During the 1970s and 80s Belfast was like a war-zone. Shootings and bombings were a normal occurrence, and a part of life in west Belfast. Belfast's troubled history has seen many tragedies and atrocities. These atrocities are illustrated in the many murals dotted all over Belfast, painted on the sides of houses.
These massive paintings are today a major Belfast attraction for tourists. In the past, however, they were a way for the residents of Belfast's troubled areas to get their points across, or make a plea or demand that the rest of world could see through the power of the media. Now these paintings have been brought to the internet.
A new site (http://www.gransha-taxi.co.uk) has uploaded photos of these paintings for us all to see.
You can see murals from both sides of the political divide. Some of the murals are commemorations of something that has happened in the past, or a memorial of people that have been killed.
The main page of the Belfast murals section of this site (http://www.gransha-taxi.co.uk/Belfast_murals.htm) also show pictures of the famous Belfast peace wall. This wall is over 20 feet high, and stretches for miles, separating unionists and nationalists in west Belfast.
If you’re interested in Irish history or the troubles of the north of Ireland then these pictures are a must see.
