Peace walls of Belfast: Beautiful structures with a tragic history
When you visit Belfast in Northern Ireland, you revisit the city's rich history as you walk along its peace walls, laced with murals of peace symbols, paintings of soldiers waving the Irish flag or firing a gun, and two people joining hands through the barricade, among others. Graffiti art on these walls is a popular tourist attraction. However, they were not built to attract tourists or to highlight Belfast’s culture. They have a rather sinister origin. The peace walls were first built in 1969 in Northern Ireland to separate rival Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods, following a series of riots. You’d be surprised to know that these peace walls stretch up to 20 miles across Northern Ireland! There have been discussions about removing the peace walls, but before we get into that, let’s look at how they came to be.
Peace walls to end conflict
Northern Ireland has seen several outbreaks of riots between Catholics and Protestants. The conflict between them have ensued for over 30 years since the 1920s due to difference in religious views. The violence called the attention of the British army, resulting in the construction of temporary barriers in the summer of 1935. The majority of the walls were later constructed when the conflict reached its peak in 1969. During this time, intense violence erupted between the two warring parties, forcing Belfast residents and the British army to erect more temporary barricades. Over 3,500 people lost their lives in this conflict that is locally known as ‘The Troubles’. The war ended, but the temporary barricades hardened into permanent walls that are now called the peace walls. There are a total of 40 peace walls across Belfast, made of brick or iron, with some reaching the height of 20 feet. The most well-known and significant wall is the one that separates the Nationalist Falls Road from the Unionist Protestant Shankill Road in West Belfast. This prominent wall has been in place for more than 50 years.
The peace walls have gates now
As the conflicts and violence in Northern Ireland subsided, gates began to appear on the walls. These barriers allowed people from segregated neighbourhoods to move from one place to the other. The construction of these gates reflects peace that the protestants and Catholics have achieved through decades. The main peace wall gate, housed in the 50-year-old wall between the Nationalist Falls Road from the Unionist Protestant Shankill Road Falls Road and Shankill Road was originally made of steel. It has recently been replaced with a modern see-through gate.
The fascinating murals
As already mentioned, you will find the murals that adorn the walls. Many of these murals used to be messages from warring communities, but they have been transformed. Now, they convey more inclusive and upbeat messages. Interestingly, tourists are permitted and encouraged to write messages on the wall. If not messages, they are now encouraged to write their names.
Will the peace walls be taken down?
Are you wondering why the walls are not demolished if there is no war? Several initiatives were launched to normalise Belfast by removing the barriers that existed between the two communities. In line with this, the Belfast City Council agreed to demolish the walls in 2011. This decision, however, did not go down well with the residents. They feared that bringing down the walls would result in violence between the protestants and the Catholics all over again.
In order to assist the locals in breaking down the walls, an organisation called the International Fund for Ireland launched a peace wall funding programme. The Crumlin Road was the first to be demolished in February 2016. Nonetheless, dozens of peace walls remain in place across the country till date, which, in recent years, have also become a tourist attraction. There fate of these walls is yet to be decided.