Murals in Northern Ireland: Reflecting Past Conflicts and Promoting Future Peace 🎨🕊️
Deep Dive with Honor 💬
In this article Honor discusses the post conflict region of Ireland. She is a student journalist with us on a placement organised by the Department of War Studies, King's College, London. This article was edited using Lex.page.
🎧 listen to Honor’s backstory here - she discusses her motivation & research as well.
Art Murals in Northern Ireland: Towards Peace or Division?
The murals in Northern Ireland offer a vivid window into the region’s turbulent past and ongoing journey toward reconciliation. They are famous worldwide as political art, displaying themes of heritage, identity, politics and reconciliation. Beginning in the late 1960s, Protestant unionists and Catholic nationalists clashed in violent paramilitary operations, deepening the societal rift. Over time, mural art emerged as a form of political expression, marking territory and ideology. While 1998 signaled a move towards peace, the region’s murals reflect the scars of conflict and the evolving landscape of reconciliation. Today, these murals serve dual roles: some perpetuate past divisions, while others promote unity and solidarity, addressing global concerns and fostering dialogue between communities.
Sectarian Conflict
Understanding the murals in the region without understanding the Troubles and the historical events that led to them. The Troubles spanned decades and are rooted in the historical and socio-political divisions between Protestant unionists and Catholic nationalists, dating back to the 17th century. The partition of Ireland in 1921 exacerbated division by creating a Northern Ireland with a Protestant majority. Discrimination and disenfranchisement among Catholics led to peaceful protests.
In the late 1960s, civil rights protests escalated into violent confrontations between Catholic residents and the RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary) in the Battle of Bogside. British troops were deployed in 1969, marking the beginning of the conflict. Paramilitary groups such as the Provisional IRA and the UVF engaged in a cycle of retaliation. Bombings, assassinations and street fights led to thousands of deaths and injuries, deepening the rift between communities. The signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 marked a turning point and established a new political framework, including a devolved government for Northern Ireland, leading to a fragile but enduring peace. The Troubles left a profound impact, with visible scars in the physical and social landscapes. The divisions between unionists and nationalists remain, and the path to reconciliation is ongoing.
The Tradition of Mural Art
The tradition in Northern Ireland is deeply intertwined with its historical and political landscape. Unionist murals emerged in the early 20th century amid anxiety about Home Rule leading to a united Ireland. Most murals were created by unionist/loyalist groups, with few nationalist ones.
A revival in loyalist and republican mural paintings emerged during the early stages of the Troubles as a powerful form of political expression on the gable walls of houses, peace walls and public spaces, serving as territorial markers signifying dominant ideology. Nationalist/republican murals typically featured themes related to Irish independence, commemorating figures like Bobby Sands. Sands, a prominent member, led a hunger strike in prison to protest the British government’s refusal to recognise detainees as political prisoners. His death following 66 days of fasting made him a martyr for nationalism. The mural is located on Falls Road on the side of Sinn Féin’s offices in West Belfast. It is a symbol of resilience and defiance for nationalists but reflecting deep-seated divisions, as unionists and loyalists view Sands as a terrorist and the mural as a glorification of violence.
Figure 1
Unionist/loyalist murals depicted loyalist paramilitary groups like the UVF or commemorated battles like the Battle of the Boyne (Figure 2). The murals symbolising the 1690 battle between Protestant King William III of Orange and Catholic King James II can be found in East Belfast and on Shankill Road. The artworks celebrate William’s victory, embody loyalty to the Crown and the Protestant ascendancy, and remind of the historical displacement, oppression and exclusion of the Catholic community.
Figure 2
After the Good Friday Agreement, the role of murals changed with the political landscape. New artworks emerged, emphasising peace, reconciliation and unity, shifting from symbols of division to canvases for inclusion and global solidarity. The murals in Northern Ireland now address global issues, reflecting a broader, more inclusive narrative. The International Wall on Falls Road in Belfast (a nationalist area) features murals expressing solidarity with struggles worldwide, including themes of environmental conservation, human rights, and cultural diversity (Figure 3). These murals depict international struggles and figures contributing to solidarity across borders, promoting the interconnectedness of global issues and unity.
Figure 3
Mural art originates through community-led projects or government schemes. Community-led schemes have transformed public spaces. The Bogside Artists’ People’s Gallery in Derry/Londonderry often starts with workshops, discussions or forums where community members voice their ideas and themes. By incorporating various perspectives, these projects produce artworks that reflect a broader, more inclusive narrative.
Government schemes like the Re-Imaging Communities project fund mural development. Launched in 2007 by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and funded by the Department for Social Development, the initiative aimed to transform public spaces by replacing or recontextualising contentious murals that historically fueled division between communities.
A Path Towards Peace?
Over the years, murals have emerged as a tool for healing and unity, with a unique ability to communicate and connect people between communities, fostering understanding and empathy.
Mural projects involving resident input can engage communities, foster dialogue, break down stereotypes, and build trust. Protestants and Catholics use art to communicate their stories and memorialise those lost to conflict. Through mural art, a shared discourse can be fostered, highlighting shared histories and reminding communities of their common past. This fosters empathy and understanding, bridging divides. Murals create a memory of both sides' collective suffering. For example, the Derry/Londonderry of a child killed during the Troubles represents the lives of children, Protestant and Catholic, lost during the conflict (Figure 4).
Figure 4
Another mural by the People’s Gallery in Derry/Londonderry depicts a dove that represents peace and hope (Figure 5). The artists envision peace through the next generation, incorporating children into their work. This offers hope that future generations will remember history with less anger and unite to move forward.
Figure 5
Efforts to transform contentious artwork promote peace, cultural diversity, and shared history. The Re-Imaging Communities project aims to replace divisive imagery with more positive representations. It seeks to alter, remove, and paint new murals, replacing sectarian and paramilitary ones with a neutral theme. For example, a mural depicting the siege of Derry/Londonderry was replaced with images of boxing legends. Another mural depicting street violence and burning houses with the words “Can it change?” was replaced with a mural based on children’s right to play.
Further Division?
While playing a role in the region's reconciliation efforts, art murals can also contribute to further division.
Traditionally, murals have served as territorial markers, indicating which communities hold sway in specific neighbourhoods, delineating cultural and ideological boundaries and reinforcing the separation between communities. Many murals in Northern Ireland are painted on the Peace Walls (Figure 6), constructed by the British government in the 60s and 70s as a temporary measure to reduce inter-community violence. Over time, the number, length and strength of the Peace Walls expanded, with over 100 barriers across Belfast, Derry and other parts of Northern Ireland. Despite the Good Friday Agreement, over 30 kilometers of the Peace Walls stand in Belfast, functioning as barriers and platforms for public art, continuing to divide despite depicting symbols of hope and reconciliation. The Northern Ireland executive aimed to dismantle them by 2023; however, progress has been slow due to resistance and the persistent belief in their necessity for peace.
Figure 6
Many murals commemorate figures or events tied to ideologies, perpetuating narratives of grievance and martyrdom, and divisive rhetoric that fueled the conflict. They act as reminders of sectarian division. Nationalist murals with military imagery and slogans glorifying violence, like “Tiocfaidh ár la” (Our Day Will Come), perpetuate fear and distrust.
Efforts to replace older murals with new artwork have faced backlash from those who feel their history and sacrifices are being minimised. This resistance can slow reconciliation and maintain division. As of 2013, the Re-Imaging Communities initiatives had only completed 39 projects. The focus on new murals can be seen as a superficial attempt to divert attention from systemic issues. Disparities in education, healthcare access, high unemployment, and poverty exacerbate the divide, hindering efforts to build a cohesive society.
Over time, murals in Northern Ireland have become commercialised and capitalised by the tourism industry. Today, you can pay for tours guiding you through the mural-filled neighborhoods, with separate routes for nationalist and unionist areas. This can deepen resentment and resistance within local communities if they feel their history is being exploited or trivialized for profit. This “dark tourism” reflects the tension between preserving cultural heritage and commodifying it for economic gain.
The Future of Art and Murals in Post-Conflict Regions
The murals highlight the challenges of transforming societal divisions and offer promise for fostering reconciliation, unity, and cultural transformation in Northern Ireland and other post-conflict regions. Community and government schemes alone transform the socio-economic status of troubled communities, but mural art will continue. Further research is needed to understand how art can foster reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
Bibliography
Bundy, Mary. 2014. Remembering of Reigniting: The Murals of Northern Ireland. 4 December. https://cccinbelfast.wordpress.com/2014/12/04/remembering-or-reigniting-the-murals-of-northern-ireland/
Healy, Robert. 2023. The Belfast Peace Walls: Safety, Security, and Division. 1 June. https://posc284.posc.sites.carleton.edu/uncategorized/the-belfast-peace-walls-safety-secuirty-and-division/
Hill, Andrew and Andrew White. 2012. Painting Peace? Murals and the Northern Ireland Peace Process, Irish Political Studies, 27:1, 71-88. February.
Kehoe, Pierce and Luke Dunne. 2021. ‘Muralling’ and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland: The Complex Role of Public Art in Peace Processes, A Contested Histories Occasional Paper. March.
Turtle, Michael. 2023. So, This Is What Peace Looks Like? 3 August. https://www.timetravelturtle.com/northern-ireland/peace-wall-belfast/.
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