Tourists given a flavour of west Belfast Troubles spots

A bus tour of west Belfast and an accompanying map aim to attract tourists interested in the history and daily life of one of…

A bus tour of west Belfast and an accompanying map aim to attract tourists interested in the history and daily life of one of the areas of the city most affected by the Troubles.

The Falls Road and the Shankill Road, which both suffered badly over 30 years, are outlined in the map, which also pinpoints the locations of five "peace walls", built to separate the Catholic and Protestant communities living in close proximity to each other.

As part of this year's Feile an Phobail, Sinn Fein Councillor Tom Hartley will conduct a number of three-hour bus tours, which promise to deliver a "historical, political and social exploration" of the area.

Notes on the map direct tourists to 35 of the most impressive murals on gable walls around the Falls Road. The named artists are said to have learned their craft in the Maze prison.

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Also pinpointed is Clonard Monastery, which is noted for its "marble slabs in geometrical pattern" along with its "significant part" in the building of the peace process. Father Alex Reid from the church acted as a go-between with the IRA in the negotiation of the first ceasefire.

Tourists are also directed to Milltown cemetery, and the republican plot containing the graves of hunger strikers, including Bobby Sands and IRA volunteers.

The map, although produced by a nationalist community group, also gives brief descriptions of the Greater Shankill Community Festival, the Fernhill House Museum and Shankill Radio.

Ms Catriona Ruane, an organiser of the Feile an Phobail, said political tourism is a draw and people interested in living history should come to west Belfast.

All year round tourists can avail of the West Belfast Black Taxi Tour. A "welcome host" driver will guide visitors around the murals, monuments, and points of interest with a colourful narration. Tourists are promised an "unforgettable experience." The black taxis for the tour can be located at the King Street/Castle Street junction, at the back of Castle Court shopping centre.