The Peace Wall

Temporary peace walls were built in Belfast in the 1920s. The majority of them were built in Belfast. Its purpose was to reduce the inter-communal violence between the Unionist and the Nationalist. Since the 1990s more permanent and higher peace walls were built. 

We came to see the most prominent part of the wall which separate the Nationalist Falls Road and Unionist Shankill Road in Belfast. This wall prevented attacks and rioting between the terrace houses adjoining the roads. 

There are gates along the wall

Peace Gate Belfast

Opening hours

Bayardo Bar Memorial

 It is memorial to the victims of the Bayardo Bar attack in 1975.

Shankill Road

Shankill Road is predominantly a unionist area. Union flags and murals in honour of the Royal family remain as a reminder of the sectarian divide.

Union flags along the road

Stevie McKeag Memorial

This mural was painted in memory of Stevie Top Gun McKeag. He was a prominent member of the Ulster Defence Association.

The Women's Quilt

The mural consists of a patchwork design with numerous squares, each containing words related to positive attributes, relationships, and empowerment. The border text reads "Women’s Voices Matter. Equality for all".

Black Cab Tour

The Irish Free State was established in 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921. However, six of the island's northern counties remained part of the UK. The Nationalist who were mainly Catholic wanted Northern Ireland to be united with the Republic of Ireland. On the other hand, the Unionist who were mainly Protestant wanted Northern Ireland to remain under British rule. Belfast was at the heart of a bloody sectarian conflict for over thirty years known as "The Troubles". The violence claimed the lives of over 3,500 people and injured nearly 50,000 people. The Good Friday Agreement helped put an end to the conflict.

The IRA was involved in many bombings in England in the late 1980s when I was a student there. The Black Cab Tour will help you to understand the history of the Irish's struggle for independent.

This tour will highlight the grievances of both communities that are captured on the infamous murals dotted around Belfast. 

Breakfast at the hotel

We booked a Black Cab Tour of Belfast at 10.00 am and thereafter drove to Londonderry. We visited the Giant's Causeway along the way.

Full Irish Breakfast

Waiting for the Black Cab