A week ago we - me and my wife - took a trip to Belfast and to make a short recon how does north-eastern part of Ireland (I mean island) look like.
I must admit that the border land between Dundalk and Newry is very scenic - green hills, quite valleys, and Newry looks pretty nice. For sure I must come back one day for a weekend to have some hiking around.
Our destination - Belfast - seems to be one of the most beautiful cities in Ireland I have seen so far. It is much more beautiful than Dublin, and seems much bigger than capital of Republic. I like the city centre with its wide streets, city hall and nice houses.
There is only one problem which is quite big issue. There must be something like landfill or urban dumping place close to the city centre. On the day of our visit, Belfast was quite windy place and omnipresent smell of decaying rubbish was quite annoying.
Of course we were interested in visiting both Falls and Shankill. For many years we have been interested in the history of Ireland, and the troubles in the North.
It will be hard to describe our impressions due to the fact that couple of times I was accused by Unionists of being biased on nationalists favour. One should be clear, I fully respect the struggle of republican society for citizen rights and for keeping their cultural and national identity and their fight against sectarianism and discrimination. Moreover, due to the policy of RUC, British Army and pogroms made by UVF in the past, there is no doubt which side was in the position of a victim. However it doesn’t mean that I support any terrorist bombing attacks against civilians (like the one in Armagh). I am neither supporter nor enemy (whatever) of the idea of United Ireland, due to the fact that I am a foreigner, and - which is much more important - I don’t forget about Unionists who have their rights for sure and who are rightful citizens/inhabitants of Ireland. For sure it is not my duty, and I am not allowed to judge such things. However some of the loyalist activities are clearly aggressive expressions of hate and superiority - orange marches through the catholic districts of Northern Irish towns (like Drumcree). There were also reported loyalist paramilitary groups attacks on Polish emigrants in the North, and some of them are linked with Nazi terrorist groups like Combat 18. However, I don’t mean that decent, normal people are blamed. It is one’s right to fill either Irish or British, and nobody should judge it.
Let me compare my impressions from Falls and Shankil.
Both areas are covered with murals, but there are completely different murals. In the Falls area the majority of them is devoted to martyrs and victims of the UVF killing squads. The most often motive is a portrait of Boby Sands or all of the hunger strikers who died in the Long Kesh Maze prison in the infamous H-blocks (like Kieran Nugent). There are also murals showing the human and citizen rights activists who were killed by British MI5 or Unionists groups (like Pat Finucane), there are murals showing the history of Ireland (Easter Rising, picture of GPO, portraits of James Connolly), like great famine, or murals encouraging to learn Irish or to keep the cultural heritage. Some murals are devoted to the equality of the all people, against racial segregation and in the end some of them are showing support to the other countries or nations that struggling for independence or that are independent. There is even a mural devoted to Glasgow Celtic Football Club. Most of the murals in Falls Road area have no aggressive expression. Only on a couple of them I have noticed a figures in uniforms with guns, but… also not in aggressive position. actually only one figure painted with the gun and in the fight, was on mural showing GPO and Easter Rising.
Remembrance site of the IRA members.
Remembrance site of the IRA members, close up.
Remembrance site of the hunger strikers who died during the strike.
To be honest, some of the murals are strictly ridiculous and somebody who painted it must has been an ignorant. For example a couple of murals are devoted to Cuba, Fidel Castro and Che. I can understand that somebody is against an imperial policy of USA, but it doesn’t mean that he or she should support a communistic regimes. Did some of the Irish republicans were so closed minded that they were willing to support communistic regimes only because they are against USA? C’mon lads, you have forgotten about North Korea or at least Iran!
yeah… Bush is bad, and probably Saddam was good, even he was in charge of mass genocide on Kurds. Also, there is no doubt that every suicidal bombing and sectarian killing in Iraq is made by infamous GI.
SHANKILL ROAD
Murals in Shankill Road area are different indeed, and usually they have aggressive expression. On many of them I have noticed a masked men keeping guns ready to shoot. The Red Hand of Ulster is not open (which is a symbol of peace) but it is a fist showing an aggressive attitude. As in the Falls, some murals in Shankill are devoted to the martyrs, of course Unionists killed by IRA (like Steve McKeag or William McCullough).
I must admit I like one of the murals in Shankill Road - the one with the question “can it chenge? - we believe”.
There is more differences. When we entered the Falls Road, I felt like an intruder to the local community, but after couple of minutes I was ok. Falls Road is busy, crowdy and noisy, people are friendly. We went to some shops, we were stopped by locals and we had nice chat with them. The area of Falls Road seems rather happy and warm. It is also more compacted.
Shankill Road area, stars just behind the Peace Line, a high fence with gates that separates two enemy sides.
The gate in the fence - entrance to Falls from Shankill.
The estate behind the peace line seems to be empty and dumb. There ara no people on the streets or in the front of the houses. Shankill Road itself is busy, but not as crowdy as Falls road, or maybe it was like that at the time of our visit. One thing struck me the most - a dumping place straight on the Shankill Road. A wide square with dumped furniture, old pallets and other wood wastes looks terrible, and for sure is not a good publicity for that part of West Belfast. It gives an impression of a mess and chaos.
There is yet another difference. In Falls road you can see Irish Republic flags on every lamppost. The flags are clean and in very good condition. In Shankill road you can see the flags as well, Union Jacks and Scottish flags with St Andrews cross. Contrary to the Falls Road, flags in Shankill Road are dirty and in very bad condition. Many of them is torn and looks like old rags on the wind. It is also not good for the publicity of the Shankill road. I can understand their attitude and British identity, but why some of them are so proud of that while they don’t care about such things like national flags etc.
At the end, I would like to write something about the most beautiful cemetery I have seen so far in Ireland and Britain. It is the old city cemetery.
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