Derry, Northern Ireland
The Guildhall:
Many neighborhoods in Northern Ireland are segregated, and the curbs are often painted with the colors of the Union Jack for unionists, or the Irish tri-color for nationalists. The "UFF" graffiti tags are a reference to the Ulster Freedom Fighters, a unionist paramilitary.
The Bogside is a nationalist neighborhood mostly known for being a place where the British Army likes to shoot at the citizenry. A group called the Bogside Artists commemorated the events through a series of murals started in the mid-1990s. There are more now than when I went.
Commemorating the Bloody Sunday massacre (01/30/72), showing Father Daly attempting to save 17-year-old John Duddy:
Petrol bomber, commemorating the Battle of Bogside, August 1969:
Operation Motorman:
Mural called "The Death of Innocence" - not sure if it depicts a specific individual. It wasn't quite finished when I visited Derry - the finalized painting is here.
Free Derry corner, with mural of MP Bernadette Devlin in the background. I think the black ribbon was in memory of the hunger strikers (see memorial statue below); I was in Northern Ireland during the 20th anniversary of the hunger strikes, and there were tons of things commemorating the deaths.
Monument to MP Bobby Sands and the other 9 prisoners who died during the hunger strike at Long Kesh prison during the summer of 1981:
On a more positive note, there is some artwork emphasizing tolerance and cooperation, rather than the grim tally of who died.
Anyhoo... fascinating city, with a lot of history. I wish we'd been able to spend more time there, or at least been there on a day other than Sunday, as there was nothing open! Would love to go back again.
Many neighborhoods in Northern Ireland are segregated, and the curbs are often painted with the colors of the Union Jack for unionists, or the Irish tri-color for nationalists. The "UFF" graffiti tags are a reference to the Ulster Freedom Fighters, a unionist paramilitary.
The Bogside is a nationalist neighborhood mostly known for being a place where the British Army likes to shoot at the citizenry. A group called the Bogside Artists commemorated the events through a series of murals started in the mid-1990s. There are more now than when I went.
Commemorating the Bloody Sunday massacre (01/30/72), showing Father Daly attempting to save 17-year-old John Duddy:
Petrol bomber, commemorating the Battle of Bogside, August 1969:
Operation Motorman:
Mural called "The Death of Innocence" - not sure if it depicts a specific individual. It wasn't quite finished when I visited Derry - the finalized painting is here.
Free Derry corner, with mural of MP Bernadette Devlin in the background. I think the black ribbon was in memory of the hunger strikers (see memorial statue below); I was in Northern Ireland during the 20th anniversary of the hunger strikes, and there were tons of things commemorating the deaths.
Monument to MP Bobby Sands and the other 9 prisoners who died during the hunger strike at Long Kesh prison during the summer of 1981:
On a more positive note, there is some artwork emphasizing tolerance and cooperation, rather than the grim tally of who died.
Anyhoo... fascinating city, with a lot of history. I wish we'd been able to spend more time there, or at least been there on a day other than Sunday, as there was nothing open! Would love to go back again.