“RUC-PSNI – unchanged, unchanging, unchangeable – www.eirigi.org“
Poster in the Markets area of Belfast.
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Copyright © 2010 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Unchangeable
CNR
Do You Remember?
“A bucket on the stove boiling all the whites. The big tin bath on Saturday nights.
Keys in the locks, doors on the latch. Long hot summers, ponies and traps.
Crombie coats, paddy hats, corner shops small. Horse drawn hearses, with black plumes tall.
A half-moon water mark, like a front door mat. Soda farls, wheaten farls, cooling on a rack.
Gas mantles, lamp-lighters, billy cans of tay. Walking home from dances, courting on the way.
Carbolic soap, Brylcreem, 7 o’clock blades. Sugar and water potion, making permanent waves.
Hotspur and Rover, Dandy, Beano too. A 3d matinee on jam pot in lieu.
Top twenty from Luxembourg, Desert Island discs. Henry Hall’s guest night, Rock n’ roll and twist.
Billy Cotton’s band show, a book at bedtime too. The list is never ending – but who was ‘skiboo?”
Lower Ormeau memories of the good old (i.e. pre-Troubles) days. With support from the Lottery Fund, New Belfast Community Arts Initiative, and St John Vianney Youth Club.
By Steven Tunley in Dromara Street, Belfast
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Copyright © 2010 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X05941
Tar Lıom I Mo Dhıaıdh
“Come along with me” – children play ring-a-ring-o’-rosie at the bottom of Kinallen Street, south Belfast.
The mural was supported by the New Belfast Community Arts Initiative, Belfast City Council, the Housing Executive, Brighten Belfast, and Pulse.
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Copyright © 2010 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X05946
Say No To Blow
The bottom of Farnham Street used open out onto Balfour Avenue and the western embankment of the Lagan, and the gable at the bottom was a good spot for murals. In the late 80s, there was one to celebrate the centenary of Celtic FC (see C00701) and in the 90s there was one to the (Official) IRA (see D00828). And the “Say No To Blow” mural dates back to at least 2004.
In roughly 2008, however, a pair of semi-detached houses were built on the spot, blocking the mural. For an uninhibited view of the whole mural, see D01584.
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Copyright © 2010 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X05944
Markets Social History
In 2008 and 2009 artist Raymond Henshaw completed a series of cultural boards about the Markets area of Belfast. This is the one about ‘social history’, featuring (as do all the pieces) the streets and people of the area in pre-Troubles times.
There were six boards in total: Portraits | Social | Social History | Sport & Culture | Bars | Industry
Stewart Street, south Belfast
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Copyright © 2010 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X05945
Dancing In The Street
St John Vianney Youth Club is in River Terrace in the lower Ormeau area. This mural was supported by Pulse, the New Belfast Community Arts Initiative, the Housing Executive, and Brighten Belfast.
Cooke Street, south Belfast
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Copyright © 2010 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The Celtic Football Club
Glasgow Celtic football club was founded in 1888 by Brother Walfrid who is partially obscured here by a leaf to the left of centre. Joining him in the apex are (from left to right) Charlie Tully (of Belfast and Glasgow Celtic), Willie Maley (the first manager), [Wilfrid], Billy McNeil lifting the European Cup in 1967, Jock Stein (player 1951-1957 and manager 1965-1978). On the field are former players Henrik Larsson (1997-2004) and Jimmy Johnstone (1962-1965) on either side of the team “doing the huddle”.
Friendly Street, Markets, south Belfast
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Copyright © 2010 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X05940
Springhill–Westrock Massacre
This is a new mural by Mo Chara Kelly (with DD Walker, Michael Kelly, and Ta Heath) commemorating the deaths of five people shot by British Army snipers in 1972: Paddy Butler (39), David McCafferty (15), Margaret Gargan (13), John Dougal (16), Fr Noel Fitzpatrick (40). The snipers fired from JP Corry’s timber yard (shown on the right) and at the time the Westrock bungalows were still standing (shown lower left). “Belfast’s Bloody Sunday. On the 9th July 1972 the British Army murdered 5 Irish citizens and severely wounded 2 others. It’s time for the truth.”
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Copyright © 2010 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Reichskriegsflagge
The upper flag appears to be the Imperial War ensign of Germany from 1903-1919, with a Prussian eagle holding a crown and sceptre in the centre, and an iron cross in the canton (CRW Flags).
Ardoyne, north Belfast
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Copyright © 2010 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X05938
Live Free!
Joe Cahill joined the Fianna in 1937 and was involved in the republican movement from then until his death in 2004, including being in Tom Williams’s company in 1942 and later a founder member and Chief of Staff of the Provisional IRA. In the centre of the image he is at the end of the table at the August 13, 1971, press conference to comment on the introduction of internment (CAIN). He is honoured in the mural above alongside his brothers Tom and Frank Cahill. (Pat O’Hare is painted between Tom and Frank.)
In the top left are small boards with portraits of Ned Maguire Snr, Ned Maguire Jnr, Sam Holden, Dal Delaney, Rita McParland, Paddy Meenan, Paddy Corrigan, Sean Wallace, John Petticrew, Alex Crowe.
“Never will they label our liberation struggle as criminal – Bobby Sands [March 6th Diary].”
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Copyright © 2010 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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