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Murals in Northern Ireland

May 03, 2023

Murals in Northern Ireland have become symbols of Northern Ireland, depicting the region's past and present political and religious divisions.

Belfast and Derry contain arguably the most famous political murals in Europe. It is believed that almost 2,000 murals have been documented since the 1970s. In 2014, the book, The Belfast Mural Guide estimated that, in Belfast, there were approximately 300 quality murals on display, with many more in varying degrees of age and decay. Murals commemorate, communicate and display aspects of culture and history. The themes of murals often reflect what is important to a particular community. A mural therefore exists to express an idea or message and could generally be seen as reflecting values held dear to that community.

In Irish republican areas the themes of murals can range from the 1981 Irish hunger strike, with particular emphasis on strike leader Bobby Sands; murals of international solidarity with revolutionary groups are equally common, as are those which highlight a particular issue, for example the Ballymurphy Massacre or the McGurk's Bar bombing. In working class unionist communities, murals are used to promote Ulster loyalist paramilitary groups such as the Ulster Defence Association and Ulster Volunteer Force and commemorate their deceased members. However traditional themes such as William of Orange and the Battle of the Boyne, the Battle of the Somme and the 36th Ulster Division are equally common.[1]

History

 
A Loyalist political mural in Derry circa 1920

Murals can be described as a mirror of political change, as they have been painted throughout the last century and display all important historic as well as political developments in the scope of unique wall paintings. In 1908 Ulster loyalists started to portray William of Orange on a white horse in order to strengthen the Orange identity of Ulster Protestants. Irish republican wall-paintings started in the late 1970s and can be seen in particular as a visual display of a social movement, which was radicalized after the IRA began to fight for a greater political voice and a United Ireland.[2]

Murals are for the most part located in working class areas of Northern Ireland, primarily in Belfast and Derry. Arguably the most well-known and easily identified mural is that of Bobby Sands, on the side wall of Sinn Féin's Falls Road office. A close second is the collection of Irish republican and international-themed murals which are located at what is known as 'The International Wall', also in Belfast. In Derry, Free Derry Corner, where the slogan "You Are Now Entering Free Derry" was painted in 1969 shortly after the Battle of the Bogside, is prominent. Free Derry Corner has been used as a model for other murals in Northern Ireland, including the "You Are Now Entering Loyalist Sandy Row" mural in Belfast, which was a response to the republican message of Free Derry Corner, and the "You Are Now Entering Derry Journal Country" mural, which is an advertisement for a Derry publication.

Not all murals in Northern Ireland are directly political or sectarian in nature, with some commemorating events such as the Great Irish Famine, and other moments in Irish history. Many portray events from Irish mythology, and images from Irish myths are often incorporated into political murals. A few murals avoid the subject of Ireland altogether, instead focusing on such neutral subjects as litter prevention and the C. S. Lewis novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In Derry's city centre, a mural depicting the five principal characters from the TV show Derry Girls was painted on the side of a pub,[3][4] with the mural being updated during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and prior to the airing of the show's final series in 2022.[5][6] Murals representing peace and tolerance are becoming increasingly popular with school groups who have children either design or actually paint murals in areas around their schools. With many paramilitaries now involved in community work, there has been a move to decommission many of the hard-edged murals across Northern Ireland (although this trend is reversed in times of tension).[7] This change was further highlighted in 2007, when the Bogside Artists were invited to Washington, D.C. for the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival. The three artists were invited to recreate murals in the Washington Mall.[8]

Examples

Republican

Loyalist

  •  

    A mural in a loyalist enclave of Derry

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    A loyalist mural in Belfast

  •  

    A loyalist mural in Belfast

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    Loyalist murals on Thorndyke Street, Belfast

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    A UDA/UFF mural in Bangor

  •  

    An Ulster Volunteers/UVF mural in Bangor

  •  

    A Red Hand Commandos mural in Bangor

  •  

    A mural in Belfast, commemorating William of Orange and the Battle of the Boyne

  •  

    A mural in Belfast depicting William of Orange

  •  

    A mural in Belfast showing solidarity with the Portadown Orangemen

  •  

    A mural on Newtownards Road, Belfast depicting the Ulster Special Constabulary and Ulster Defence Regiment

  •  

    A mural in Belfast depicting republican killings

  •  

    A mural in Belfast depicting republican killings

  •  

    Mural dedicated to James Joseph Magennis in east Belfast.

  •  

    Loyalist mural in Ballymacarrett Road, east Belfast.

  •  

    Ulster Volunteers mural in Newtownabbey

  •  

    Ulster Volunteers mural in Belfast

  •  

    Ulster Volunteers mural in Belfast

  •  

    A mural in Belfast depicting Oliver Cromwell

  •  

    World War I mural in Newtownabbey

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    Loyalist mural in Newtownabbey

  •  

    A loyalist mural in Belfast commemorating deceased UDA member Stephen McKeag

  •  

    A loyalist in Belfast mural critical of the Good Friday Agreement

Other

See also

References

  1. ^ Maxamillian Rapp: Murals in Ulster: Symbol kultureller Revolution im nordirischen Bürgerkrieg. In: KultuRRevolution Nr. 61/62 2012.
  2. ^ Maximilian Rapp and Markus Rhomberg: The importance of Murals during the Troubles: Analyzing the republican use of wall paintings in Northern Ireland. In: Machin, D. (Ed.) Visual Communication Reader. De Gruyter.
  3. ^ "Derry Girls immortalised in paint for giant city centre mural". The Irish News. 25 January 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  4. ^ Thomas, Cónal (29 January 2019). "The giant Derry Girls mural has been completed - and here it is". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  5. ^ O'Connor, Rachael (24 April 2020). "Iconic Derry Girls mural gets a makeover to remind people of importance of social distancing". The Irish Post. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  6. ^ Keenan, Shaun (7 April 2022). "Derry Girls mural receives 'temporary' update ahead of third and final series". Belfast Live. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Old masters change murals". BBC News. 31 May 2005. Retrieved 28 November 2008.
  8. ^ Taggart, Maggie (22 June 2007). "Painting a New Image of NI". BBC News. Retrieved 28 November 2008.

Further reading

  • B. Rolston (1991). Politics And Painting: Murals and Conflict in Northern Ireland. New Jersey: Associated University Presses.
  • B. Rolston (1992). Drawing Support: Murals in the North of Ireland. Belfast.
  • Oona Woods (1995). Seeing is Believing? Murals in Derry. Guildhall: Printing Press. ISBN 0-946451-31-1.
  • B. Rolston (1995). Drawing Support 2: Murals of War and Peace. Belfast.
  • B. Rolston (2003). Drawing Support 3: Murals and Transition in the North of Ireland. Belfast.
  • Robert Kerr (2008). Republican Belfast: A Political Tourists Guide. Belfast: MSF Press. ISBN 978-0956026408. – Download a chapter from the University of Ulster's CAIN website
  • Robert Kerr (2014). The Belfast Mural Guide (Locate Series). Belfast: MSF Press. ISBN 978-0956806918.
  • Robert Kerr (2014). An Treoir Mhurphictiúir Bhéal Feirste (Irish language edition of 'The Belfast Mural Guide' (Locate Series). Belfast: MSF Press. ISBN 978-0956806925.
  • Maximilian Rapp: Murals in Nordirland: Symbol der ethno-kulturellen Identität und Spiegel des politischen Wandels. Nomos, Baden-Baden, 2014, ISBN 978-3-8487-1419-3.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Murals in Northern Ireland.
  • Map of murals
  • Peter Moloney Collection – Murals
  • Extramural Activity – Blog about murals, graffiti, and street art
  • Claremont Digital Collection
  • CAIN (Conflict Archive on the INternet) Mural Collection
  • Northern Ireland political murals Flickr group
  • Belfast Wall Murals Flickr Photo Pool
  • Bill Rolston
  • Videos of Belfast murals
  • Take an online tour of the murals in Belfast, Northern Ireland
  • Documentary about Devenny/Ervine collaborations
  • Routes of Reconciliation: Visiting Sites of Cultural Trauma in the U.S. South, Northern Ireland, and South Africa by Charles Regan Wilson, Southern Spaces, 26 March 2009

May 03, 2023
murals, northern, ireland, have, become, symbols, northern, ireland, depicting, region, past, present, political, religious, divisions, belfast, derry, contain, arguably, most, famous, political, murals, europe, believed, that, almost, murals, have, been, docu. Murals in Northern Ireland have become symbols of Northern Ireland depicting the region s past and present political and religious divisions Belfast and Derry contain arguably the most famous political murals in Europe It is believed that almost 2 000 murals have been documented since the 1970s In 2014 the book The Belfast Mural Guide estimated that in Belfast there were approximately 300 quality murals on display with many more in varying degrees of age and decay Murals commemorate communicate and display aspects of culture and history The themes of murals often reflect what is important to a particular community A mural therefore exists to express an idea or message and could generally be seen as reflecting values held dear to that community In Irish republican areas the themes of murals can range from the 1981 Irish hunger strike with particular emphasis on strike leader Bobby Sands murals of international solidarity with revolutionary groups are equally common as are those which highlight a particular issue for example the Ballymurphy Massacre or the McGurk s Bar bombing In working class unionist communities murals are used to promote Ulster loyalist paramilitary groups such as the Ulster Defence Association and Ulster Volunteer Force and commemorate their deceased members However traditional themes such as William of Orange and the Battle of the Boyne the Battle of the Somme and the 36th Ulster Division are equally common 1 Contents 1 History 2 Examples 2 1 Republican 2 2 Loyalist 2 3 Other 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksHistory Edit A Loyalist political mural in Derry circa 1920 Murals can be described as a mirror of political change as they have been painted throughout the last century and display all important historic as well as political developments in the scope of unique wall paintings In 1908 Ulster loyalists started to portray William of Orange on a white horse in order to strengthen the Orange identity of Ulster Protestants Irish republican wall paintings started in the late 1970s and can be seen in particular as a visual display of a social movement which was radicalized after the IRA began to fight for a greater political voice and a United Ireland 2 Murals are for the most part located in working class areas of Northern Ireland primarily in Belfast and Derry Arguably the most well known and easily identified mural is that of Bobby Sands on the side wall of Sinn Fein s Falls Road office A close second is the collection of Irish republican and international themed murals which are located at what is known as The International Wall also in Belfast In Derry Free Derry Corner where the slogan You Are Now Entering Free Derry was painted in 1969 shortly after the Battle of the Bogside is prominent Free Derry Corner has been used as a model for other murals in Northern Ireland including the You Are Now Entering Loyalist Sandy Row mural in Belfast which was a response to the republican message of Free Derry Corner and the You Are Now Entering Derry Journal Country mural which is an advertisement for a Derry publication Not all murals in Northern Ireland are directly political or sectarian in nature with some commemorating events such as the Great Irish Famine and other moments in Irish history Many portray events from Irish mythology and images from Irish myths are often incorporated into political murals A few murals avoid the subject of Ireland altogether instead focusing on such neutral subjects as litter prevention and the C S Lewis novel The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe In Derry s city centre a mural depicting the five principal characters from the TV show Derry Girls was painted on the side of a pub 3 4 with the mural being updated during the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020 and prior to the airing of the show s final series in 2022 5 6 Murals representing peace and tolerance are becoming increasingly popular with school groups who have children either design or actually paint murals in areas around their schools With many paramilitaries now involved in community work there has been a move to decommission many of the hard edged murals across Northern Ireland although this trend is reversed in times of tension 7 This change was further highlighted in 2007 when the Bogside Artists were invited to Washington D C for the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival The three artists were invited to recreate murals in the Washington Mall 8 Examples EditRepublican Edit A Provisional IRA mural in Belfast A mural in Belfast depicting the Easter Rising of 1916 A Great Famine mural in Belfast A mural in Belfast depicting the Ballymurphy Massacre A mural in Belfast depicting the 1981 republican hunger strike Another mural in Belfast depicting the 1981 hunger strike A mural dedicated to republican hunger striker Bobby Sands A mural in Belfast dedicated to Cumann na mBan A mural in Belfast dedicated to the IRA volunteers killed in Operation Flavius A mural in Belfast on collusion between the security forces and Ulster loyalist paramilitaries A mural in Belfast depicting the Manchester Martyrs A mural in Belfast on British censorship A mural in Short Strand saying Slan Abhaile or Safe Home to British troops Murals in Belfast showing solidarity with Basque nationalism and the Cuban RevolutionLoyalist Edit A mural in a loyalist enclave of Derry A loyalist mural in Belfast A loyalist mural in Belfast Loyalist murals on Thorndyke Street Belfast A UDA UFF mural in Bangor An Ulster Volunteers UVF mural in Bangor A Red Hand Commandos mural in Bangor A mural in Belfast commemorating William of Orange and the Battle of the Boyne A mural in Belfast depicting William of Orange A mural in Belfast showing solidarity with the Portadown Orangemen A mural on Newtownards Road Belfast depicting the Ulster Special Constabulary and Ulster Defence Regiment A mural in Belfast depicting republican killings A mural in Belfast depicting republican killings Mural dedicated to James Joseph Magennis in east Belfast Edward Carson Loyalist mural in Ballymacarrett Road east Belfast Ulster Volunteers mural in Newtownabbey Ulster Volunteers mural in Belfast Ulster Volunteers mural in Belfast A mural in Belfast depicting Oliver Cromwell World War I mural in Newtownabbey Loyalist mural in Newtownabbey A loyalist mural in Belfast commemorating deceased UDA member Stephen McKeag A loyalist in Belfast mural critical of the Good Friday AgreementOther Edit A mural in a republican area dedicated to George Best A mural dedicated to the sinking of RMS Titanic Northern Ireland association football team mural Mural commemorating US President James Buchanan Liam GillickSee also EditPropaganda Public art Kerb paintingReferences Edit Maxamillian Rapp Murals in Ulster Symbol kultureller Revolution im nordirischen Burgerkrieg In KultuRRevolution Nr 61 62 2012 Maximilian Rapp and Markus Rhomberg The importance of Murals during the Troubles Analyzing the republican use of wall paintings in Northern Ireland In Machin D Ed Visual Communication Reader De Gruyter Derry Girls immortalised in paint for giant city centre mural The Irish News 25 January 2019 Retrieved 12 April 2022 Thomas Conal 29 January 2019 The giant Derry Girls mural has been completed and here it is TheJournal ie Retrieved 12 April 2022 O Connor Rachael 24 April 2020 Iconic Derry Girls mural gets a makeover to remind people of importance of social distancing The Irish Post Retrieved 12 April 2022 Keenan Shaun 7 April 2022 Derry Girls mural receives temporary update ahead of third and final series Belfast Live Retrieved 12 April 2022 Old masters change murals BBC News 31 May 2005 Retrieved 28 November 2008 Taggart Maggie 22 June 2007 Painting a New Image of NI BBC News Retrieved 28 November 2008 Further reading EditB Rolston 1991 Politics And Painting Murals and Conflict in Northern Ireland New Jersey Associated University Presses B Rolston 1992 Drawing Support Murals in the North of Ireland Belfast Oona Woods 1995 Seeing is Believing Murals in Derry Guildhall Printing Press ISBN 0 946451 31 1 B Rolston 1995 Drawing Support 2 Murals of War and Peace Belfast B Rolston 2003 Drawing Support 3 Murals and Transition in the North of Ireland Belfast Robert Kerr 2008 Republican Belfast A Political Tourists Guide Belfast MSF Press ISBN 978 0956026408 Download a chapter from the University of Ulster s CAIN website Robert Kerr 2014 The Belfast Mural Guide Locate Series Belfast MSF Press ISBN 978 0956806918 Robert Kerr 2014 An Treoir Mhurphictiuir Bheal Feirste Irish language edition of The Belfast Mural Guide Locate Series Belfast MSF Press ISBN 978 0956806925 Maximilian Rapp Murals in Nordirland Symbol der ethno kulturellen Identitat und Spiegel des politischen Wandels Nomos Baden Baden 2014 ISBN 978 3 8487 1419 3 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Murals in Northern Ireland Map of murals Peter Moloney Collection Murals Extramural Activity Blog about murals graffiti and street art Claremont Digital Collection CAIN Conflict Archive on the INternet Mural Collection Northern Ireland political murals Flickr group Belfast Wall Murals Flickr Photo Pool Bill Rolston Videos of Belfast murals Take an online tour of the murals in Belfast Northern Ireland Documentary about Devenny Ervine collaborations Routes of Reconciliation Visiting Sites of Cultural Trauma in the U S South Northern Ireland and South Africa by Charles Regan Wilson Southern Spaces 26 March 2009 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Murals in Northern Ireland amp oldid 1132186015, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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