Tag Archives: Northern Ireland

We’re on the Hop-on/Hop-off tour for today’s look at Belfast. So, let’s see the sights, beginning with “RISE“, a sculpture in west Belfast:

I always get a chill down my spine when I see commemorations of the old Soviet Union, and not in a good way. Here is the Kremlin Bar:

Just days before we arrived in Belfast there had been a devastating fire that gutted the historic Bank Buildings. Here are the still smoldering remains:

And here is Carlisle Memorial Methodist Church on Carlisle Circle:

And just moments away is this stunning spire atop the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church on Donegall at Carrick Hill:

Between these two churches is the Orange Hall (1899) on Clifton Street:

Now for a few more sights from our Hop-on/Hop-off that day:

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In the photo above you’ll see the Irish Celtic phrase “Céad bliain,” which translates to “100 years.” And below that is “Ní Saoirse go Saoirse na mban”, meaning “There is no freedom until the freedom of women.” As with much of the street art adorning Belfast, this one is political.

But most of the political commentary deals with “The Troubles“, that 30-year rebellion that tore apart Northern Ireland from the late 1960s until 1998. The scars of this conflict remain today, such as the “peace line” wall that separated Republican and Catholic Nationalist neighborhoods within the city.

This next piece of street art commemorates British MP Bobby Sands, who died in prison while on a hunger strike:

Another piece of art is dedicated to children who lost their lives during the conflict:

This last image celebrates the paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force. In it you’ll see various rifles ranging from a Kalashnikov, to a .30 M1 Carbine, to what appears to be an AR-style rifle, and even a Thompson M1928 submachine gun: