Graffiti in Belfast

Peter: 23rd Sep 2005 - 14:09 GMT

nice. its good to see more of this sort of stuff. i cant imagine what it must look like in person. wow, what a divided area.

Rage Against The Machine: 28th Sep 2005 - 18:36 GMT

My old house is near the first mural in Beechmount

Reggie: 18th Oct 2005 - 10:16 GMT

Very one sided view, your obviously one of these tourists who once got a green jumper for xmas and now thinks he is a long lost descendant of St Patrick. You dont know shit and for the record most of the problems are nothing to do with history , its to do with weekend binge drinking and 'recreational rioting'. if we're not fighting eachother its the police. If its not them its the immagrints and believe me when i say no moving or wiping out of borders is going to solve any problems. The basic fact is that no ammount of drink or drugs will give you a buzz like throwing bricks at the bunch of bastards commonly known as th police. Before this so called peace process Ulster was probably the safest place in Europe to live with the lowest crime figures now its overrun by petty criminals who beat up old pensioners, so take your camera, your green jumper, your fuckin passport and piss of to mexico or columbia, ballbag.

Jamie: 18th Oct 2005 - 14:04 GMT

Reggie: a litle bit of attention paying goes a long way. Barry, if you had botered to read any of his stuff, you would have noticed was born and raised in Northern Ireland. one small fact that blows your ill considered argument straight out of the water.

angela: 28th Nov 2005 - 16:57 GMT

the paintings you see are to remerber the heros that give their lives in the war. it is a piece of history.would rather live in a community with the IRA.bring them back.

angela: 28th Nov 2005 - 17:00 GMT

I live near the first pictre. feel free to call in for a cup of tea.

Graham: 28th Nov 2005 - 17:26 GMT

Beautiful murals. I see nothing wrong in remembering the people who made the ultimate sacrifice for thier community. After all what is "remeberance sunday" all about? Every village, city and town in the UK has a memorial to commemorate their "Heroes". So why can't the people of West Belfast remember the men and women who served Ireland!!!!

angela: 12th Dec 2005 - 16:23 GMT

yes graham you r right well said. we have the Good Friday Aggrement but this does not change the past and should not be forgotten. Its good to let people know what has happened in All Off Ireland and teach the children the past so they dont relive it in the future.
The pictures r of the Catholic devide in Belfast and i dont think they r half as bad as the ones up the shankle they dont show suffering they show haterid.

andy: 12th Dec 2005 - 23:09 GMT

i'm an english born and breed man, recently moved into the west of belfast, I see the murals on a daily basis, I see the suffering in them and the way forward, so why can't people understand where, why and the FULL meaning of these murals.
Last of all These are murals not graffiti- graffiti is yobs drawning on walls- these are murals drawn by artists with beleives and facts, figures, dates to back the murals up. please read and look at the murals with different eyes!

fallsroadfra: 21st Mar 2006 - 22:17 GMT

I have to agree with reggie to a certain degree. I once read an article, in News Week I think, it claimed that belfast was probably the safest city in the world for women. I would have agreed back then (about 1998). From what I can glean in sites like this and other news sources it's now worse that any 3rd world ghetto ran by drug lords and crack heads. Bring back the PIRA and start doing a load of Kneecaps to begin with, then take it from there. I used to live across from RPG avenue and Franks, 252 Falls Road.

LEECAT: 22nd Apr 2006 - 16:43 GMT

I had no idea about the history and facts of Northern Ireland, but after discovering what a colourfull history of struggle and strife and passionit has I have decided to go to belfast for a month just to see for myself. As a south african I can relate to a degree with political struggles and cant wait to go. I'll be there in June 2006.

Karlo: 27th Apr 2006 - 08:56 GMT

hello leecat,hope u enjoy your visit here,youll certainly find some parallels with your own country,but of course,major differences also..there are many guides and tours that explain to some degree,the facts about the conflict,but always keep in mind,that the conflict here was once raging all over this island,so a trip down south might be of interest to you,i would suggest the capital,dublin,and there youll find a place called kilmainam jail,the leaders of the easter rebellion were executed there..the 1916 easter rising was in some ways the beginning of the current phase of the conflict between britain & ireland,hopefully the peace process will be the end game..have fun,and i hope things are improving for your country

KLYNNE: 9th Jun 2006 - 02:54 GMT

What are things like in Belfast after the Good Friday agreement??? We never hear much in the news about it in the States anymore. Are there still talks going on? I did see something the other day about the arrest of some UVF members. . .but there's precious little other info.

I realize this is a terribly broad question. . .but anyone who wants to respond, please enlighten!

barry: 11th Jun 2006 - 00:39 GMT

Klynne keep you eye on UTV.com for news for that area.

Norma: 5th Jul 2006 - 10:50 GMT

Reading through these comments made me quite sad. N Ireland will never be able to move on with bad attitudes. Ok so bad stuff has happened in the past but if we keep dwelling on it, things will never get better. If you open your eyes you will notice that there is so much good development and investment going on in Northern Ireland that everyone can benefit on. Education is key to a brighter future. Maybe if we put more effort into showing each other kindness (that apparently we are known worldwide for) instead of which way we pronounce different words, it would be a much cooler place to live.
Stop whinging and get on with enjoying life.

william: 23rd Jul 2006 - 19:43 GMT

no prodestants live there and the murals are dedicated to people who terroised both catholics and protestant they are nothing more than a criminal gang like the crips or bloods with a bigger following

william: 23rd Jul 2006 - 19:43 GMT

no prodestants live there and the murals are dedicated to people who terroised both catholics and protestant they are nothing more than a criminal gang like the crips or bloods with a bigger following

angela: 25th Jul 2006 - 21:36 GMT

william have u ever took a drive down the hairy ankle, its more english than the english. It's shit looking all the flags hanging everywere

barry: 30th Jul 2006 - 17:56 GMT

Luke: 23rd Oct 2006 - 19:50 GMT

Angela there is hatred equally on both sides, and equally there is suffering on both sides. One small other correction to make it is not 'Catholic and Protestant', it is a divide largely between Republicans/Nationalists and Loyalists/Unionists. The Nationalists want to 'Get the Brits out now', is that not hatred and bigotry? Is spraypainting swastikas on Jewish owned homes not bigotry? Or are all nationalists blameless, everything they do is justified by events in 1690?

gerry k 25th oct o6: 25th Dec 2006 - 18:44 GMT

i think that the first mural in beechmount there is brilliant i grew up just 100 yards from that painting and it has inspired my life .. i love art i would love to paint murals.. fair enough its one sided .. but so are many more.. murals make people in that area feel safe and i think that cant be a bad thing at all

karen: 18th May 2007 - 23:52 GMT

I was out to Belfast earlier this year to visit friends and I did the tour. Canadian born, raised in England with a catholic mother and a protestant Father. I remember growing up with images of the troubles in Northern Ireland on the tv and in news papers. I also remember my mother and father saying that they prayed for peace for the people out there. Since my visit i'm aware that I'm fairly ignorant of the facts that propelled the violence and the heartache across a place I just loved the feel of when I was there. Most of what I know was learned was from tv footage and news paper coverage, but it would be fair to say that in england at the time there was a definate slant on the message we were given about it all.
Recent events have hopefully changed the outlook for Northern Ireland, and after being among you, amazing and warm hearted people from both sides of what many of you here have called the divide, I hope that peace is truley in your hearts. An outsiders point of view I know, but if you could only see in your selves what I see in you, then real peace would follow I'm sure. I Don't think you should ever forget the suffering. To many lost there lives to be forgotten. But I hope you can embrace and accept it as a time thats past and let it be the catalyst to harmony among you. After such a long and protracted struggle with no winner only losers on all sides. I hope the time has passed for hatred and the strength shown in defiance of unity can be better put to use in bringing about peace for you all. My Father is sadly gone now taken long before his time should have come. it's a shame he didn't get to see the progress you've made. But then you're probably all thinking of someone right now who didn't either.
My heart to you all.

Big Bank Hank: 14th Jun 2007 - 15:32 GMT

Everytime I see paintings of the hungerstrikers it makes me want to throw up! These men were terrorists/criminals they thought nothing of killing people, blowing up buildings/people, robbing banks, extorting money of people, and generally causing strife to innocent people, they were not heroes, Im no big fan of Thatcher but be realistic, how could she give in to the demands of a bunch of bandits, these people were serving time for servere criminal offences, what did they expect in jail, if they were jailed in the USA for the same offences they would have been far worse off!

karlo: 1st Aug 2007 - 08:07 GMT

I appreciate your views BBH,but i have to disagree.
You should read as much as you can about the hunger strikes,or better still,take a trip to Ireland and talk to the families,friends or people who where actually there at the time.Or,simply apply yourself to learnig history from all angles to understand the proper context and get a fuller picture of those sad days.
These people (like most who where involved in the war) where not pshycopaths,thugs or born killers.They saw themselves as revoloutionaries-
soldiers who where fighting for a just and noble cause.
ALL sides where convinced of their own justifications for executing a war on their enemies.
Whichever side you came from dictated which side was the terroist.

'One mans terrorist is another mans freedomfighter'
Simplistic,but accurate.

These people where human beings,who grew up in their own country witnessing a foreign army of occupation abuse their women,their children,murdering their families,their friends,treating them, and everyone around them with contempt and spite on a magnitude which is lost on most people who simply weren't there,or couldn't be bothered to find out the actual truth.

There is a documented history of English aggression towrads the Irish,so why should those men have given in to what the English where trying to do?
They knew in their hearts that they where not criminals.They where men who joined up to rid this country once and for all the jackboot of English agression.
Thatcher was trying to criminalise the entire Republican movement,therefore,criminalising the cause for Irish freedom.

Those brave men went on hugerstrike for very basic rights which were:

The right not to wear a prison uniform;
The right not to do prison work;
The right of free association with other prisoners, and to organise educational and recreational pursuits;
The right to one visit, one letter and one parcel per week;
Full restoration of remission lost through the protest.

The 1981 hugerstrikes where a culmination of 5 years of protest.
5 years.
Can you empathise at all?

You see,certain sections of the English population (namely those in power,and those with guns to uphold that power) have always seen themselves as superior to the Irish.
Why,pray tell,should we accept this in our own country through the barrel of a gun?
No matter what way you look at it,the fact is,the English invaded this country and,true to form (read about the British Empire) they raped,pilliaged and murdered their way across the land to one end and one end only

Power

And trust me,they weren't going to let a few sub-human paddy whitewog fuzzywuzzies get in their way.

At the end of it all,we are now in a situation where we have the chance to put everything in its rightful place of appreciation and move on towards a brighter future.
I for one,am longing for the day we can all live together

as equals

karlo: 3rd Aug 2007 - 14:18 GMT

By the way,What you see here are murals,not grafitti.
As some-one already pointed out,grafitti is usually carried out by just about anyone with a spray can or bucket of paint with the sole intention of splashing their name across any given space,whereas these paintings hold a central place in the intricate culture of the north-eastern part of Ireland.

In some regards,these murals offer a glimpse to the outside world, of the feelings and perceptions of the community on issues that range from political,historical,social or even in some places,just to brighten the place up so people aren't looking at concrete all the time.

In places,as far as i know,murals are panited on the gable walls of homes that have lost loved ones to the conflict here.
Hardly graffiti.

On a whole,these murals are an outward expression of whatever community they belong,on the environment in which they live,or as a statement on local and world issues.
To some,these murals and others like them are an eyesore that should be painted over.
To most people here though,murals are a deeply respected and often admired aspect of life in the north of Ireland.

Whatever message they carry,and whatever impact they have,this place just wouldn't be the same without them.

karlo: 3rd Aug 2007 - 14:35 GMT

P.S
The first one is at the corner of Beechmount ave,and the Falls road in west Belfast.
If you look closely,you'll see that the name of the street is 'R.P.G avenue'.

( For those who don't know,R.P.G stands for Rocket Propelled Grenade. The R.P.G is a handheld weapon that basically does what it says.
Invented by the Russians,it is a very effective weapon )

Ive heard that Beechmount ave was re-named by the locals in memory of an attack carried out by the Irish Republican Army on a British Army patrol.
Another story is that it was re-named after an incident concerning a local female Republican volunteer who was stopped and arrested by the British army whilst carrying an R.P.G from one place to another.
Although my moneys on the first one,
Ive yet to find out which one is true.

Just thought it might be of interest.

Big Bank Hank: 3rd Sep 2007 - 13:14 GMT

A lot of murals that are seen in estates etc could be seen to be graffiti, If you lived at an end house with a gable wall it was a prime target for terrorist groups to paint their tribalistic messages wether you wanted it there or NOT, You had no choice in the matter.

emmett aka lyncher: 12th Nov 2007 - 13:44 GMT

hello Everyone can you give me more information on the springfield road and rpg avenue please ive only started to take an interest and want to find out more about the west belfas area

myfersu: 21st Jan 2008 - 17:33 GMT

I'm specially interested in finding an updated photograph of a mural in Ardoyne.
In the mural directory of CAIN, the photo is too small and I can't appreciate the details (see www.cain.ulst.ac.uk/mccormick/album55.htm for description: "Give Us R Future. We Don't Want the Past". A second Positive Art, Millennium Awards Project. The sepia and colour multi-panelled mural...)
Could anybody help, please?