Author: Extramural Activity

Unsung Heroes

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“The young and the old rallied around/To help fight the forces of the British crown/Unsung heroes too many to name/Defended Unity flats and never sought fame”. Unity flats were built in 1968 to replace the old Carrick Hill but immediately came under repeated attack by loyalists from the nearby Peter’s Hill and Shankill; by 1987 their demolition had been approved but because of difficulty in rehousing residents (Hansard), the new Carrick Hill was not completed until 2009 (BelTel). The flats have a Facebook page, Growing Up In Unity Flats. The plaques shown today are on the side of the newsagents in the new Carrick Hill.

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The World Affords No Enjoyment Equal To That Of Promoting The Happiness Of Others

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Mary Ann McCracken lived to the age of 96 (1770-1866) and over the course of that long life used her family prosperity and the success of her own muslin business to support various causes: these included the United Irishmen and her brother Henry Joy McCracken – whose illegitimate daughter Maria was taken in by Mary Ann after he was executed – and a long list of ‘social justice’ causes, including the abolition of slavery, the protection of working children, education for young children both male and female, women’s rights, and care for the destitute in Belfast – her uncles Henry and Robert had founded the Belfast Charitable Society and built a poorhouse on Clifton Street and Mary Ann served on the Ladies Committee (WP | NICVA). This new bust of Mary Ann McCracken looks towards Clifton House from Stanhope Street in Carrick Hill. (The bust was designed by Anto Brennan (Irish News), who also did the No Pasarán bust in Writer’s Square.) In the other direction, as shown below, can be seen the Divis tower block.

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West Belfast Supports The Community Rescue Service

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“West Belfast supports the Community Rescue Service (web | Fb) – Thank you for all the work you do for our community.” “West Belfast” in this case means PUL west Belfast, though this tarp is at the very edge of the Shankill, on the railings at the bottom of Lanark Way. A mural to the Service was painted on Northumberland Street (in CNR west Belfast) in November – see Hill Or High Water.

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What We Want You To Think

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Two more from the so-called “White Rose” (see previously: Where Your Fear Begins). To repeat, this is not the anti-Nazi White Rose but a modern-day group of activists fighting the “scamdemic”. Above, the news is fed to us; below, mice refuse a Covid vaccine (because it hasn’t been test on another species?)

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At Home And Abroad

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Two types of mourner at the grave of a fallen WWI soldier: on the left, comrades in arms; on the right, members of the family they left behind.

Work on the mural began in December, 2021, but progress seems to have stalled. One of the bayonets is in outline as is the giant poppy overheard. The effect is that the scene seems to be taking place under the stars.

Ashmore Street, west Belfast

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Whiterock FB

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The Whiterock flute band (Fb | spotify) was founded in 1962 and the band’s display in Brookmount Street (originally mounted in 2014 – see M10195) contains a ‘brief history’ and photographs from different decades, to which was added (on the right) an updated history and a list of members past and present. The most recent addition to the wall was a memorial – shown below – to band-member Alex Thompson, who died in May 2019 after 56 years in the band – he is mentioned in both the ‘brief history’ of the band and the updated history.

(Also, the advertising hoarding above the mural has come off.)

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The Gaffer

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This is an update to the entry Legends Never Die, which showed the original tribute to Rangers manager Walter Smith in the form of a tarp below the celebration of Rangers’ 2020-2021 league title. Since then, fans have left wreaths and attached their tops to the railings, with messages written on them in marker: “True Blue”, “Our knight”, “Legend like no other”, “Mr Rangers”.

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We’re All Mad Here

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This mural of characters from Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland – including the Mad Hatter, shown above – was painted back in August (or late July) with about twenty feet of purple-painted wall to the right but there has been no advance made on it since then. Also included are the White Rabbit (or possibly the March Hare), the Cheshire Cat – speaker of our title quote – and Alice herself.

North Howard Street, west Belfast

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H&W Welders

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Titanic was built at Harland & Wolff shipyard in east Belfast; it took more than three years to build but was in service for only five days, as it famously hit an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic ocean. The welders formed their own football club, in 1965. The football and hockey players on the right are perhaps associated with Ledley Hall.

The final image is of the piece in 2014.

Cluan Place, east Belfast.

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