I went on a political West Belfast tour in a classic black cab which offered an in-depth look at “The Troubles,” featuring murals, the Peace Wall, and personal stories from Norman, my guide.

The Republic of Ireland has maintained a strong, critical stance regarding Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, characterized by high-level diplomatic criticism, humanitarian funding, and legal intervention. Along Falls Rd, the murals are largely about Republican sympathy for the Palestinian cause.

The Battle of the Falls was a 34-hour military operation by the British Army in the Lower Falls area of Belfast from July 3–5, 1970. Over 3,000 troops imposed a strict curfew, firing vast amounts of CS gas and engaging in gun battles with the IRA, resulting in 4 civilian deaths, hundreds of arrests, and deep alienation of the Catholic community against the Army.

The Bobby Sands mural is a significant site on the Falls Road related to the 1981 hunger strike. Outside the prison, the momentum and support for the Hunger Strikers were growing. When a by-election was called in the Fermanagh South Tyrone Parliamentary Constituency due to the death of the sitting Independent Member of the British House of Commons, Frank Maguire, an opportunity was presented which afforded the Hunger Strikers, the IRA and its supporters the ability to highlight the prisoners demand. After serious negotiations within the Nationalist community, it was agreed by all other parties and individuals interested in contesting the seat that Bobby Sands would be nominated on 30th March 1981 to stand as a candidate for the vacant Parliamentary seat. Bobby Sands received more votes in his 1981 by-election than Margaret Thatcher did in her own constituency in the 1979 general election that brought her to power. Sands secured 30,492 votes in Fermanagh and South Tyrone, while Thatcher received 19,290 votes in her Finchley constituency.

Sands died on 5 May 1981 in the Maze’s prison hospital after 66 days on hunger strike, aged 27.

The strike was called off after ten prisoners had starved themselves to death, including Sands, whose funeral was attended by 100,000 people. The strike was the driving force that enabled Sinn Féin to become a mainstream political party.

The Clonard area in West Belfast is a significant historical interface, bordered by a prominent peace wall that separates the nationalist Falls Road from the unionist Shankill Road. This structure, is part of a 21-mile network of barriers built from 1969 onwards. The cage enclosure at the back of the building you see, is a precaution against homemade bombs being lobbed over the ‘peace wall’ (in days gone past!).

Loyalist neighbourhood…..

The Shankill Road is a major, historic thoroughfare in West Belfast, known for its predominantly Unionist and Loyalist community, vibrant political murals, and central role in The Troubles. Running 2.4 km from central Belfast, it offers a deep, often sobering, insight into the city’s complex history, culture, and peace process.

The area is famously adorned with murals celebrating local history, the Royal Family, and Ulster loyalism, alongside poignant memorials. You have to zoom-in to look at the King’s Guard expression…cracked me up!!!

The Shankill is near the significant Peace Wall that divides it from the nationalist Falls Road, which can be visited to see messages of peace.

I had no idea about this, but was shocked to learn that Belfast has ‘peace gates’ – which close early in the evening to manage ‘interface security’ (to prevent conflict at flashpoint locations between unionist and nationalist areas) – commonly 8:30 PM. I was also shocked to learn that in Northern Ireland (mostly Belfast but also Londonderry and Portdown) – there are 97 individual walls, gates, and barriers. They vary from high concrete walls to metal fencing, wire mesh, and iron gates. Although a 2013 goal aimed to remove all walls by 2023, the deadline has been missed, with many residents still feeling safer with them in place, despite surveys showing growing support for their removal. So SAD.

And then, there are the paramilitary groups in Belfast, including the UDA and UVF (loyalist) and various republican factions, which remain active despite ceasefires, using intimidation and violence to maintain a “stranglehold” on certain communities. Over 25 years after the Good Friday Agreement, these organizations are primarily involved in racketeering, extortion, and organized crime, rather than terrorism – often targeting local businesses for “protection money”.

Education data from tells me that there are 1,064 primary and high schools in Northern Ireland – with around 90% of schools in Northern Ireland remain split along religious lines, with only about 8% of pupils attending integrated schools.

As of September 2025, there are 76 grant-aided integrated schools across Northern Ireland, including 11 primary and post-primary integrated schools located specifically in Belfast.