Belfast city centre

The Gateway Is Love

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William Swanston, with partner Thomas Bones, commissioned a new building for their linen collar and cuff concern, to be raised in 1890 at the corner of Queen and College streets. Arthur Chichester, flanked by the coats of arms of Belfast and Ulster, looks down over the now-unused doorway. (For more, see the excellent page at History Hub Ulster.) Swanston House is known to many in Belfast as the home of the Athletic Stores and the Educational Company; the facade was retained for its current incarnation ‘The Roost’, a student dormitory.

“‘Soul is deep, essence is beauty, the journey is freedom & the gateway is love’ – Beatrix.” 

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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Human Life International

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HLI (web | tw) works to bring about “An Ireland where God is first”. Its “holy face” campaign asks people to partake in a form of devotion dating back to 1885 that involves reflecting on the face of Jesus in order to affirm the first three commandments (HLI). One of the images used is from the Shroud Of Turin, which radiocarbon dating has dated to the 13th-14th century (which is when it first appeared, in France), hence the graffiti “Get a life, not an afterlife”, “[Seek my face] … find a forgery” (in North Street). On another hoarding, in University Street, “the H_ngm_n” has lost a game of hangman with “Bella”. The final image, with SPUC’s “Repeal Section 9” is also from University Street. For a history of the shroud, see this CNN article.

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Copyright © 2020 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
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As I Roved Out

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It’s impossible to travel for any distance in Belfast without using or crossing a street employing as a name “king” or “queen”, “Victoria” or “Albert”, “Cromwell” or “Donegall”, or a host of other colonial lords and ladies. Lasaır Dhearg (web) last week undertook a campaign to rename 14 streets and Queen’s University after republican rather than colonial notables. As these images show, the campaign did not meet with the same level of support that has lately seen figures related to slavery removed from public spaces in the US and England. Carlisle Circus was briefly McCracken Circus, Donegall Square North was briefly Kieran Doherty Street, May Street Joe McDonnell Street, and Donegall Square South Bobby Sands Street. (Here is a complete list of street names changed.)

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The Bullet Catcher’s Apprentice

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DJ and remixer Andrew Weatherall died in February. He was most famous for his work on Primal Scream’s Screamadelica album in 1991. The mural above is by Glen Molloy (Fb), who also recently did Prince Of Peace Line. Another mural to Weatherall was painted in Edinburgh by Shona Hardie.

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Copyright © 2020 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
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Belfast Graffiti Art

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Here’s a year-end gallery of the graffiti art and wild-style writing that didn’t make it into an individual post this year (2020). Artists include SCAN, NOTA, JAKOV, MASH. Belfast city centre and Cupar Way “peace” line.

See also HAS, ROMPS, NOYS.

See also: State Art Vs. Graffiti On The West Belfast “Peace” Line.

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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Eddie Supports The Flag

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“Happy Christmas, Belfast.” A time of mythical creatures and twelve days of gifts. On the seventh anniversary of the flag protests (in response to a vote by the Council to fly the Union Flag from city hall only 18 days a year as in the rest of the UK) my true love gave to me a dozen or so Union Flags (and a few Ulster Banners) attached to the railings. Santa was nowhere to be seen but, as is fitting for a zombie, Eddie The Trooper continued to stalk the land. For Eddie’s previous appearances, see his Visual History page.

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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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This Was Once The Dole Office

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The ‘jobs and benefit office’ in Exchange Street was originally built in 1926 for what was then the Northern Ireland Ministry of Labour and was the largest job centre in the UK. It functioned until 2016 and was demolished in 2017 (FutureBelfast). In its early life it was next to the Mariner’s Church of Ireland between Great and Little Patrick streets (FutureBelfast). The banner now on the site – This Was Once Little Italy – was designed by Deirdre McKenna and erected in July, 2019 (BelTel).

See previously: Jobs That Aren’t There in 2013.

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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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