“Nazi scum” and “Antifa zone 161” on Berwick Avenue in Ardoyne, provoked by a proposed Britain First rally in December, 2017 (Belfast Live). The Britain First leaders who were arrested for speeches at an August rally are due to go on trial in April (BelTel). Deputy leader Jayda Fransen was also arrested in December for comments made in a video shot at the Cupar Way “peace” line (Telegraph).
Above is the plaque on Berwick Road/Paráıd An Ardghleanna to four teenaged members of Na Fıanna Éıreann who died in 1972 – Davy McAuley, Josh [Joseph] Campbell, Josie McComiskey and Bernard Fox – all four from Ardoyne/Ard Eoın. McAuley died of a gunshot wound, perhaps at a Louth training camp (Nelson McCausland). Campbell was shot in Eksdale Street in a gun battle with the British Army; McComiskey was shot in Flax Street in a gun battle with the British Army; Fox was shot by British Army in Brompton Street. For the tarp, see Purity In Our Hearts; for the 2016 lily, see In The Cause Of Irish Freedom.
Action Against Drugs (AAD) is a republican paramilitary organisation (the “son of DAAD”, says The Guardian) that killed two people in 2017 that it accused of dealing drugs and ordered three others to leave Ireland (Irish News | Republican News). Allegations of corruption have been made against similar organisations (Belfast Media).
As mentioned in an entry about Dalaradia, the HUBB community centre (web | Fb) in north Belfast has, since 2010, been based in what used to be a World War II Civil Defence air-raid shelter, which it cleaned and renovated (Tele). The original hall is depicted in this mural on the side of the HUBB. Belfast was bombed by the Germans four times in April and May of 1941.
In 1940, Belfast was protected by thirty-eight anti-aircraft guns. The German Luftwaffe flew a reconnaissance flight over Belfast on November 30th, 1940 and a test mission of eight planes on April 7th, 1941 concluded that Belfast’s defences were, “inferior in quality, scanty and insufficient” (Elaine Hogg/Glenravel History). 150 bombers would blitz Belfast the following week, on Easter Tuesday, April 15th, and the seven guns that had been in operation ceased firing, believing, falsely, that RAF planes were also in the sky (WP).
In the blitz of Easter Tuesday, 1941, more than 900 people died, 1,500 were injured, and half the houses in Belfast were damaged (WP). According to Elaine Hogg’s research in the ‘Darker Side Of Belfast’ series, 100,000 people left the city in the remainder of the month, due to shock, fear, and the squalid conditions and unruly behaviour that followed the bombing.
Unfortunately, there’s no on-line information about the community/local scenes mural painted behind Teach Fhınn/Finn House in the New Lodge, which goes back to at least 2008. (Some panels were recorded in 2011.) If you have any information, please get in touch.
2017 update on the 2016 #BuildHomesNow stencil in the New Lodge from the PPRProject, detailing the shortage of housing. “Waiting for a home: 2458. Homes built: 112”.
Here are eight images of the new Ardoyne mural featuring (from left to right in the image below) Ardoyne Youth Club, Ard Eoın Kickhams, and the John Paul II Youth Club as alternatives to bullying, racism, homophobia, addiction and other social ills. In addition to Irish dancing, soccer, and Gaelic games, there are also images of young people practicing martial arts, DJing, and boxing.
An Ulster Banner with a Union flag in the corner (a UDA flag?) in Mount Vernon (UVF territory) is reflected in the glass doors of Rehoboth Evangelical Mission, which “invites you to our gospel meeting every Sunday night at 7 pm. 3 Mount Vernon Road. Contact Pastor David McClure – A visit to our meeting can change you[r] life.” Previously: The Lord Has Made Room For Us.
This Ardoyne hoarding for Saoradh the “revolutionary republican party ” (web | Fb), uses a pike (for 1798 Rebellion), the Sunburst (traditionally used by Fıanna Éıreann), and the Starry Plough (from the Irish Citizen Army of the Easter Rising). Cut off at the top is a red star of socialism.
The PPR (Participation & The Practice Of Rights) project has called for homes to be built at the Crumlin Road “Hillview” site but the council’s planning council approved a retail park (Belfast Live) by a vote of 7 to 6 (BelTel). The connection to supermarket chain Lidl is unclear, as there is no mention of a supermarket in the plans for the retail park. If you can shed any light, please leave a comment. Their slogan “Lidl: Big on quality, Lidl on price” has been rephrased as “Lidl: Big on quality, Lidl on equality”.