Mountpottinger Road

East Belfast is solidly PUL but there is a small CNR area immediately east of the Lagan, known as Short Strand, that is home to roughly 6,000 Catholics – about one tenth of the population of east Belfast.

St Matthew’s (Catholic) church on Bryson Street serves as the north-east perimeter of Short Strand and was the site of a gun battle in the early Troubles in which three people were killed and which proved the strength of the recently-formed Provisional IRA (Battle Of St Matthew’s).

Mountpottinger Road is a main north-south route through the area. The northern end was in former times heavily industrialised (hence the street names “Chemical Street” and “Vulcan Street”) but all of that is now gone. The eastern wall of the bus depot that was built on part of the old works yards provides a long surface and a prominent site for republican murals.

1998? Claiming Equality

D00771 W00529 rep.orange. s,strand1 98+

D00773 W00422 rep. orange. s,strand2 98+

D00772 W00423 rep. orange. s,strand3 98+
(D00771 D00772 D00773)

1995-2005 Rısteard Ó Cíonga/Richard J King’s Éıre and locals; Proclamation side-wall later became a Sands quote (see below)

D00259 W00335 rep. eire strand+
(D00259)

2000 The Clockwork Orangemen

D00906 W00281 rep strand clockwork 2000+
(D00906)

2002

Éıre with Sands quote

M01683+
(M01683)

(M01684)

Hunger Strikers

D00904 W00283 rep strand h block 2000+

D00905 W00282 rep strand h block 2 2000+
(D00904 D00905 see also M01689)

End The Siege Of Short Strand (David And Goliath) painted over far right of Hunger Strikers

(M01690)

2005

Identity

M02358+
(M02358)

 Éıre

M02359+
(M02359)

Free Sean Kelly

(unattributed X05608)

2006

Charlie Monahan

M02912+
(M02912)

Bobby Sands

M02909+
(M02909)

Éıre mural with portraits

M02906+
(M02906)

Wear An Easter Lily replaces Free Sean Kelly

M02903+
(M02903)

2009

Palestinian Flag

M06874+
(M06874 2011 image of 2009 flag | M04918 | X00500)

2010

Wear An Easter Lily replaced by Understand The Past

M05647+
(M05647)

2011

Two murals added in blank space to the left of Éıre. Vote Ó Donnghaıle …

M06873+

(M06873)

… and Dublin, Belfast, Cork And Donegal

M06875+
(M06875)

In July, 2014, Éıre is replaced by a Gaza solidarity mural:

(X02031)

August 2014 wide shot of the long wall:

(M11482)

Later in the summer (2014) the wall was completely filled in, with IRPWA murals being added in the corner:

(X02273)
(X02774)
(M12565)
(M13566)
(M11482)

The gates to the waste-ground in front of the walls were locked (in 2017?) and the murals were obscured not only by the pre-existing fencing but by the tall weeds that now grew up. Here is the 2023 Street View. The pieces left standing are:

Charlie Monahan (2006) | IRPWA (2014) | Maghaberry (2014) | Short Strand Supports POWs (2014) | JFTC2 (2014) | Vote Ó’Donnghaıle (2011) | Dublin, Belfast, Cork, And Donegal (2011) | Short Strand Supports Gaza (Do Not Disturb) (2014) | Understand The Past | Palestinian Flag (2009)

References in parentheses to mural collections:

D = squire93@hotmail.com collection
M = Peter Moloney Collection – Murals
X = Seosamh Mac Coille Collection

Written material copyright © 2017-2024 Extramural Activity. Images are copyright of their respective photographers.

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