe in another good few years all the murals will have changed to something else that no one would have imagined. And hopefully for the better.
September 7th, 2007 at 9:39 am
Murals in belfast are amazing! and thanks for the information it realy helped me with my history coursework!
October 3rd, 2007 at 3:03 am
Can someone tell me when they are going to paint over these or have they already started. Please email me with any information, I would like to know a bit mroe about it.
December 3rd, 2007 at 8:32 pm
JT—they have already begun painting over the murals–see this site for a really extensive list with photos of which ones are still there: http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/mccormick/index.html
December 3rd, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Hi everyone–to anyone who lives in the Belfast area…I am a university student writing a thesis on the interrelationship between visual images and violence, focusing on these murals. I’ll be coming to the area (Belfast, Derry and Portadowns) to do research VERY soon (less than 2 weeks away!)…any info/help/suggestions?
March 3rd, 2008 at 4:26 am
I am one of the mural artists and i am very proud of the work that i have done to highlight (British terrorism) in Ireland for the past 800 years ,The British terrorist Goverment introduced the violence into our country and used every form of terrorism to silence anyone who stood up to them,,the murals are one way to expose British murder in Ireland and i think that the job is not over yet, i encourage all artists to ex pose the illegal occupation of our country .The artist must take the lead to expose (British misrule ) in Ireland. SlAN Gerard (Mo chara) Kelly
April 24th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I’m from Belfast and I have to say that the photo under the comment that “Murals promoting a political or religious belief within Northern Ireland are being painted over” is disingenuous.
The murals being painted over on what’s known locally as the International Wall, on the Falls Road, were replaced by murals commemorating the anniversary of the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica by the Luftwaffe (based on Picasso’s famous image), remembering the International Brigades who fought against fascism in the Spanish Civil War, and commemorating the Manchester Martyrs.
There is only one commercial mural on the International Wall, for the local black taxi service.
The Irish republican community in Belfast is proud of its history international solidarity with other peoples around the world struggling against occupation and discrimination. In fact, a new Palestinian solidarity mural was unveiled last week to remember the 60th anniversary of what the Palestinians call Al Nakba (The Catastophe). The political murals have not been replaced.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Hi,
I live in Belfast, and have done all my life, as my family have also; I have nothing but admiration for the murals in my area and in other places in Belfast as long as they are about a just cause…secterianism is not a just cause, images of death, skulls and pride in masked men promoting hatred are not just causes, but freedom from oppression is, you can decide what side of the community I come from based on that statement, I would say it is pretty obvious,however I do not feel that the thing Belfast needs is to get rid of these murals to move on, what we need to do is to start accepting our past, accepting who we are and our differences and these murals have the ability to be a rich display of our indvidual cultural identities.
A, age 20, Belfast.
January 18th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Tíocfaidh ár lá
January 20th, 2009 at 6:38 am
My name is Hamo the RAT! I think Murals r magnificent!!
I live in Belfast and i am doing coursework on tha murals it is melting my ratty litl head!
UP THE MURALS!
January 25th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
i just want 2 say that my toe is very big ! and also thst i have 2 left feet.
:( Up Da Mighty Murals!!
January 25th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
I LIKE BEANS!
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:36 am
u all r fags
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:36 am
dar sucks dicks
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:37 am
darijo sucks dick
May 18th, 2009 at 10:39 am
lol all of u needs to get a life lol all of us are loser go get life
Trackbacks
What do you think? Leave a comment!