- Sandy Row
Sandy Row is a
Protestant working class community in southBelfast ,Northern Ireland . It has a population of about 3,000. It is considered a staunchlyloyalist area ofBelfast , being a traditional heartland for affiliation with theUlster Defence Association and its splinter group, the "UFF".Geography
The road runs from the Boyne Bridge over the old
Dublin railway line into Great Victoria Street station, then crosses theDonegall Road and on to the bottom of theLisburn Road . At one end of the road was the famous Murray's tobacco factory, while at the other is a large Orange Order Hall.History
Sandy Row is a
loyalist neighbourhood in south Belfast, near theEuropa Hotel . Known for its affiliation with loyalistparamilitary duringthe Troubles , Sandy Row was, in some respects, the loyalist answer toFree Derry in that it bears a large paramilitary mural indicating its "autonomy ". The road used to be a popular shopping district attracting people from all over Belfast but since the Troubles this has declined substantially. Sandy Row is home to a loyalist memorabilia shop which sellsUlster Defence Association (UDA) andUlster Volunteer Force paraphernalia, similar to one on theShankill Road .The mural
The UDA/Ulster Freedom Fighters mural at Sandy Row can be seen from the northern end of the street. The mural is similar to the republican one in
Free Derry .In Popular Culture
In the song "
Madame George " on his album "Astral Weeks "Van Morrison sings:"Then you know you gotta go""On the train from Dublin up to Sandy Row"
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