Bombay Street Peace Wall

The Night That Changed Everything

On the night of August 15, 1969, Bombay Street became the epicenter of one of Northern Ireland's most defining moments. As tensions escalated following civil rights marches and the Battle of the Bogside in Derry, a loyalist mob descended upon this predominantly Catholic street in West Belfast, armed with incendiary devices and petrol bombs. Protected by gunfire, they systematically set fire to house after house. By 8pm the following day, approximately 60 homes were burning simultaneously, their flames reddening the sky while machine-gun fire shattered the silence. Of the 63 houses on Bombay Street, 38 were completely demolished, five required major repairs, and ten needed minor fixes. The violence claimed young lives, including 15-year-old Gerald McAuley, a member of the Fianna Éireann (IRA youth wing), who was shot dead by a loyalist sniper as he helped people flee their homes.

A Catalyst for Conflict

The burning of Bombay Street marked what former Sinn Féin lord mayor Tom Hartley called "the start of the combustible years." This single event fundamentally altered the trajectory of Northern Ireland's political landscape. The violence triggered the formation of the Provisional IRA, splitting the republican movement and elevating figures like Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness to prominence. What had begun as a honeymoon period in which the Catholic nationalist community viewed the British Army as protectors from loyalist mobs transformed overnight into open hostility. The trauma was profound and collective—the northern Catholic population felt deeply betrayed when soldiers proved unable or unwilling to prevent the destruction, and in some cases appeared to retreat as the violence intensified.

Living with the Legacy

Decades later, the physical scars remain visible on Bombay Street. Massive steel and mesh wire cages still cover the back yards and gardens of homes that back onto the towering peace wall separating this Catholic neighborhood from the Protestant Shankill area. These barriers stand as both protection and reminder—evidence of the sectarian divisions that persist. Residents who returned to rebuild their lives, like the Canavan family, found themselves living in the shadow of that night. One community care worker, Jean Canavan, recalled being 15 years old when her family's house was gutted: "Until that point, we didn't really know what sectarianism was." The experience transformed an entire generation's understanding of identity, community, and belonging.

The Clonard Monastery's Witness

Towering above Bombay Street, the Clonard Monastery served as both sanctuary and chronicler during the violence. A contemporary diary kept at the monastery provides haunting testimony to the night's events, documenting the arrival of soldiers, their initial ineffectiveness, and the relentless advance of the mobs. The monastery became a refuge where frightened residents sought shelter, and its records preserve the emotional immediacy of those hours. Today, the monastery remains a spiritual center for the community and a symbol of resilience.

A Street Transformed into Memory

Bombay Street is no longer simply a residential street—it has become a historical landmark and a place of pilgrimage for those seeking to understand the roots of the Troubles. The preserved ruins, the peace walls, and the protective cages create a landscape that speaks to both vulnerability and survival. Visitors encounter not just architecture but the lived experience of displacement, trauma, and community determination. The street embodies the complex history of Northern Ireland, where personal stories of loss intersect with broader political upheaval. For many, walking Bombay Street means confronting difficult questions about sectarianism, state protection, and the long shadow cast by a single night in August 1969.