FORTHSPRING Inter Community Group has unveiled the second instalment of its community mural, erected on the peace wall that runs through its grounds at the Springfield/Woodvale interface.
This deeply significant piece of public art has been created by three generations of residents who have lived in the shadow of the peace wall for the past 50 years—children, parents, and grandparents, whose lives have been shaped by conflict, transition, and the long, ongoing journey of reconciliation.
The mural is both a recognition of peace and a meditation on its complexity. It does not shy away from the legacy of trauma, nor the reality that peace remains unfinished. But it also speaks clearly to the endurance of hope, shared humanity, and the possibilities that arise when people come together across divisions.
Launched on the annual Day of Reflection for Victims of the Troubles on June 21, the mural offers space for both commemoration and vision. Its presence on the wall itself—a literal and symbolic barrier—transforms a structure of separation into a canvas for connection and collective memory.
Three generations together
Forthspring has worked at the heart of cross-community peacebuilding for nearly 30 years. Through youth engagement, intergenerational work, and cultural expression, it continues to offer a model for grassroots reconciliation and long-term healing.
This is significant because in that time, three generations of women from the same family have used the centre, and continue to give to the ongoing peace building efforts of it. These three women – Catherine, Caitriona and Elara – have all had a hand in painting the mural, imbuing it with a special significance for their family.
Catherine, mother to Caitriona and grandmother to Elara, said: “Working on this mural with my daughter and granddaughter has been one of the most meaningful things we’ve ever done together.
"Each of us carries different memories of the wall—fear, change, hope—and now we’ve left our mark on it, not in anger, but in colour and connection. It’s a piece of peace we built with our own hands.”
