Belfast's Political Murals — Art, History & Identity
A P5–P7 Arts and PDMU resource on Belfast's famous political murals — their history, their significance to both communities, how artists have used them, and how murals are being repurposed for peace.
Preview
Page count: 2. Print-ready PDF — letter / A4 friendly. Click image to see all pages.
Understanding Belfast's murals
- 1 Political murals Large-scale wall paintings in Belfast (and other NI towns) expressing community identity, commemorating historical events, or conveying political messages. Found on both sides — nationalist/republican and unionist/loyalist areas.
- 2 Nationalist/republican murals Found mainly in west Belfast (Falls Road area). Themes: Irish history (1916, Celtic mythology), Irish language, political prisoners, solidarity with other oppressed peoples globally. The Bobby Sands mural (Sinn Féin office) is the most photographed.
- 3 Unionist/loyalist murals Found mainly in east and north Belfast. Themes: Battle of the Boyne (1690), King William of Orange, Ulster history, UDA/UVF paramilitary commemoration.
- 4 Peace murals Since the Good Friday Agreement, many murals have been replaced with peace-themed images — often through community programmes. The Artist Collective Paint Works has worked with communities to create non-sectarian murals.
- 5 Murals as tourism The murals of west Belfast (particularly the International Wall on the Falls Road) have become a significant tourist attraction — often seen on 'black taxi tours'. Murals have become part of Belfast's cultural identity globally.
- 6 Classroom use Murals are an extraordinary primary source of political and cultural history. They are also genuine works of art — many are technically impressive. The question 'what is this trying to say, and to whom?' is a powerful media literacy question.
Learning objective
Describe the purpose and themes of Belfast's political murals from both traditions; analyse a mural as a primary source; understand how murals are being repurposed as part of the peace process.
About this resource
Belfast murals and NI culture
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