History Of Northern Ireland

West Belfast, Northern Ireland: The Peace Wall And The Murals

In May 2004, I spent a day in West Belfast, Northern Ireland and the experience truly left an impression on me. Two of the most violent and polarized areas in all of the Northen Ireland throughout the Troubles are the Falls Road and the Shankill Road. In both neighborhoods, Republicans who support unification of Ireland and Northen Ireland and Loyalists who support Northern Ireland as part of Great Britain have taken to painting images on walls to depict the struggle and those who have died fighting for their respective causes. All the murals are breathtaking to look at and really help those who are not all the familiar with the problems in Northern Ireland learn about the struggle and the violence that have occurred.

The Falls Road of West Belfast is a heavily Catholic neighborhood and many of the people who live here want Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to be unified as one country. Driving down the Falls Road, you notice a wall that is topped with barbed wire. This is the Peace Wall. Ironically, this wall has created more violence and less peace over the years. This wall divides the Falls Road Catholic neighborhood from the Shankill Road Protestant neighborhood. The wall snakes through the neighborhood and literally separates neighbors from each other. It is incredible that the wall even exists, but reading through articles and stories, the people of West Belfast see the need for a wall because the hatred and animosity between the Catholics and Protestants is still so high.

There are a few gates on the roads that are open during the day, but are closed at night and on days where there seems to be a little something special in the air, particularly during marching season in the summer months. As an American, I find the wall disturbing for obvious reasons. The idea of restricting people's movement seems like a bad idea. The Berlin Wall didn't work right? However, I can see the need for one in West Belfast. That tension is still present and if I lived in one of these homes close to the wall, a little protection might be a good idea. Looking at the mural, the thing that struck me the most was that it was expressing messages that were not purely about Ireland's struggles, but struggles around the world as well, including Turkey and Palestine.

Also on the Falls Road are the offices of Sinn Fein which is the political party most affiliated with Irish Republicanism and they have a strong following among West Belfast Catholic population. On the side of the building that houses the offices of Sinn Fein is an incredible mural of Bobby Sands. The Hunger Strikes took place in 1980 and 1981 as a protest by Irish Republican Prisoners in an attempt to regain special category status for paramilitaries in Northern Ireland prisons. The hunger strikes helped the protesters to gain tremendous sympathy from the outside world. There was also an increase in support for the IRA and Sinn Fein soon became a leading political force in Northern Ireland. Bobby Sands died 66 days into his hunger strike and some 100, 000 attended his funeral. 9 others who had participated in the hunger strikes also died.

One other mural that I saw shows the pictures of individuals who I imagine were murdered in the Troubles. The intricacy of these murals is breathtaking. They capture of the history of this place and for people who don't know anything about Belfast and the Troubles, the murals provide a great tool for education and questions. There's that saying that a picture captures a thousand words. I think it more than applies here. I found the murals on the Falls Road to be focused on ending the violence and unification and remembering those who had died for the cause. The people who live on the Falls Road are primarily Catholic and their dream is one of a united Ireland. On the Shankill Road, the murals were decidedly different.

The trip over to the Shankill Road was briefer than the trip on the Falls Road. There was some fear that because we were in a car with Republic of Ireland license plates, this may draw unwanted attention. We drove through this area rather quickly. One of the first things I noticed were the painted red, white, and blue curbstones representing the British flag. This first mural was painted by the UVF or the Ulster Volunteer Forces who primarily live in the Upper Shankill Road area. Another mural was painted by supporters of the UFF or the Ulster Freedom Fighters who live in the area. There is another pole with red, white, and blue painted on it.

The main thing I noticed about the Shankill murals were how much more militarized they were. The people in the murals were dressed in black and had guns. It was a contrast from the Falls Road murals which depicted smiling people in everyday wear. The Protestants who live in this area and support the Loyalist cause must feel a need to protect their turfs which in this case are their streets and neighborhoods. If a united Ireland ever came to be, these people would be the ones to suffer and it appears that some people are willing to take matters into their own hands. This has been why there has been so much violence in these areas over the years.

The situation in Northern Ireland is one that is clearly extremely complicated. Does Northern Ireland remain a part of Great Britain, or do they choose to become part of the Republic of Ireland? While I was there, I found myself asking that question along with why can't they work this out? As I thought more and more about it, the answer is far from simple.

It is great that the highest officials in government in Ireland and Great Britain are working together in order to change what has been a sad and violent past in Northern Ireland. The fact that the IRA has now decommissioned its weapons is a step in the right direction. What needs to change is the culture of mistrust and hatred among the Catholics and Protestants who are neighbors divided by their religion. I don't think this will be easy to accomplish at all because it is so ingrained and seems to permeate all facets of society. The fact that children are segregated in schools really goes to the heart of the problem. If young Northern Irish children are being told that they are better than the other group and that the other group is inferior, the cycle of mistrust and hatred will continue for generations. Hopefully this peace process will continue to expand and really work its way into the homes and minds of the average Northern Irish citizen. This could take years, but there is hope that maybe someday there will be a better peace.

I would love to return to Belfast in 5 or 10 years and see that things have improved and that there is more of a willingness on the part of Protestants and Catholics to live, work, and educate their children together. Neither group is going to leave, so they might as well try to live together. It is fascinating place to visit and if anyone has the chance to check out Belfast on a trip to Europe, it would be worth your time.