Ireland's political wall murals are fast becoming world famous and they receive thousands of visitors every year. In more recent years some of the most memorable murals have been replaced by less 'militarist' imagery due at least in part to British governent grant funding to 'tone' down the murals in keeping with their 'normalisation' policy. In the pro-British Loyalist areas murals were a feature for many years even previous to what is commonly known as the 'Troubles' but they were not on the same scale as they would have been in later years and generally took the form of a simple representation of King William of Orange or similar. In Republican areas political war mural painting mushroomed over this past 35 years and some such as the renowned gable end in Derry's Bogside proclaiming "You Are Now Entering Free Derry" have become local landmarks and world famous. Several books and academic studies of political wall murals in the North of Ireland have been published perhaps the best known being by local academic Bill Rolston's .

Up until more recent times there was a strong paramilitary theme to most Irish Republican political murals with paintings of armed Republicans being common. Memorial type political murals were/are also popular with many remembering the sacrifice of the ten Hungerstrikers who gave their lives in the struggle for political recognition for those jailed for their part in the conflict. Other memorial type political murals commemorate Irish Republicans who lost their lives in the recent conflict. The Provisonal IRA's murals are by far the most numerous in republican areas due to their attempts at achieving near hegemony within the large republican areas especially in West Belfast. Murals in support of other groups do exist however and there are several striking murals sponsored by the Irish Republican Socialist Movement(IRSM), a marxist movement that includes the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP) & the Republican Socialist Youth Movement (RSYM.) Three IRSM prisoners gave their lives in the 1981 Hunger Strike and many IRSM murals commemorate their sacrifice. Other IRSM murals commemorate the Great Belfast Dockers strike that saw age old sectarian differences being forgotten in an all too brief display of workers unity against a common class enemy. The IRSM mural in question is placed strategically on an old factory wall on Northumberland Street, a road that runs between the Protestant Shankill and the Catholic Falls Road and it's poignant message appeals for class solidarity once again. Other anti-Stormont Republican groupings have started painting murals in Republican areas most recently being the Republican Network for Unity's (RNU) new mural. To the best of my knowledge the Official Republican Movement (ORM - formed following a split from the OIRA's political wing the Workers Party) have only one mural in Belfast. Painted on the gable wall of their Falls Rd office, it commemorates Liam McMillan a former Official IRA leader allegedly shot dead by a youthful Gerald Steenson who later became a leader of the now defunct infamous IPLO (who was ironically shot dead himself by the INLA.)

Many Republican murals are non-party based eg, commemorating the Hunger Strikes of 1981 or the 1916 Easter Rising. Some murals are based in Celtic Mythology and are widely acclaimed because of their intricate celtic designs. The world famous 'International Wall' on the Lower Falls Road celebrates international solidarity with Liberation Struggles eg, in Palestine, Latin America and the Basque Country. Tours of the murals and areas of historical significance in the Irish conflict are conducted by ex-political prisoners and are extremely good value for money for students of the Irish conflict & conflict resolution in general. Backpack bearing visitors from all corners of the world are a common sight in West Belfast being guided round the various murals. Community groups in west Belfast also paint murals as an alternative for teenagers instead of graffitti and their work can be seen in many districts often warning of the dangers of street drugs and alcohol abuse.

In pro-British Loyalist areas many of the 'political' wall murals are militarist orientated though there has been a recent trend in displaying less threatening images. During George Best's funeral from his parents home in the loyalist Cregagh estate, overtly militarist & right-wing murals were covered up following a quick cash injection from the loyalist controlled Castlereagh council to 'clean' up the area for Manchester United soccer fans who had come over from Britain for the funeral of their soccer hero. Murals of masked paramilitaries from the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) & Ulster Defence Association (UDA) are still prevalent in loyalist areas some disturbingly depicting scenes of sectarian murders. Loyalist murals are widely seen to be reactionary & of less internationalist appeal due to their ideological links to fascist & racist groups in Britain & Europe. Some Loyalist murals include scenes from Iron Maiden album covers which is a fairly good barometer of their political sophistication! Loyalist ex-prisoners conduct tours of their murals and there are 'joint tours' where tourists can visit murals in both Republican & Loyalist areas.

The North's political murals are a 'must-see' for tourists to Belfast and Derry. There are various ways to see them and I will include links to the various groups and agencies offering 'political tours' and generalised tours of places of historical significance within Belfast and Derry's vast working class'ghettoes' which have seen much conflict over the years. There are 'walking tours' conducted by ex-political prisoners which I highly reccomend, they are relatively cheap and great value for money as your guide will be intimately familiar with both the area and the nature of the conflict. There are black taxi tours and mini-bus tours available from the same source. Open top tour buses leave the city centre regularly and these are popular too. It is also entirely possible to conduct your own unassisted tour of Belfast's political murals and you will completely safe despite the troubled history. Local people will be only too happy to provide local knowledge and you will find that local people are walking encyclopedias on the conflict. Call into some of the local parties or groups offices  if you need directions. Like any city Belfast has it's criminal element so avoid area where you may see large groups of youths drinking & hanging about, commonsense tourist precautions will keep you safe just like in any country in the world.

© Iskra 05/11/2009

Various groups and agencies run regular tours of Ireland's political murals and areas of Irish conflict related significance. I have included links and some descriptions here and will add more shortly:

Coiste Political Tours
Tour guides from the political ex-prisoner community take tourists on an in-depth journey of their community. This is a fascinating way to spend a few hours with those who have first hand experience of the British/Irish conflict.
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Monday – Saturday 11.00am
Sunday – 2pm
Assemble at bottom of Divis Towers Falls Road
Length of tour: approximately 2 hours
£8.00 per adult (Concessions for children and large group bookings)

Click here or Telephone 44+ (028) 9020 0770 for more details

http://www.inyourpocket.com/northern-ireland/belfast/sightseeing/westbelfast/Coiste_Political_Tours_28231v

Taxi Association Tours
Take a tour of West Belfast in a famous Black Taxi – the mode of vehicle that has provided a community transport service for over 35 years. An authenticated association member will give you the opportunity to visit wall murals, memorial gardens, and other places of interest.

Available day or evening to arrange pick up anywhere in Belfast or call into Castle Junction on King Street.
£30 for the first hour and £10 for every subsequent hour.
6 and 7-seater taxis available.

Click here or just phone 44+ (028) 9031 5777 for details

http://www.wbta.net/

Belfast Political Tours

Click for details: http://www.belfastpoliticaltours.com/

Who else could tell you the real story of these two infamous roads but real people. Real combatants. People who have been at the sharp edge of this costly conflict and paid the price.

Now they have come together, in peace, to bring you this unique opportunity to see their lives and their story as it really happened and to discover the real and friendly people of these two areas. People who are renowned the world over for their friendliness and hospitality.

They will accompany you on a state-of-the-art tour bus and tell you their story and the story of the people of the Falls and Shankill Road.

On the Shankill Road you will be accompanied by a Loyalist ex-prisoner for his story of 'the troubles' and on the Falls Road a republican ex-prisoner will tell you his story of the Falls Road

Visit West Belfast

Click here for further details: http://www.visitwestbelfast.com/

© Iskra 05/11/2009