The Bogside murals form an open-air route through the nationalist quarter of Derry-Londonderry, in Northern Ireland. Created largely during the 1970s, in the midst of the Troubles, these frescoes recall the clashes between Catholic nationalists and British forces, and pay tribute to the victims of violence that marked the city.

Why visit the Bogside murals

Bogside is one of the rare neighbourhoods in Europe where recent history is told at wall level. More than just a collection of street art works, the frescoes form a collective memorial, readable from the street, that traces the key episodes of the Northern Irish conflict: civil rights marches, Bloody Sunday, hunger strikes, peace agreements. Visiting Bogside allows you to understand the recent history of Northern Ireland in the very place where it unfolded, without stepping into a museum.

History of the frescoes

The history of these paintings dates back to the late 1960s, when Bogside was the focus of tensions between Catholic republicans and Protestant loyalists. These conflicts reflected the political and religious divisions that ran through Northern Ireland at the time, against a backdrop of discrimination in housing, employment and voting rights.

The clashes reached their peak in the 1970s. It was during this period that the first frescoes appeared on the gable walls of buildings, often in response to a specific event or act of violence. They served to bear witness, to voice political demands and to sustain the mobilisation of the neighbourhood's residents.

Over the decades, new frescoes addressed civil rights, local history and international solidarity. Following the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, several works were repainted in a more peaceful tone, transforming Bogside into a memorial route open to all.

What to see on site

The neighbourhood is home to a dozen major frescoes, grouped under the name of the Twelve Bogside murals, created by local artists Tom Kelly, William Kelly and Kevin Hasson, united under the name Bogside Artists. Among the most striking works:

• Bloody Sunday: fresco commemorating the Bloody Sunday of 30 January 1972, featuring the faces of 14 victims shot during a civil rights march.
• The Death of Innocence: work depicting a 14-year-old girl, Annette McGavigan, shot in 1971. She stands before a butterfly, a symbol of peace, and a broken gun.
• John Hume: the fresco portrays this nationalist leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner, alongside Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela.
• The Hunger Strikers: work dedicated to the strikers in H-Block of Maze prison near Belfast, who demanded prisoner-of-war status in 1981.
• The Petrol Bomber: a masked young boy holding a Molotov cocktail, in reference to the Battle of the Bogside in August 1969.
• The Peace Mural: the final fresco of the route, more recent, marking the shift from conflict to reconciliation.

Nearby, the Free Derry Corner, with its famous gable reading "You are now entering Free Derry", and the Museum of Free Derry usefully complement the visit.

Practical information

• Access: free and unrestricted, the frescoes are visible from the street, 24/7.
• Duration of visit: allow approximately 90 minutes for the full walking route, longer with a guide.
• Guided tours: several local operators, including the Bogside Artists themselves, offer commentary tours lasting one to two hours at a modest fee. This is the recommended option to grasp the context of each fresco.
• Best time: morning or late afternoon light particularly enhances the colours of the walls.
• To note: the neighbourhood is inhabited and lively. Photographing the frescoes is not a problem, but avoid framing residents without their permission.

How to get there

Bogside is located west of Derry-Londonderry city centre, just outside the old walls. From the historic centre, it's about a ten-minute walk via Butcher Gate or Bishop Gate, heading down to Rossville Street, the neighbourhood's main artery.

To reach Derry from Belfast, direct buses (Translink/Goldline companies) connect the two cities in approximately 1 hour 45 minutes. From Dublin, allow 4 hours by road or bus. The city also has a small airport (City of Derry Airport) with a few regional connections.

What to see nearby

A visit to the frescoes combines easily with other sites in Derry and northern Ireland:

• The Derry walls, among the best preserved in Europe, which can be walked in an hour.
• The Museum of Free Derry, dedicated to the civil rights movement and Bloody Sunday.
• The Guildhall and the Peace Bridge, a symbol of reconciliation between the two banks of the Foyle.
• Further south, Lissadell House in County Sligo, a Georgian residence associated with poet Constance Markievicz.
• In Dublin, the National Museum of Ireland allows you to continue exploring the country's history.
• In Kilkenny, the Medieval Mile Museum tells another facet of Irish heritage.

Frequently asked questions

Continue your journey

The Bogside frescoes fit perfectly into an itinerary combining Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To plan your trip and discover our tailor-made tours, visit our dedicated page for Ireland.