The Bloody Sunday Museum and the Siege Museum, these will underwhelm. They rely wholly upon emotional appeal, and I am not particularly moved by emotional appeal, especially not if it is a wall that is making it. For all those aspiring museum designers out there: walls can’t make emotional appeals.
Except this wall. This wall is special. Its name is Ignatius. tbh its a bit of a prick.I do generally enjoy statues, especially if they are of Victoria. Less so if they have been blown up. -_-
The Guildhall, however, was interesting, and not only because of the statue of Victoria, we were lucky enough to have an absolutely stellar guide whose history lesson delved into history. Delved I tell you! The building itself had some lovely stained glass windows, of which I have not a single satisfying picture, so here’s the mother of all organs instead.
ok, yeah I’ve seen bigger and more ridiculous organs, but come on…its still a pretty good organ
We did not spend much time in Derry, so perhaps it makes sense that its impact was disproportionate to that of Belfast, as we did only the most important stops. I do regret not being able to stay in Derry longer. At least I’ll always have Derry Girls.
When you go to Ireland, as I am certain you shall, be sure to take a guided walking tour of the murals in Belfast. Now, what you need to worry about most isn’t the convicted criminal giving you the tour, it is the particular spin that they are putting on the story. In my experience, they don’t lie outright, but they give these tours often enough to be very good at strategically withholding information. This, along with their inherent bias, can be as or even more educational than the information that they are conveying primarily. This is why these walking tours should not be the first event on your trip unless you are already familiar with the basics of the troubles.
Now, the murals are also quite important. These are images made to convey to the public a specific narrative, and both communities have them.
There is a concerted effort by the government to reduce the intensity of the murals.
Images of the 1916 Easter Rising and the Proclamation of the Republic
Protestant mural that is, without subtlety condemning the primary Catholic Party
Bobby Sands, leader of the Hunger Strike
Smiling Paramilitaries. Doesn’t really make sense to glorify the same people who were killing those innocents you were so concerned about.
In general, it seems that the Protestants have benefited from the world hearing the narrative of the IRA being the sole paramilitary organization operating in Ireland during the troubles. Most Americans won’t have even heard about them, but I can assure you that even fewer have heard about the Ulster Volunteer Force. Perhaps it is because of this that they do not have to try so hard with their murals. Those were all present in Belfast in May of 2019, depending on when you come across this, they may have been repainted, as happens periodically.
I did not spend nearly so much time with the murals in Derry, but here are the two three most important ones.
Referencing the 1688-89 Siege of Derry. The least siegy siege to ever siege.
The third most important mural in Derry
Lyra McKee had been killed one month prior to my trip.
My captions speak for themselves! Oh, but the far right is the mural painted during the Battle of the Bogside, during which part of the city of Derry temporarily declared autonomy and demanded concessions from the British government. It used to be on a building, but now it is just a wall of the same shape, which is odd once you think about it.
I’d normally call this a sidenote, but I think it is important so while I think of what to call it, you go ahead and read it. Derry Girls is a very good show. You should watch it.
Darth Nox's Dullest Project 