Brontës for peace

The Brontës seem also to be doing their bit for the Northern Ireland peace process. Reuters UK reports how "Northern Ireland murals tell story of changing society".

Change in Northern Ireland may be so slow it appears imperceptible, but the writing is on the wall for one of the most negative of its cultural traditions -- murals glorifying paramilitary violence.
Often covering entire side walls of buildings, they are a common sight in working class areas of large towns, acting as a territorial marker, badge of victory or mark of sorrow in a country still deeply divided along religious and national lines. (...)

Loyalist Kenny McComb, who served time in prison for paramilitary activities, is involved in replacing a mural in County Down. He said that whereas the drive to change murals previously came from groups such as charities, communities were now starting to press for new pictures to represent them.
The mural he is helping to replace once depicted loyalist gunmen. The new one includes pictures of the Brontë sisters -- authors who lived in the area before moving to northern England -- a local mariner, and the town centre.
"It's taken away the paramilitary stigma from the estate and encouraged people back into the area. The old murals served their purpose, they sent out a message but it's time to re-build a sense of community pride now. Things have moved on," he said. (...)
(Anne Cadwallader)

Maybe we have to remind the author of the article that the writers neither lived nor were born on the area - just their father, Patrick Brontë, did. But we will be nice because this news item deserves it. It's a pity that we don't have a picture...

Categories: In_the_News