The west and northwest of Belfast are bounded by a range of hills which includes Black Mountain (Sliabh Dubh), Divis Mountain (Dubhais), and Cavehill (also known as Benmadigan/Beann Mhadagáin and McArt’s Fort).

West Belfast art collective Gael Force Art (GFA) put messages on Black Mountain – and more specifically on the “Hatchet” field – beginning in 2012, but the mountain has been used for public notices since the first hunger strike, in 1980.

This post assembles a list, in chronological order, of the messages on the mountain, along with links to Extramural Activity posts (which contain background information and additional images) and GFA videos and images. The images on this page are by Extramural Activity unless noted otherwise.

• 1980: letter “H” in white lime

• 1990: Dessie Ellis
  
  (Unattributed X05778, possibly An Phoblacht)

• 1997?? (possibly earlier): Vote Adams
  (X09513)

• 2000: Cross Of Shame
  
  (Unattributed X09263 X09546 X09548)
  (image courtesy of GFA X09547)

• 2004? Save The Black Mountain

• 2008: No Bush
  and
  Imagine A City Of =, Kristoff Gillen, youtube
  
  (X05747 possibly by Gillen)

Gael Force Art 

• 2012-06-26 Ériu Is Our Queen
  
  image courtesy of GFA
  (GFA video)
  

• 2012-06-27 Ériu
  (Unattributed X09264)

• 2012-08-09 End Internment + Tricolour

(Unattributed X09262; used by Republican News)

• 2012-11-23 End Genocide In Gaza

(Screen shot from GFA video)

• 2013-03-08 Free Marian Price
  (screen shot from GFA video)

• 2013-04-17 Thatcher The Real Criminal
  (see also GFA video)

• 2013-05-05 Hunger Strikers Abú + H + Tricolour
  

• 2013-06 G8/NWO War Criminals (second post)

• 2013-06 G8 = War + Profit
  
  (screen shot from GFA video showing ‘war criminals’ being changed into ‘war + profit’)

• 2013-08 Free Leonard Peltier + Dreamcatcher
  (see also GFA video)

• 2013-08 PSNI-MI5 = Political Policing
  

• 2013-10 JFTC2
  

• 2013-12 Go Safe Mandela RIP

• 2014-04 An Lá Dearg
  
  (screen shot from GFA video)

• 2014-04-24 One Ireland One Vote
  

• 2014-05 #time4truth

• 2014-05 Fine Dominio Brittanico
  
  

In Italian for the Giro D’Italia.

• 2014-08 Viva Palestine

• 2014-08 Viva Ireland
  

• 2014-09 Yes Scotland
  

• 2014-11 Yes Yes Catalonia
  

• 2014-11 End Partition
  

• 2015-03-13 End Brit/S’mont Cuts

(see also GF Fb)

• 2015-05 36th Ulster Div
  (not by GFA and not on the Hatchet field)

• 2015-05 RIP
  
  (using the GFA letters but not by GFA)

• 2015-05-22 Rem B’Murphy S’hill 1971-2
  

• 2015-05-30 SOS Wall St Rapes Ireland(X02914) (See also GFA slideshow)

• 2016-03 Honour Ireland’s Dead
  (image from GFA Fb)

• 2016-04 96 (Hillsborough Disaster Inquiry)
  
  
• 2017-08 Free T Taylor
  
• 2018-09 Free Palestine #BDS
  2018-12 – the flag is missing.(X06399)
• 2019-04-23 Easter Lilly
  (image from GFA)
• 2019-05 UN 194 (Boycott of Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv)
  (X06588)
• 2020-08-29 #RememberMyNoah
  (X07479)
• 2020-12-11
  (X07793)
• 2021-02-08 PSNI Out
  (X07949)
• 2021-05-29 #AchtAnois
  
  (X08198)
• 2021-06-11 #UnblockCuba
  (X08224)
• Partition Has Failed
  
  (X08248)
• 2021-07 Italy Abú
  
  (Unattributed X05750 possibly GFA)
• 2021-08 Remember My Noah
• 2022-01 Blue Heart (For Noah Donohoe)
• 2022-03-26 Palestinian Flag (For ‘Land Day’)
• 2022-05-01 Women (Venus symbol)
  
  (X10049)
• 2022-05-21 Dream Dearg
  
  (X10142)

Back to Visual Histories