Makeover for murals in Northern Ireland
Natalie Hanman
Guardian
Monday September 01 2008
An Ulster Volunteer Force mural in north Belfast. (Photograph: Paul Faith/PA)
Wall art erected during, and inspired by, the Troubles in Northern Ireland is set to be removed.
Belfast City Council is expected to announce this week that paramilitary murals in Shankill Road are to be replaced with material relating to the area’s social, cultural and industrial heritage, the Independent reports today.
Large paintings, often depicting the actions of violent subversives, have long been a feature of the Falls Road and surrounding districts, with both republicans and loyalists using the medium to express resistance and stake out territory. Images include depictions of the IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands and, more recently, drawings critical of George Bush and the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
In recent years, the vivid art has attracted large numbers of tourists to the area, but following consultations with residents, artists and local politicians, the authorities have decided on a programme “to transform local communities by tackling the visible signs of sectarianism”.
A pilot scheme launched in east Belfast several years ago proved successful, with murals of gunmen replaced by paintings of those with local links, including CS Lewis and footballer David Healy scoring a winning goal in a victorious match against England.
'So venceremos, beidh bua againn eigin lá eigin. Sealadaigh abú.'
--Bobby Sands