Shovelling coal in the glow of a fire. Street art by Verz (Fb) on the Holland Drive side of The Stoker’s Halt (web) in east Belfast.
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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04228 X04229 Reproduces a Soviet-era poster that includes Russian to the effect of “5 years [plan] in 4 – do it!”
This is one of the four murals at the Stoker’s Halt, on the Upper Newtownards Road, probably by DMC (Dermot McConaghy). The others are JMK’s old man (see Wrinkle In Time), Be Nice by Verz, and The Stoker himself, also by Verz.
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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Orange emblems added to the Welcome To Loyalist Tigers Bay mural: the crown and bible, a heart and sword, a red fist and the union flag. Two Bible verses are referenced: “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” (2 Sam 7:16) and “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God.” (Luke 1:31-33)
For “Genesis 38:28” see Pro-Testant Reformation.
For “Vote Leave” on the gable, see Brits Out!
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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04232 X04233 n queen st
East Belfast now extends all the way to Bangor: shown today are two East Belfast UVF boards in Whitehill, one a red hand and the other the familiar “pilgrims” image, seen continuously in east Belfast since the 90s in Tamar Street, Mersey Street, and (twice) on the Newtownards Road (currently in the Iceland car park). (Article on the EB – North Down UVF dispute in nearby Bowtown area in 2015.)
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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04227 X04226 X04225 clanmorris ave
“Bangor’s Finest [Fb]” the Pride of Whitehill Flute Band marks its 40th anniversary (1976-2016) with a mural and two small boards dedicated to Ulster Volunteers and Young Citizen Volunteers in WWI: “When you go home, tell them of us and say “For your tomorrow we gave our today.” “They fought together as brothers-in-arms, they died together and now they sleep side-by-side. To them we have a solemn obligation.”
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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04222 X04223 X04224 Skipperstone Rd
Graffiti in Beverley Street asking people to “Look up! Wake up! Speak up!” on the issue of chemtrails (WP), which are a government conspiracy and the cause of “Alzheimers”, “dimensa [sic]”, “ADHD” and colony collapse: “No bees, no harvest, no people.”
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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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As the plaque in the third images shows, the mural was originally painted in 2006 for the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. The plaque was originally in the plinth below the headstone – see Killed In Action. The side wall was painted last year for the 100th anniversary.
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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04215 X04213 X04214 X04212 killarn cl
The UK general election takes place on Thursday (June 8th), only two years after the previous one. The (British) Conservative party hopes to increase its majority of 17 seats/votes. The NI Conservatives (web) are fielding candidates in 7 of the 18 seats but are not expected to contribute to the overall Conservative tally.
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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04208
“The Stormont swamp is irreformable”, claims the TUV election manifesto. “It’s time to drain it.” The expression “drain the swamp” in politics goes back to (at least) 1903 when it was used by an American socialist in reference to capitalistic influence in and is borrowed from the literal practice of draining swamps in order to reduce mosquitoes, and so, malaria.
Another Americanism is shown in the second image: Barak Obama’s “Yes we can” became Hillary Clinton’s “Yes, she can”, which Naomi Long (Alliance), the #gingerninja, is using for her own campaign.
Polls are open today from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“Are you one of Kitchener’s own?” asks a new mural in Northumberland Street: “We here pay grateful and everlasting tribute, to all foreign nationals across the empire, who courageously and passionately fought side by side with their British counterparts, for King and country, during the First World War.” The left-hand side (second image) features images of soldiers from the West Indies and India, including “The Flying Sikh”, Hardit Singh Malik and a French lady as she “pins flowers on a regiment containing Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus.” On the right, images of the “presentation of Colours to the 51st Battalion Canadian expeditionary force” and of Canadian “bluebird” nurses in the Canadian Army Medical Corps.
Replaces (part of) Welcome To The Shankill. See Belfast Live for an image from the launch.
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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04199 X04201 X04202 India Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and the Union of South Africa. one million dead in the great war rest in France “A la gloire de dieu et a la memoire du million de morts de l’empire britannique tombes dans la grande guerre 191401918 et qui pour la plupart reposent en France.” Greater Shankill ACT
Seosamh Mac Coille Collection 