SquaresRenew 4: King William
The street pictured above was just behind our Belfast hotel and provided my first experience of a Northern Irish political mural. King William III is an icon of the Loyalist community and I started to wonder if things had moved on as much as I believed they had. However, crossing the road to read the information board, I realised this actually was an example of moving forward – it even uses that very phrase. I can’t square this image, but I think it is worth showing the board in full because it explains things far better than I could.
Part of Becky’s SquaresRenew Challenge, using images from our April 2024 trip to Northern Ireland to illustrate one or more of the following:
- Move forward
- Reconstruct
- Renew
- Burgeoning
The Glasgow Gallivanter 
ah can see why you made the comments you did a few days ago on NI. Glad for the local community that this is a sign things are moving forward.
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This was part of it.
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Well, that is interesting. There’s a balance, is there not, to transparency and remembering one’s culture on the one hand, and not celebrating tribalism on the other. I guess this is better than advertising some para-military outfit so, as you say, it’s a start. I find it profoundly sad – and worrying – that there is STILL so much hatred directed at people because of their religion, origin, or whatever – sometimes simply because of their views. When I was growing up and going to university, we used to be able to disagree. I used to think that, as a race, we were getting better. Now I sometimes wonder whether we’re actually moving backwards but, because discrimination is technically illegal, in denial about it.
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Yes, there is definitely a balance to be sought, you are right. I agree too that there is still a shocking amount of prejudice and hatred on so many grounds. I don’t mean to sound anti-social media because I’m not, but I think part of it is people feel freer to say things behind an anonymous screen than they would in person, and then it starts to become normalised. I don’t know what the answer is!
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The string of comments is as interesting, thoughtful and educational as the post! Well done.
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Thanks Eilene!
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Definitely encouraging.
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It’s a start.
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Hmm yes, a massive drawing of William of Orange at the Battle of the Boyne. That’s moving forward to a shared and open community, apparently.
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It’s a start I suppose. I was taken aback to see it but it seems to be a step forward from what was there before.
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Well I like your optimism but to me it actually says “You are now entering Loyalist Sandy Row, heartland of the Ulster Freedom Fighters” but with a slightly better design layout.
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I think you’re right, but they’ve given something up and I see that as a small start. My (very limited) view of the nearly 2 weeks we were in NI is that most people are accepting of the way things are moving on but some still feel hurt and abandoned by change. I wish someone knew the answer to that!
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Very good!
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Thanks!
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