We invite you to participate in Stars and Stripes (Seeking the Starry Plough), a night walk in Belfast city centre linking local Trade Unionism with star gazing, with the specific aim to seek out the Starry Plough from a number of locations which were the sites of recent strikes, pickets and rallies.
The walk, organised by artist Aisling O’Beirn & Trade Union organiser Kerry Fleck, is intended as an optimistic celebration, reminding us of the active role people continue to take in industrial struggles despite an increasingly hostile political landscape. It also draws attention to light pollution and ways to address it.
We welcome people involved in and interested in the Trade Union movement as this walk is only made possible by the active contributions of participants. We will stop briefly at a number of sites to attempt to see the Starry Plough, asking participants to recall memories of industrial action associated with that particular site.
The walk commences at the BT Tower at 7.00pm with short stops en route for discussion and contributions from participants. It finishes at the American Bar and lasting 1 hr 30 min – 2 hrs
Aisling O’ Beirn is a Belfast based artist exploring the night sky as physical structure and a political entity through sculpture, installation, animation, site-specific projects and alternative walks. Her interdisciplinary work explores the relationship between art, place, politics and science.
Part of May Day Belfast 2026
- Friday 8th May
- 7.00pm
- Meeting point, BT Riverside Tower
Find out more about May Day Belfast Festival and download the programme here
