Murals of Newtownards Road

Immediately adjacent to the Short Strand neighborhood is the Loyalist community along Newtownards Road. This area was the site of numerous days of violence over the summer during riots. There is a high density of murals in the area that say "Lest We Forget", referring to atrocities that were committed against the community by the IRA.

As seen in other Loyalist areas like Shankill Road or Sandy Row, the "Red Hand of Ulster" is a prominent symbol of Northern Ireland. Even the rugby team of Ulster has the Red Hand as their team symbol. Unfortunately, this symbolism has become synonymous with Loyalist paramilitary groups, namely the "Red Hand Commando's" who controlled this area of East Belfast.

Additionally, many of the area's murals relate to the industrial, working class population that has lived in this area for well over a century. As you can see in the image below, the shipbuilding harbor is very near to this neighborhood and many former employees of Harland & Wolff would have lived and worked here. They've shown their pride for their industrial past on the walls in the area as well.