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

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • Moline-Coal Valley School District to Consolidate Two Schools into New Facility

    The Moline-Coal Valley School District in Moline, Ill., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff from two existing schools, according to local news. Robert Ontiveros Elementary School will serve as the new home for Lincoln-Irving Elementary School and Willard Elementary School.

  • Zurn Elkay Releases 2025 Sustainability Report

    Zurn Elkay Water Solutions recently announced the release of its annual sustainability report, according to a news release. The 2025 report discusses the organization’s efforts to maintain good environmental stewardship and the solutions provided in helping customers meet sustainability goals.

  • 144-Year-Old High-School Campus Debuts New Academic Facility

    San Diego High School (SDHS) in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new student services and classroom building; the project is part of a larger SDHS Whole Site Modernization project that began in 2022.