No quilting in this blog but if emotion is any indication of creativity, I experienced a lot today.

I decided to photograph some of the Murals in Belfast.

Some 2000 Murals  have become symbols of Northern Ireland, depicting the region's past and present political and religious divisions.

Marian Price (born 1954), also known by her married name as Marion McGlinchey, is a prominent Irish Republican.

As one of the so-called "Price Sisters" Price was jailed for her part in the IRA London bombing campaign of 1973. She was part of a unit that placed four car bombs in London on 8 March 1973. The Old Bailey and Whitehall army recruitment centre were damaged with 200 injured and one man died of a heart attack.

I found a number of references to Marion Price.

Then I found out that she was released on 30th of May this year.

I could have taken a taxi but decided to walk and reflect and try and make a little sense of the Murals. I didn't want the opinion of one side or the other. Ultimately I walked 10 km in my pursuit.

Beginning in the city I walked past these ladies just outside the hotel Europa.

 

 

I walked out of the city  along the falls road. The murals run either side of the road, sometimes intermittently other times in a cluster.

The area is uncomfortable to say the least. It may not be to some, but for me, I felt a growing sense of unease as I walked the pavement. I've never seen so many men standing on street corners or just out on the footpath.

 

The peace lines or peace walls are a series of barriers in Northern Ireland that separate Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods. They have been built at urban interface areas in Belfast, Derry, Portadown and elsewhere. The stated purpose of the Peace lines is to minimize inter-communal violence between Catholics (most of whom are Irish nationalists who self-identify as Irish) and Protestants (most of whom are unionists who self-identify as British).The most prominent Peace lines in the past few years separate: the nationalist Falls Road and unionist Shankill Road areas of West Belfast

I walked down through the gates of the peace line to Shankill road.

I came across lots of folk who wanted to talk I walked for 4 hours and then decided to retire back to the comfort of the hotel.

I felt cross with myself really.