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The Troubles in popular culture

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The Northern Ireland Troubles have been referenced numerous times in popular culture, particularly through films, novels, songs and poems. This article aims to provide a complete list of such works.

Contents

Art

  • The Linen Memorial by Lycia Danielle Trouton
  • Murals in Northern Ireland

    • Comics

  • Web of Spider-Man Vol. 1, #22 (January 1987)

    • Film

  • The Long Good Friday (1980)
  • The Outsider (1980 film) (1980)
  • Angel (1982)
  • Harry's Game (1982)
  • Cal (1984)
  • Children in the Crossfire (1984)
  • A Prayer for the Dying (1987)
  • Elephant (Alan Clarke film) (1989)
  • Dear Sarah (1990)
  • Hidden Agenda (1990)
  • Law & Order - "The Troubles" episode - (1991)
  • The Crying Game (1992)
  • Patriot Games (1992)
  • In the Name of the Father (1993)
  • The Railway Station Man (1993)
  • Blown Away (1994)
  • The Run of the Country (1995)
  • Nothing Personal (1995)
  • Some Mothers Son (1996)
  • The Devil's Own (1997)
  • The Boxer (1997)
  • The Informant (1997)
  • Resurrection Man (1997)
  • The General (1998)
  • My Brother's War (1998)
  • Ronin (1998)
  • Titanic Town (1998)
  • Omagh the Legacy: Claire and Stephen's Story (1999)
  • Ordinary Decent Criminal (2000)
  • An Everlasting Piece (2000)
  • H3 (2001)
  • Bloody Sunday (2002)
  • Sunday (2002)
  • Holy Cross (BBC Documentary) (2003)
  • Mickybo and Me (2004)
  • Omagh (2004)
  • Breakfast on Pluto (2005)
  • Johnny Was (2006)
  • Closing the Ring (2007)
  • Fifty Dead Men Walking (2008)
  • Hunger (2008)
  • Five Minutes of Heaven (2009)
  • Shadow Dancer (2012)
  • Good Vibrations (2013)
  • '71 (2014)

    • Instrumental compositions

  • "Lest we forget" by Robert Candeloro (2006)
  • "The Seeming Insanity of Forgiveness" by Dr Thomas Fitzgerald (composer) (2002)

    • Novels

  • A Breed of Heroes by Alan Judd
  • Belfast Diaries: War as a Way of Life by John Conroy (1995)
  • The Bombmaker by Stephen Leather (1999)
  • Breakfast on Pluto by Patrick McCabe (1998)
  • Cal by Bernard MacLaverty (1983)
  • Christ in the Fields, A Fermanagh Trilogy by Eugene McCabe (1993)
  • Cycle of Violence by Colin Bateman (1995)
  • The Dead Republic by Roddy Doyle (2010)
  • Divorcing Jack by Colin Bateman (1994)
  • Drink with the Devil by Jack Higgins (1996)
  • Eureka Street by Robert McLiam Wilson (1996)
  • Harry's Game by Gerald Seymour (1975)
  • The Kevin and Sadie series: The Twelfth Day of July (1970), Across the Barricades (1972), Into Exile (1973), A Proper Place (1975), and Hostage to Fortune (1976) by Joan Lingard
  • The Lieutenant of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh (2001)
  • Maura's Angel by Lynne Reid Banks (1984)
  • The Marching Season by Daniel Silva (1999)
  • Mohammed Maguire by Colin Bateman (2001)
  • No Bones by Anna Burns (2001)
  • Ourselves Alone by Anne Devlin (1985)
  • Patriot Games by Tom Clancy (1987)
  • Rogue Element by Terence Strong (1997).
  • A Son Called Gabriel by McNicholl, Damian. (2004). ISBN 1-59315-018-0
  • Stand by Stand by by Chris Ryan
  • The Watchman by Chris Ryan (2001)
  • Watchman by Ian Rankin (1988)
  • Troubled Souls by Garth Ennis & John McCrea (1990) - Graphic Novel ISBN 978-1853861741
  • A Stone's Throw by Lee Watts (2015) ISBN 9781517264925

    • Plays

  • A Night in November by Marie Jones
  • Bloom of the Diamond Stone by Wilson John Haire
  • Did You Hear the One About the Irishman...? by Christina Reid
  • In a Little World of Our Own by Gary Mitchell
  • Joyriders by Christina Reid
  • Remembrance by Graham Reid
  • The Flats by John Boyd
  • The Freedom of the City by Brian Friel
  • Greater Belfast by Matt Regan
  • The Lieutenant of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh

    • Songs

  • "Armalite Rifle" by Gang of Four
  • "Alternative Ulster" by Stiff Little Fingers
  • "Armagh" by Au Pairs
  • "Belfast" by Boney M
  • "Belfast" by Orbital
  • "Belfast" by Elton John
  • "Belfast Child" by Simple Minds
  • "Belfast (Penguins and Cats)" by Katie Melua
  • "Belfast to Boston (God's Rifle)" by James Taylor
  • "Big Decision" by That Petrol Emotion
  • "Black Cab Motorcade" by State Radio
  • "Bloody Sunday" by U2
  • "Both Sides of the Story" by Phil Collins
  • "Broken Land" by The Adventures
  • "Crimson Days" by Silent Running
  • "Don't forget about us" by Paul J Miles (2008)
  • "Drunken Lullabies" by Flogging Molly
  • "Each Dollar a Bullet" by Stiff Little Fingers
  • "Ether" by Gang Of Four
  • "Fly the Flag" by Stiff Little Fingers
  • "Forgotten Sons" by Marillion
  • "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" by Paul McCartney
  • "Go on Home British Soldiers by Tommy Skelly
  • "God be with you Ireland" by The Cranberries
  • "God Kicks", "Potato Junkie" and "Church of Noise" by Therapy?
  • "Hang the IRA" by Skullhead
  • "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" by Megadeth
  • "The House of Orange" by Stan Rogers on From Fresh Water
  • "Invisible Sun" by The Police
  • "It's Going To Happen" by The Undertones
  • "It's Only Tuesday" by Eric Bogle
  • "Kinky Sex Makes the World Go 'Round" by Dead Kennedys
  • "Last Night Another Soldier", "Brighton Bomb" and "Soldier" by The Angelic Upstarts
  • "Letter from Louise" by The Saw Doctors
  • "Michael Caine" by Madness (band)
  • "My Little ArmaLite" by Unknown
  • "Northern Industrial Town" by Billy Bragg
  • "Oliver's Army" by Elvis Costello
  • "Out in the Fields" by Gary Moore and Phil Lynott
  • "Pie Jesu" by Andrew Lloyd Webber
  • "What's Left of the Flag" by Flogging Molly
  • "Sean O'Farrell" by The Celibate Rifles
  • "Shankill Butchers" by The Decemberists
  • "Smash the IRA" by Skrewdriver
  • "So Many People" by Hubert Kah
  • "Soldier" by Harvey Andrews
  • Some Time in New York City by John Lennon and Yoko Ono: "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "The Luck of the Irish"
  • "Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six" by The Pogues
  • "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "Please," "Peace on Earth," "North and South of The River," "Raised By Wolves," and "The Troubles" by U2
  • "Sunrise" by The Divine Comedy
  • "Ten Men Dead" by Blaggers ITA
  • "That's Just the Way It Is" by Phil Collins
  • "The Greening of Belfast" by Michael Card
  • "The Island" by Paul Brady
  • "The Men Behind the Wire" by Barleycorn
  • "The More I See (The Less I Believe)" by Fun Boy Three
  • "There Were Roses" by Tommy Sands
  • "The Town I Loved So Well" by Phil Coulter
  • "The Troubles" by The Roches
  • "The Troubles" by XTC
  • "Theme from Harry's Game" by Clannad
  • "This Is a Rebel Song" by Sinéad O'Connor
  • "Through the Barricades" by Spandau Ballet
  • "Ulster" by Sham 69
  • "White Noise" by Stiff Little Fingers
  • "Zombie" by The Cranberries

    • Television

  • Captain Planet and the Planeteers: Season 3, Episode 12 ("If It's Doomsday, This Must Be Belfast")
  • The Simpsons: Season 20, Episode 1 ("Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes")

    • Video games

  • Block H is an interactive installation which includes a Counter-Strike mini-mod with maps changed to Belfast and standard player skins changed to Loyalists and Nationalists.
  • MMORPG The Hooded Gunman has caused major controversy. It includes drug-dealing and gunrunning as primary means of raising funds, which can later be used to organize riots and other illegal actions.

    • References

    The Troubles in popular culture Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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