On St. Patrick's Day
In 1990, at the height of the Troubles, Edward Said wrote that the #Irish struggle for liberation from British imperialism “still continues with us, and its complexities and turbulence in many instances still defy resolution.” St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of this resistance.
One monument to this complexity is Belfast’s Peace Wall, built during the Troubles to separate communities in conflict. It has been reclaimed with messages of peace and reconciliation, yet strife continues. It speaks to the power of art to both heal and capture nuanced history.
Some murals draw links between the barriers in Belfast and other histories -- such as in Berlin, Palestine, and the Southern Border of the United States. This St. Patrick’s Day offers a chance to reflect on our shared humanity -- and the collective work of liberation.
