Sliabh Dubh/Black Mountain

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
    Support Dessie Ellis Sliabh Dubh
    (Unattributed X05778, possibly An Phoblacht)
  • 1997?? (possibly earlier): Vote Adams
    (X09513)
  • 1998 “We say yes” for the Agreement referendum
  • 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 2008 No Bush Sliabh Dubh – Gillen+
    (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)

In Italian for the Giro D’Italia.

(see also GF Fb)

  • 2015-05 RIP

    (using the GFA letters but not by GFA)
  • 2015-05-22 Rem B’Murphy S’hill 1971-2
  • 2019-04-23 Easter Lilly
    (image from GFA)

[links are in the refernce numbers from this point onward]

  • 2019-05 UN 194 (Boycott of Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv)
    (X06588)
  • 2020-08-29 #RememberMyNoah
    (X07479)
  • 2021-02-08 PSNI Out
    (X07949)
  • 2021-05-29 #AchtAnois
    x08198-2021-05-31-acht-anois
    (X08198)
  • 2021-06-11 #UnblockCuba
    x08224-2021-06-11-unblock-cuba3(X08224)
  • Partition Has Failed
    x08249-2021-06-22-partition-has-failed-5
    (X08248)
  • 2021-07 Italy Abú
    X05750 2021-07-12 GFA 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)
    x10049-2022-05-02-venus
    (X10049)
  • 2022-05-21 Dream Dearg
    x10142-2022-05-22-dream-dearg-sliabhd
    (X10142)
  • 2022-09 We Serve No King But Ireland (upon the accession of Charles III)
    2022-09 GFA Serve No King
    (GFA)
  • 2023-04 Unblock Cuba/BDS/No 2 NATO
    x12227-2023-04-12-no-2-nato-l
    (X12222)
  • 2023-05 #FNGG23 – Féile Na gCloigíní Gorma
    x12352-2023-05-12-fngg23
    (X12352)

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