Catalonian Link (OLD)

This mural expresses solidarity between Irish republicanism and Catalan nationalism, presenting Ireland and Catalonia as nations with parallel struggles for independence and self-determination.

The main panel is headed “Ireland – Catalonia”. On the left, a large stylised bird or eagle is divided between the colours and symbols of the two causes. One wing incorporates the Irish tricolour of green, white and orange, while the other carries the red-and-yellow Catalan stripes and a blue triangle with a white star, associated with the Estelada, the Catalan independence flag. At the centre is a black heraldic-style figure incorporating further Catalan striping.

Beside it is the Irish-language phrase:
“Tiocfaidh ár lá”
— meaning “Our day will come”, a slogan strongly associated with Irish republicanism.

To the right is a map of Europe, with Ireland and Catalonia highlighted, visually linking the two territories despite their geographical separation.

A narrower adjoining panel is explicitly pro-Catalan independence. At the top, crossed-out Spanish and French flags appear beside the words:
“NOT SPAIN”
“NOT FRANCE”

Below is the slogan:
“FREE CATALONIA”

alongside an Estelada.

The smaller text beneath appears to read approximately:

“Since 1714 the Catalan nation is military occupied by the Spanish and French states.”

It continues by asserting that Catalonia has its own culture, language and history extending for more than a thousand years, and describes the Catalan flag as the oldest current European flag. It also refers to the Estelada as the flag of the independence struggle.

Near the bottom are the words:

“FREE CATALONIA
UNITED IRELAND”

and the Catalan phrase:
“EL NOSTRE DIA ARRIBARÀ”

meaning roughly “Our day will come”, deliberately echoing Tiocfaidh ár lá.

The website www.freecatalonia.com is painted along the bottom, and the mural appears to be dated 8/8/07.

Overall, the mural uses shared flags, slogans and nationalist imagery to draw a direct analogy between the Irish republican campaign for a united Ireland and the Catalan independence movement. It is a good example of Belfast murals extending beyond local Northern Irish politics to express solidarity with international nationalist and separatist causes.