“If they aren’t able to destroy the desire for freedom, they won’t break you. They won’t break me because the desire for freedom, and the freedom of the Irish people, is in my heart. The day will dawn when all the people of Ireland will have the desire for freedom to show. It is then we’ll see the rising of the moon.” -Bobby Sands, Prison Diary
The transcendent nature of images across cultural and social boundaries is what allows art to be used as a weapon for which people fight against injustice. The walls facing the streets of Derry are a canvas for such socio-political murals. They straddle the fine line between memorialization and commemoration of the prisoners who participated in the hunger strikes. The mere presence of these faces on these overwhelmingly large walls, overlooking the residential streets of Derry is a message in and of itself- remember us.
Art functions as the tool which we use to ignite and unite; these murals do exactly that as their purpose is to make the viewer feel something very specific. By leading the viewer on in this way, the purpose of the murals become multi-faceted. Embedded with religious imagery and symbolism these murals serve a poignant purpose; a daily reminder for the people of Derry of those who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom.