PUL

Titanic Town – South Belfast

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This is a May 2012 mural celebrating workers at Harland & Wolff and the building of the Titanic (and Olympic) 1908-1911 on the gable wall of Allen’s Tours (Allen’s Furniture)

The artist is Ed Reynolds, whose site contains images of him at work on the piece (steadyhanded.com). The painting is somewhat reminiscent of Magritte’s 1959 Le Mois Des Vendages.

Combermere Street, (Donegall Rd. just before Sandy Row), south belfast

The left-hand “title” and two details follow below …

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00595 X00600 X00594 X00601 funded by belfast city council titanic workers, this mural was developed under belfast city council’s titanic community engagement project with support from titanic foundation. thanks go to sandy row community forum, local residents and artist Ed Reynolds.

Death Of Billy Hunter

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The UVF’s Billy Hunter, who served fourteen years for the killings of the McErlane brothers (BBC | Belfast Telegraph), has died by his own hand. On Saturday (25th August) a floral tribute to him was mounted on the railings of the ASDA store where he worked.

According to ‘The Irish News’ (Monday 27th August 2012), “Hunter died after he doused himself in petrol and set it alight at the side of the Ballywalter Road, Millisle, on Friday morning.”

The Irish News quotes Gerard McErlane as saying, “The fella did it and God have mercy on him. What he did he did to himself. John and Thomas had no choice when he murdered them. He had a choice and maybe it was his conscience. I don’t know. I said a prayer and lit a candle for him doing that as I would for any human being doing that to themselves.”

However, Mr McErlane said tributes to Hunter should be removed. “It bothers me that they are supporting him. Even in his death they are supporting him. They are glorifying him. I want it removed.”

Quoting an ASDA spokeswoman, the Irish News reported that the store would support colleagues who want to attend the funeral. She said the store would let the “community decide on floral tributes”.

Detail and wide shot below …

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00591 X00592 X00593 no goodbye no farewell billy so! until the next time good night mate!! john s.r.t, york star linfield s.c.

Just The Ticket

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These are just a few of the panels that are part of the long, long, mural in Stroud Street by Ed Reynolds (steadyhanded.com), “assisted by William McKee Strong, June 2012” – McKee appears as the man putting money into the parking-ticket machine, which is real, as is the street-light pole incorporated in the mural above. (There are a few seconds of footage of children swinging on a light pole at the 1:25 mark of this youtube video.)

The third image is based on a photograph by the celebrated Belfast photographer Bill Kirk whose exhibit ‘Sandy Row 1974’ was at the Red Barn Gallery September-October 2011. At 6:50 in this youtube video one can see the original photograph of the Elliots.

Commissioned by the Belfast City Council, in consultation with the Sandy Row Community Forum and the Residents’ Association. The Tele had a write-up of the work: The Singing Butcher.

Stroud Street, Sandy Row, south Belfast

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00583 X00588 sandy row 1907, tram workers sandy row at the albion Alex Higgins Joe Hillerby Alanna Audley-Murphy Ruby Murray James Johnston Joe Bambrick

July 1st

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In the old style of calendar (prior to 1752), the Battle Of The Boyne took place on July 1st, the same date as the Battle Of The Somme (in the new style of calendar). It is reported that some soldiers from the 36th Division wore their Orange Order collarettes into battle. In the image above, which reproduces a painting by Carol Graham, they defend their trench from a German assault.

Carson signing the 1912 Covenant is the second of the pair.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Inniskilling

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The 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment Of Foot was raised in 1689 at Enniskillen to fight against James II in Ireland (WP). It was folded into the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in 1881, which in turn was made part of the Royal Irish Rangers in 1968, which in turn was merged with the UDR in 1992 to form the Royal Irish Regiment, whose flag is in the top right – though the colours are incorrect; there are no white bars and two red bars (WP). This RIR served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

The flowers around the outside are perhaps orange lilies rather than English roses.

“T-Bay youth – support our troops”

Mackey Street, Tiger’s Bay, north Belfast.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Always British

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Cluan Place is a single street in east Belfast separated from (nationalist) Short Strand by a “peace” line. For a history of Cluan Place, see Out Of The Ashes. “5 people shot – houses burnt – houses bombed. 20 families intimidated out by Sinn Fein/IRA. Still loyalist. No surrender.”

The mural – to make the point that Northern Ireland is British – features an unusual combination of Union Flag and Ulster Banner.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Her Majesty’s Forces In Afghanistan

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This is a recent mural to British forces in Linn Road, Larne. The larger piece of writing on the board above reads, “We wish to pay tribute to the young men and women from this area, who are currently serving or have served with Her Majesty’s Forces in Afghanistan and to those from Northern Ireland who have paid the Surpreme Sacrifice. Lest we forget”.

The smaller one has part of the Ode of Remembrance from Laurence Binyon’s poem For The Fallen: “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old, Age shall not weary them, Nor the years condemn, At the going down of the sun, And in the morning, We will Remember them.”

Replaces the Oliver Cromwell mural on Linn Road, Larne.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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