31. The importance of Murals during the Troubles: Analyzing the republican use of wall paintings in Northern Ireland

Troubled Images: Analysing the Republican Use of Visual Metaphors in Wall Paintings and Pictures in Northern Ireland

“…The Northern part of Ireland (also known as the six counties) was for many years in the spotlight of the world's media, showing the disconcerting images of hooded gunmen and menacing terrorists. These became a common feature of news channels throughout the world (Rapp & Rhomberg, 2013). The armed struggle that ensued following the outbreak of the "Troubles" between Catholics and Protestants was essentially rooted in the question of identity and territoriality (McGarry & O'Leary, 1997).…”

“…The armed struggle that ensued following the outbreak of the "Troubles" between Catholics and Protestants was essentially rooted in the question of identity and territoriality (McGarry & O'Leary, 1997). After the division of the country in 1922, Catholics in Northern Ireland were treated as second-class people, as they were disadvantaged and generally lived in deprived areas (Gurr, 1976in Rapp & Rhomberg, 2013. The diverse heritage and traditions of the Catholics together with the mix of political, socio-economic and geographical disequilibrium that the Catholics suffered, gave rise to considerable desperation on the part of the republicans and subsequently led to many citizens marching for their civil rights during the 1960s.…”

“…In this perspective, wall paintings, flags, and symbols of different kinds have always exacerbated the cultural divide between the republicans and loyalists by displaying paintings of sectarian hatred (Rolson, 2004), since they were principally employed as instruments of propaganda to reinforce the opposing sectarian troops and their respective identities (Bryan et al, 2009;McCormic & Jarman, 2005). According to Rapp and Rhomberg (2013), the Republican murals can be seen as a visual medium and representation of a social movement that became radicalized after the IRA returned to power in the early 1970s to fight with the aim of obtaining a greater political voice in the drive to campaign for a reunited Ireland. Social movements serve to publicize the political convictions of a social group with a common ideology; in Northern Ireland they aimed to achieve the goals depicted in the murals, which represented their ambitions of furthering nationalism and "helped to literally paint a common vision of a shared ideology" (Rapp & Rhomberg, 2013, p. 669).…”

“…This turned out to be particularly important for the Catholic population, since their rights to employ the traditional means and modes of communication were severely restricted by the Unionists. Therefore, ideological and political murals developed as a sui generis communication channel, helping republicans to consolidate their propaganda campaigns and to document their political messages in Northern Ireland during the tense time of the "Troubles" (Rapp & Rhomberg, 2013). This work will proceed with a brief overview of the "Troubles" and the historical context in which they began, and will analyse how visual images can be considered to be a potent instrument in the political and cultural context of Northern Ireland.…”

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The republican movement in Northern Ireland was visually manifested in images drawn on walls and on the gable ends of houses in the towns of Belfast and (London) Derry. As well as being an iconographic expression of the social injustice they suffered (Rapp & Rhomberg, 2013;Goalwin, 2013), these wall paintings were employed by the republicans to convey political and ideological messages in order to heighten awareness and to mobilize people. Blank spaces on walls were increasingly exploited by republican groups and were converted into a visual medium sui generis for their political and ideological claims and demands.

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