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

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...

contain arguably the most famous political

murals A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spanish ...

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 Irish republicanism ( ga, poblachtánachas Éireannach) is the political movement for the unity and independence of Ireland under a republic. Irish republicans view British rule in any part of Ireland as inherently illegitimate. The develop ...

areas the themes of murals can range from the

1981 Irish hunger strike The 1981 Irish hunger strike was the culmination of a five-year protest during the Troubles by Irish republicanism, Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. The protest began as the blanket protest in 1976, when the British government ...

, 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 The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...

and the

36th Ulster Division The 36th (Ulster) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, part of Lord Kitchener's New Army, formed in September 1914. Originally called the ''Ulster Division'', it was made up of mainly members of the Ulster Volunteer Force, ...

are equally common.

History

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 Ulster loyalism is a strand of Ulster unionism associated with working class Ulster Protestants in Northern Ireland. Like other unionists, loyalists support the continued existence of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom, and oppose a u ...

started to portray William of Orange on a white horse in order to strengthen the Orange identity of Ulster Protestants.

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. Murals are for the most part located in working class areas of Northern Ireland, primarily in Belfast and

. 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 The Great Famine ( ga, an Gorta Mór ), also known within Ireland as the Great Hunger or simply the Famine and outside Ireland as the Irish Potato Famine, was a period of starvation and disease in Ireland from 1845 to 1852 that constituted a ...

, and other moments in

Irish history The first evidence of human presence in Ireland dates to around 33,000 years ago, with further findings dating the presence of homo sapiens to around 10,500 to 7,000 BC. The receding of the ice after the Younger Dryas cold phase of the Quaterna ...

. 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 Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University (Magdalen College, 1925–1954) and Cambridge Univers ...

novel ''

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'' is a fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis, published by Geoffrey Bles in 1950. It is the first published and best known of seven novels in ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' (1950–1956). Among all the ...

''. 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, 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. 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). 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 Washington Mall was an enclosed shopping mall located in South Strabane Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, just outside the city of Washington, formerly managed by J J Gumberg Co. and now by Oxford Development Company. It is owned by ...

Examples

Republican

File:Ballymurphy.jpg, A Provisional IRA mural in Belfast File:Easter 1916.jpg, A mural in Belfast depicting the

Easter Rising The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...

of 1916 File:An gorta Mor.jpg, A Great Famine mural in Belfast File:BallymurphyMassacre.jpg, A mural in Belfast depicting the Ballymurphy Massacre File:Belfast mural (cropped, edit).jpg, A mural in Belfast depicting the 1981 republican hunger strike File:Hunger Strike.JPG, Another mural in Belfast depicting the 1981 hunger strike File:Bobby sands mural in belfast320.jpg, A mural dedicated to republican hunger striker Bobby Sands File:Belfast mural 10.jpg, A mural in Belfast dedicated to Cumann na mBan File:Belfast mural 15.jpg, A mural in Belfast dedicated to the IRA volunteers killed in Operation Flavius File:Collusion is not an illusion.jpg, A mural in Belfast on collusion between the security forces and Ulster loyalist paramilitaries File:Manchester Martyrs Mural.jpg, A mural in Belfast depicting the Manchester Martyrs File:Springhill 1984.jpg, A mural in Belfast on British censorship File:Unidentified irish mural.jpg, A mural in Short Strand saying ''"Slán Abhaile"'' or "Safe Home" to British troops File:Muralbelfast2.jpg, Murals in Belfast showing solidarity with Basque nationalism and the Cuban Revolution

Loyalist

File:Fountain (01).JPG, A mural in a loyalist enclave of Derry File:Cluan Place.jpg, A loyalist mural in Belfast File:Belfast_unionist_mural.jpg, A loyalist mural in Belfast File:Thorndyke Street.jpg, Loyalist murals on Thorndyke Street, Belfast File:Innishargie.jpg, A UDA/UFF mural in Bangor File:Kilclief flats.jpg, An Ulster Volunteers/UVF mural in Bangor File:Kilcooley.jpg, A

Red Hand Commandos The Red Hand Commando (RHC) is a small Ulster loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland that is closely linked to the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). Its aim was to combat Irish republicanism – particularly the Irish Republican Army (IRA ...

mural in Bangor File:Sandy Row mural 2012.png, A mural in Belfast, commemorating William of Orange and the Battle of the Boyne File:Donegall Pass 1984.jpg, A mural in Belfast depicting William of Orange File:Drumcree.jpg, A mural in Belfast showing solidarity with the Portadown Orangemen File:Newtonards.jpg, A mural on Newtownards Road, Belfast depicting the Ulster Special Constabulary and Ulster Defence Regiment File:Loyalist political mural.jpg, A mural in Belfast depicting republican killings File:Protestantmuralbelfast.jpg, A mural in Belfast depicting republican killings File:James Magennis mral.JPG, Mural dedicated to

James Joseph Magennis James Joseph Magennis, VC (27 October 1919 – 12 February 1986) was a Belfast-born sailor and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces ...

in east Belfast. File:Carson Mural.jpg, Edward Carson File:Loyalist mural2 Island Street Belfast.jpg, Loyalist mural in Ballymacarrett Road, east Belfast. File:Newtownabbey.jpg, Ulster Volunteers mural in Newtownabbey File:Old Dundonald Road.jpg, Ulster Volunteers mural in Belfast File:UVF mural in Shankill Road, Belfast.jpg, Ulster Volunteers mural in Belfast File:Oliver Cromwell mural (2736627207).jpg, A mural in Belfast depicting Oliver Cromwell File:Newtownabbey_mural.jpg, World War I mural in Newtownabbey File:Muralnewtownabbey.jpg, Loyalist mural in Newtownabbey File:Top Gun McKeag.jpg, A loyalist mural in Belfast commemorating deceased UDA member

Stephen McKeag Stephen McKeag (1 April 1970 – 24 September 2000), nicknamed ''Top Gun'', was a Northern Irish loyalist paramilitary and a Commander of the Ulster Defence Association's (UDA) 'C' Company in the 1990s. He is responsible for many killings of Ca ...

File:Nothing with us.jpg, A loyalist in Belfast mural critical of the Good Friday Agreement

Other

File:George Best mural.jpg, A mural in a republican area dedicated to George Best. File:Titanic Mural Belfast.jpg, A mural dedicated to the sinking of RMS ''Titanic. File:NI murals NI football.jpg, Northern Ireland association football team mural. File:Buchananmural.jpg, Mural commemorating US President

James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and repr ...

File:Mural%2C_Balfour_Avenue%2C_Belfast_-_geograph.org.uk_-_978909.jpg, Liam Gillick

References

External links

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 {{DEFAULTSORT:Murals In Northern Ireland Art in Northern Ireland Irish paintings Political art Politics of Northern Ireland Propaganda art Works about The Troubles (Northern Ireland) Murals in the United Kingdom