CNR

Things Can Only Get Better

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Peter Cunnah was the singer in D:Ream, which had a number-one hit in 1994 with “Things Can Only Get Better” (youtube). Cunnah was born in Belfast but adopted by parents in Derry (BBC).

This new mural was painted (by Karl Porter of UV Arts (web)) at the junction of Northland and Clarendon streets (in the Clarendon Conservation Area (pdf)), next to Cunnah’s home at 46 Clarendon Street, where he formed his first band, Tie The Boy (Derry Journal).

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Copyright © 2026 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
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Journacide

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Since the Hamas attacks of October 7th, 2023, IDF forces have killed roughly 260 media workers in Gaza and 28 in Lebanon. The International Federation Of Journalists in 2025 declared Gaza to be the deadliest place for journalists (Al Jazeera); the Guardian calls it “journalism’s graveyard”.

Seán Murray’s documentary “Journacide: The War On Truth” premiered in Belfast in June as part of Docs Ireland (pdf). It profiles four journalists killed this year (2026) in Lebanon: Amal Khalil (killed in al-Tayri on April 22nd (RSF)), and Ali Shoeib, Fatima Ftouni, and her brother Mohamed Ftouni (killed in Jezzine on March 28, 2026 (PBS))

International Wall, Divis Street, west Belfast, replacing the boy and phoenix from Painting For Palestine. For the poem on the ribbon, see Tell My Story.

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Copyright © 2026 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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No Orange Feet At Garvaghy

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A decision to ban Orangemen from marching down Garvaghy Road in Portadown in July was quashed at the end of August because the Parades’ Commission failed to follow proper procedure (BBC). Another application was made to march down the road, past the Catholic estate, and this was granted, with restrictions, for September 27th, re-igniting a dispute that has been largely dormant since 1988.

Since the 27th, there has been a stand-off between (on the one hand) Orangemen from Portadown and elsewhere in Northern Ireland and (on the other) local residents supported by leaders from the CNR community – Gerry Adams, Michell O’Neill, Mary Lou McDonald – and celebrities such as Kneecap (BBC) and Damien Dempsey. There have also been a variety of court orders and appeals. The Appeals’ Court’s session yesterday (October 5th) focused on the Commission’s use of a PSNI statement assessing the impact a parade would have (RTÉ); the court reserved judgment (BBC).

This graffiti in on the Springfield Road, west Belfast.

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Copyright © 2026 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Medugorje

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The Medjugorje [here, Medugorje] mural on Berwick Road in Ard Eoın/Ardoyne is an old mural first painted c. 1993 and repainted perhaps four times, in 2004, 2012, and – shown here – 2020.

The mural shows an apparition of “Our Lady Of Medjugorje, The Queen Of Peace” and St. James Church in the countryside “between the mountains” in (what is now) Herzegovina. The town became famous after two apparitions in 1981 and since then has been a destination for pilgrims (WP).

“Rosary every Saturday 12 noon. The statue of our lady was given to Ardoyne by St James’s parish, Medjugorja.”

Berwick Road, Ardoyne, north Belfast

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Copyright © 2026 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Fight Racism, Not Races

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The chalk grid-lines are still visible but work appears to have ceased on the latest Kneecap-sponsored mural in Hawthorn Street. It joins the four that have been added to the facing walls, one in each of the last four years and all at the time of Féıle (see 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025). The new addition likewise accompanied this year’s performance, at the Uppa Falls concert in the Falls Park on Thursday (August 6th) (BBC).

For the Gibraltar 3 board, see X03944; for the plaque see the Peter Moloney Collection.

Hawthorn Street, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2026 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Fight Racism!

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In response to the rioting in east Belfast and elsewhere – see McMaster Street Remembers – various (painted) placards reading “Fight racism”, “”Ní hea” don chiníochas”, “”No” to hate”, “”Yes” to all!” were added in June to many of the murals on the International Wall, Divis Street (Visual History), including the Free Marwan mural and the remaining piece from the Painting For Palestine project – for a directory, see Looking Heaven In The Eye and (without the red ribbon), Tell My Story.

(These additions are reminiscent of the ‘Free Marian Price’ additions in 2013 – see Scaoıl Saor Marian Price in the Peter Moloney Collection.)

Also visible: Stop The Game.

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Copyright © 2026 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Justice Is The Handmaiden Of Truth

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Óglach Billy McKee, Óglach Alex Murphy, Óglach Breandan [Brendan/Breandán] Hughes (The Dark)” are featured in a new D Company board on the anti-Agreement wall below the Falls Garden Of Remembrance.

In the bottom corners is the emblem of Glór Na hÓglaıgh (Fb), a new (March 2026) “revolutionary republican socialist political party”, associated with Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann and feuding with the RNU.

This board takes the place of a similar RNU board, seen in Unrepentant Republicans.

As in the previous board, Alex Murphy is included (on the left); Murphy was sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the killing of the two Signals corporals (Wood and Howes) in 1988 (UPI). He was released in 1998 under the provisions of the Agreement and died in 2019 (Pensive Quill). (The D Company board on the International Wall (Visual History) features Kieran Nugent rather than Murphy.)

Falls Road, west Belfast

Other recent additions are included below. The current line-up from left to right is: RNU Milltown – JFTC2 + Patrick Rooney – Kieran Abram – Falls Road Massacre – D Company – Falls Curfew – Charlie Hughes – Bap McGreevey – Web – Drop The Rents – HS Commemoration – Divis – Socialist Republic – Revolutionary Youth – INLA Roll – Palestine – Gino Gallagher

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Copyright © 2026 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The Phoenix Arose In ’81

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The phoenix in Clowney Street was first painted in 1981 and has been repainted periodically in the same form. (For a brief history, see The Oldest Murals.) In this update, the only noticeable changes are the quotation-marks around “69” and the golden feet on the phoenix.

For the WBTA board above the phoenix (which itself goes back to at least 2012), see Alternative Transport, Alternative Location.

Clowney Street, Beechmount, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2026 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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End Criminalisation Of Irish Republicans!

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“End criminalisation of Irish republicans! – RSYM.” A new ‘welcome to west Belfast’ mural is in progress on the first part of the long wall outside the Royal Victoria Hospital, replacing the MASH tag that unceremoniously blocked out a graffito in support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

For now, however, the longer part of the wall (to the right of gate) remains a message-board for anti-Agreement groups, the latest one being from the Republican Socialist Youth Movement (Fb), the youth wing of the IRSP/INLA.

“Blessed are those who hunger for justice” was discussed in December 2025.

Also visible (on the right of the image above) is a dual-language traffic sign.

Falls Road, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2026 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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