The political murals of the Falls Road (republican, nationalist) and the Shankill Road (loyalist, unionist) are one of the most extraordinary open-air art galleries in the world — raw, skilled, and sometimes disturbing political statements painted on the gable ends of terraced houses. The imagery ranges from portraits of IRA hunger strikers to Celtic warriors to tributes to loyalist paramilitaries.
The best way to see the murals is by black taxi tour — the drivers, from both communities, are typically former paramilitaries or people directly affected by the Troubles, and their accounts are candid and illuminating in a way that no guidebook can replicate. Tours take about 90 minutes and cover both the Falls and the Shankill roads. Book through your accommodation or hail a black cab in the city centre. Going on foot is also possible and gives you more time with individual murals.