Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Students Add Mural to Belfast Peace Wall

  • 07/14/16

SELINSGROVE, PA – A group of Susquehanna University students recently returned from Northern Ireland, where they were invited to contribute to the urban landscape in Belfast with original graffiti.

The study abroad trip was part of Susquehanna’s nationally recognized Global Opportunities (GO) program, in which all students study away in a culture different from their own. The two-week journey to Northern Ireland exposed students to local politicians, ex-members of the Irish Republican Army and the Ulster Defense Association, and peace activists to learn more about the country’s legacy of violent political conflict.

The design of Susquehanna’s mural was a collaborative effort among the 16 students who traveled abroad. Located on St. Peter's Cathedral Youth Center in Ardoyne, a Catholic neighborhood in Belfast, the mural faces one of the city’s peace walls, which are barriers built to separate Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods throughout Northern Ireland.

“The significance of our piece is one of unity and peace,” says senior Michael Doran, a creative writing major from York, PA. “The river and bridge represent a Lutheran hymn about the peace of mind a river provides and the bridge connecting people. It is a wall designed to depict the relationships between people and how we can overcome our differences.”

Every student had a different role in the mural’s production, from designing the typeface to the overall layout and finally painting the wall using stencils. The Susquehanna and GO logos and the bridge were painted freehand.

Beyond providing the community with some urban artwork, the students learned about the history of peace walls through their pre-departure coursework, which examined the history of The Troubles. As an Irish-Catholic himself, Doran says he has always sympathized with the nationalist struggle to become part of Ireland.

“What affected me most,” Doran said, “was the overwhelming cry from the youth of the country to put aside differences and align themselves with the ever-changing tide of the rest of the world.”

Featured

  • UNL Kiewit Hall

    Designing for Engineering Excellence: Integrating Sustainability and Wellness at UNLs Kiewit Hall

    Kiewit Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln exemplifies how academic institutions can integrate sustainability and wellness into modern learning environments. With an integrated and collaborative team approach, Kiewit Hall addresses enhanced learning and creativity, physical health, and mental wellness, and fosters a sense of community through innovative design, operations, and policy solutions.

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • Illinois District Boosts Security at High-School Stadium

    Richmond-Burton Community High School in Richmond, Ill., recently announced that it has completed the redesigned entrance to its high school stadium with a new focus on school security and community engagement, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects and Engineers on the project as part of District #157’s year-long facilities master plan.

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.