Belfast walls may crumble for culture

The writing is on the wall for one of the most potent symbols of sectarianism in Belfast, it was announced yesterday.

The writing is on the wall for one of the most potent symbols of sectarianism in Belfast, it was announced yesterday.

Organisers of Belfast's bid for European Capital of Culture 2008 say if successful, they will rid the city of its euphemistically named peace walls, some of which have been there for more than 30 years.

Announcing details at Stormont, the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Mr Michael McGimpsey, said Imagine Belfast, the company behind the bid, planned to work with the communities involved to bring down the walls.

"People feel safer having them but they are essentially negative measures. They cut across and destroy the urban fabric . . . they must eventually come down."

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There are 23 such walls in Belfast including the one between the Shankill and Falls Roads, which has stood since 1969.

Another project under the Life Without Walls theme will see locals from some of Belfast's many streets named after foreign countries - Tasmania, Toronto and Delhi for example - becoming ambassadors to those places in 2008.

The magical land of C.S. Lewis's Narnia could be created in east Belfast as part of another theme, Through the Eyes of a Child.

Lewis was born in the area and, in a project called Jack's House (Jack was the author's childhood name), children will be able to enter Narnia through a wardrobe just like in the classic book.

Other proposals include the development of the cathedral quarter area of the city and the Giant's House, a creativity centre for very young children.

Mr McGimpsey said the Northern Ireland Executive would have to invest more than £100 million of the £150 million needed to fund the proposals. "The public expenditure implications of our bid, if successful, will need to be considered alongside the Executive's other spending priorities," he said.

Ms Shona McCarthy, chief executive of Imagine Belfast, said she hoped the ideas outlined yesterday would stimulate further debate.

While the removal of the walls from Belfast was widely discussed yesterday, locals might also have something to say about one of the ideas which was shelved.

Apparently, the possibility of dragging an iceberg into Belfast harbour before watching it melt was given serious consideration before being abandoned as being too costly.