Author: Extramural Activity

Bill Of Shame

Extramural Activity1 Comment

A rally against the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy And Reconciliation) Bill takes place later today, congregating at City Hall after marching from three locations around the city (the McGurks Bar memorial in north Belfast), Divis tower in west Belfast, and Cromac Square near the Markets. The Bill passed the House Of Commons in July despite criticism from all sides, including the DUP, Alliance, and the SDLP – Colm Eastwood called it “shameful” and a “whitewash” (Breaking News). One criticism of the bill is that the body it would establish (the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery) must not place at risk the national security of the UK, which is taken to mean protection for UK government officials (Irish Central). It is also thought not to be compliant with the Human Rights Act (ITV | BelTel).

The rally is organised by the Time For Truth campaign (web).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11452 Limestone Road

We Can’t Afford

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“We can’t afford … heating … electricity … a home.” “Costs are rising and so must we!” “Cost of living crisis? You mean capitalism.” Lasaır Dhearg (web) seizes the means of propaganda to push for socialism as an alternative to capitalism’s current difficulties.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11438 [X11386] X11387 X11383 X11439 X11377 X11376

When Young People Are United …

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“… they can never be divided.” The two parts of this slogan are found at the end and the beginning of two murals and symbolically join together PUL Tiger’s Bay (with a mural at the end of the “peace” line on Hallidays Road, shown in the first three images) and CNR Newington (with a mural on Limestone Road, shown in subsequent images). Youths from both communities worked on the murals (Belfast Live).

The Hallidays Road wall previously had a similar ‘Welcome’ mural on it – see The Bigger Picture.

Presumably these are Blaze FX (web) productions. The murals were started back in May but were only completed last week. The muralists are perhaps busy with another job …

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11389 [X10404] X11388 [X10402] X10403 X10406 X11390 [X10405] X11392 [X10407] X11391 [X10079] [X10080] [X10081] it takes a community to raise a child holy family parish Limestone United four colours of man

Defund The Police

Extramural Activity1 Comment

These are new IRSP (web) boards along the Falls Road, opposite the leisure centre and below the IRA memorial garden, highlighting two of the organisation’s most pressing concerns: the PSNI and housing.

“The deadly web of corruption: Funding Scams, Sectarianism, MI5 Special Branch, Internment by Remand, Diplock Non-Jury Courts, Political Policing, Public Interest Immunity Certificates, Collusion/Coverups”,” “Defund – disarm – disband”

“Drop the rents – west Belfast demands affordable housing and an end to landlord exploitation.”

“96% of Divis residents do no support the PSNI” was seen previously and “Divis ’81” replaces the 40th anniversary hunger strike board, also seen previously – see For A Socialist Republic.

August 2021 graffiti reserving the spots:

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11371 [X11829] X11370 [X11828] X11372 [X11827] X11345 [X11346] X11369
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X15344

Hello Future

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Pat Sheehan had been on hunger strike for 55 days when the strike was ended on October 3rd, 1981. He became MLA for Belfast West in 2010. He was the main speaker at the 41st anniversary commemoration in Belfast this past Sunday (video). The boards shown here are in Pim Street, north Belfast, the former Andersonstown RUC station in west Belfast, lower Falls Road, west Belfast.

“Comóradh Náısıúnta in ómós na staılceoırí ocrais. Béal Feırste 21 Lúnasa, 2:00 i.n. Aoıchaınteoır: Pat Sheehan. Páırc Dunvılle a fhad le hUaıgheannaí na Poblachta, Reılıg Bhaile an Mhuıleann. (Ag cruınnıú ag 1:30 ı.n., ag fágáıl ar bhuıle 2:00 i.n.”

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11385 [X11381] X10438 X11382 X11374 X11375

And In The Blue Corner …

Extramural Activity1 Comment

This is the completed version of the Sunak-Truss mural – including Larry The Cat (ig) – in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter. The two candidates fighting to get through the door to No 10 Downing Street are, in the ‘Leave’ corner, wearing gold gloves, and sponsored by Prada, which is where his expensive loafers came from (Yahoo News) Rishi Sunak, and in the ‘Remain’ corner, wearing Euro gloves, and sponsored by Claire’s, which is where her 4.50 earrings come from (Nadine Dorries’s twitter), Lizz Truss.

“Round 8” above the ring indicates that the Belfast hustings (in the Culloden on Wednesday 17th) for Conservative leader were the eighth in a series of twelve. The News Letter has a blow-by-blow account of the meeting. In classic journalistic style, ITV reported on the hustings from in front of the mural (video).

Painted by Ciaran Gallagher (web) with funding by Willie Jack of the Duke Of York and Harp Bar (Today Post).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11369 X11370 X11371

Incendiary Device

Extramural Activity1 Comment

Irish-language rap group Kneecap (web) played in Falls Park on Friday night, sharing the stage with Imelda May and Damien Dempsey in a concert that Féıle entitled “Irish Voices“, but before that they revealed a mural in Hawthorn Street showing a PSNI land-rover on fire next to the phrase “Níl fáılte roımh an RUC [The RUC is not welcome]”.

Outraged responses to the mural have come from all quarters. The line comes from their song C.E.A.R.T.A. (youtube), about making sure the police don’t find the satirically enormous array of drugs – “cóc, speed, Es, agus moll marıjuana” to name only a few – they hope to take at a party: “Seans ar bıth go bhfaıghıdh sıad mo mhála MD/Mar tá cóısır ann anocht ‘s níl fáılte roımh an RUC”.

The Kneecap party and the middle Falls are the latest in a long line of places where the PSNI is not welcome, not just Ardoyne, Divis, and the Bogside (Derry) but also the Village, the Shankill, Carrickfergus, Millbrook (Larne), the Caw (Londonderry), and Tullyally (Londonderry).

The sticker shows a vintage republican image: see e.g. England Get Out Of Ireland and Stad Maggie Anoıs.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11158 X11159 X11157 3CAG trí chonsan agus guta

Your Local Supplier

Extramural Activity2 Comments

The North Down and East Belfast branches of the UVF come within a stone’s throw at the top end of the Bowtown (Newtownards) estate. Above and immediately below, North Down signage; below that, three of the East Belfast installation on the fence across the Movilla Road.

Both portraits on the fence are of Dennis Hutchings, the former British Army soldier who died this year while on trial for the killing of John Pat Cunningham in 1974 (BBC).

The tarp is against the ‘Irish Sea border’, in the style seen in the image at the top of this Irish Times article about checks at ports.

The “erosion of our identity” board on the right can also be seen in east Belfast.

For another pair inside the estate, see previously: Bowtown UVF, and on either side of Abbot Drive, compare Our Cause Will Always Remain The Same with North Down UVF.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11291 X11292 X11293 X11295 X11294 the battles we refuse to fight today become the hardships our children must endure tomorrow The prevention of the erosion of our identity is now our priority