Symbols in Northern Ireland

Author(s): Anthony Buckley (Ed)
Document Type: Book
Year: 1998
Publisher: Institute of Irish Studies, Queens University Belfast
Place of Publication: Belfast
ISBN: 0 85389 692 5
Subject Area(s): Culture/Identity, Ethnicity, Gender, NI Conflict, Religion

Abbreviations: NI - Northern Ireland

Background to the Research

  • The collection of essays brought together in this book had its origins in an exhibition called Symbols put together by Rhonda Paisley in 1994. It covers a wide range of symbols relating to ethnicity, religion and national identity and the symbolic costumes of motor cyclists, Hallowe'en customs, the Titanic and images of womanhood in Irish literature.

Research Approach

  • This book consists of nine essays written by individual historians, anthropologists and sociologists each focusing on a particular type of symbolism. Within each chapter, the contributor uses primary and secondary sources in order to discuss the meaning and the cultural and political function of particular symbols in Northern Irish society.

Main Findings

'Ireland's Very Own Jurassic Park': The Mass Media, Orange Parades and the Discourse on Tradition - Dominic Bryan

  • Part of the symbolic power of Orange Parades is that the ritual repeating of past events such as the Battle of the Boyne lend a legitimisation from the past to present economic and political conditions.
  • The Orange Order has managed to ensure that its own political interests are served through the Twelfth, although its power has been limited since the 1960s. The power of other interest groups, such as the bands and young spectators to adopt the event and impose understanding has grown.
  • The media portrays the Twelfth either as a festival or as sectarianism, both images accept the event as being rooted in the past and not in the present. In doing this the media has failed to explore the ways in which the ritual works and changes over time. This helps to uphold a particular image of the ritual and its ideology.

The Irish Language as Symbol: Visual Representations of Irish in Northern Ireland - Camille O'Reilly

  • The use of the Irish language in demonstrations, flyposting, political graffiti and murals in nationalist areas increases the connection between the Irish language and republican issues in some peoples minds.
  • Within the nationalist community there is a wide variety of opinion in relation to the meaning and importance of the Irish language and the proper relationship between the language and politics. The political domination of the discourse on the language issue disguises the hard work undertaken and the wide range of political beliefs of those wishing to promote the Irish language.
  • Visual representations of Irish do more than mark out territory - they are expressions of unity and a sense of identity among nationalists. Conversely, activities surrounding the Irish language can expose contested power relations within the nationalist community.

Light Up The Sky: Hallowe'en Bonfires and Cultural Hegemony in Northern Ireland - Jack Santino

  • A distinctive feature of the Hallowe'en celebration in NI is the presence of fireworks, they occupy a central place symbolically and emotionally in the celebration. The relationship of the British Guy Fawkes Night to NI's Hallowe'en is key to both the presence and meaning of fireworks in Ulster's Hallowe'en.
  • Generally, bonfires are used in highly politicised contexts in NI, they are lit in loyalist areas on the eve of the Twelfth of July and in republican areas on 8th August to commemorate the establishment of Internment in 1971. This renders bonfires a sensitive issue in any exploration of Hallowe'en celebrations.
  • Many people assert that the Hallowe'en festival is non-sectarian, others make a connection between the celebration of Hallowe'en and the British celebration of Guy Fawkes Night - stating that Hallowe'en celebrations in NI are the local equivalent of the British Guy Fawkes Night.
  • Despite the potential for symbolism within Hallowe'en to be interpreted in sectarian terms, the event allows people to find common ground with each other.

Painting Landscapes: The Place of Murals in the Symbolic Construction of Urban Space - Neil Jarman

  • Murals are important as images in their own right but within NI they are more than simple images, they have become the main symbolic artefact of the late Troubles.
  • Murals as objects have been and continue to be used as part of the political and interpretative process.
  • In order to fully understand the practice of mural-painting, the location of the mural, the mural's meaning and the resonance of the image and meaning in the local community and in wider society needs to be considered.

Playing Nationalism - Ciro De Rosa

  • Parades, processions and demonstrations amongst nationalists in NI represent symbolic spaces within which assertion, negotiation and delineation of identities within one group heritage can take place.
  • Nationalist symbols are an important cultural resource through which some working-class Catholic youths can gain symbolic capital within the community.

Motor-cycle Dress and Undress - Linda May Ballard

  • While the wearing of black leather jackets among motor-cyclists may be seen and used as an expression of rebellion, on a practical level it offers protection from the elements. Because of the symbolic meaning of leather jackets, many cyclists change clothes when they arrive at and leave work.
  • Many motor-cyclists exploit the symbolism of motor-cycle dress as a means of expressing affiliation to an organisation or a group and/or a way of life, and a specific range of motifs may be drawn on to strengthen this affiliation. Others use motor-cycle dress to declare their separateness from the mainstream of society and to express their unique individuality.

Titanic: Out of the Depths and Into the Culture - Michael McCaughan

  • The Titanic has become a key icon of twentieth century popular culture and one of the great metaphors of our time. The sinking of the Titanic has deep symbolic meaning in contemporary society.
  • Part of the explanation of the powerful symbolism of the Titanic lies in the juxtaposition between human fallibility - the Titanic representing man's pride and vanity and it's sinking representing man's anxieties about the ability of technology to solve problems in complex societies.

The Phoenix and the Lark: Revolutionary Mythology and Iconographic Creativity in Belfast's Republican Districts - Mary Catherine Kenney

  • Through events such as the Hunger strike, Northern Irish Catholics have been able, through cultural creativity, to produce a set of symbols that have fitted into the folk and oral culture of NI, and into large-scale developments in the outside world.
  • Conflict has contributed to the artistic and oral performance practised by both traditions in NI. The availability of these forms of cultural practice to all parties in the conflict means that whilst republicans can benefit from the symbolic process they cannot harness it to promote the sectional interests of their movement.

The Symbolism of Womanhood - Roger Sawyer

  • Both the Catholic and Protestant faiths have symbols which reflect strong commitment to the responsibilities of womanhood and motherhood. The idea that any role undertaken by a woman in wider society must be subservient to her obligations to the family is reinforced by secular imagery.
  • Various women have contributed to the history of Ulster and its relationships with the other provinces of Ireland and these women were not only individuals, they were products and producers of symbolism, which continues to affect the condition and attitudes of those who share their cultural heritage.
 

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