Shankill mural makeover unveiled
A LARGE-scale makeover of 10 paramilitary murals in the lower Shankill area has been unveiled.
The new murals – designed with the help of local residents – represent the history and chart the social, cultural and industrial heritage of the area.
Since last September four artists – Lesley Cherry, Tim McCarthy, Ed Reynolds and Steven Tunley – have been working with local groups to identify subjects for the new murals as part of Belfast City Council’s Re-imaging Communities programme.
The completed murals, which were created using a combination of traditional skills and modern digital production techniques, were officially unveiled yesterday – the third of 11 re-imaging projects across the city.
Ian McLaughlin, from the Lower Shankill Community Association, said the project had been a success because it had the full support of the local community.
“Our community realised it was time to identify with both the culture and heritage of our area and also take the opportunity to portray a number of individuals who, over the years have contributed greatly to the history and pride of our area,” he said.
After a tour of the re-imaged murals, Lord Mayor of Belfast, councillor Naomi Long, praised the project as “a symbol of communities moving towards a peaceful and brighter future, not forgetting the past but looking forward”.
“This is a prime example of what re-imaging is all about – taking us out of the divisions of the past into a new era of hope, reflecting the heritage of our diverse communities in a positive manner,” she said.
Each of the new murals will feature a small plaque, showing what it replaced. The re-imaged murals include:
– the Drumcree mural at Boundary Way, replaced with a Shankill A-Z;
– ethnic cleansing mural at Hopewell Crescent, replaced with a human rights declaration;
– the ‘C’ Company mural on Peter’s Hill, replaced with a ‘welcome to the Shankill’ message
