Belfast north

Unbroken Presence

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03302 2016-02-28 Ardoyne Wall Curtain+

More “peace” line images today (after yesterday’s repainting of the Cliftonville “peace” line in Blue Sky Thinking): at the end of February work began taking down a section of the 8 foot high wall on the Ardoyne side of the Crumlin Road, separating Ardoyne from the Woodvale area, though the section close to Woodvale and the wall on the Woodvale side remain for now.

The houses on the north side of the road will now be able to see the road and the doors of Holy Cross church (shown above).

The vintage piece of Free Brendan Lillis graffiti shown in the final image survives, just out of picture to the left in the wide shot below.

Here is some BBC-NI footage of the wall being knocked down. Here are Irish Times, NewsLetter and Tele articles on the 2013 NI Executive policy objective of removing the lines by 2023. And here’s an interview with Heather Bellamy, author of Towards A City Without Walls.

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03306 2016-03-01 Ardoyne Wall Cross+

03319 2016-03-07 Brendan Lillis Crumlin Graffiti+

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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03302 X03305 X03306 X03319 this cross stands here to mark the unbroken presence of the passionists and the people at holy cross since 1869 and as a sign of hope

Blue Sky Thinking

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03269 2016-01-25 Painting Peace Line Over+

The Manor Street “peace” line dividing north Belfast’s Lower Oldpark and Cliftonville areas got a facelift in January — the beige was painted over with a sky blue colour. For the painted gable on the left, see Soccer Stars.

The wide shot, (third image, below,) gives an impression of its height and extent (and this is only the north-south part of the line.) 

The fourth image is of an old European Union “Urban” mural showing the north Belfast skyline, including Cave Hill (and Napoleon’s Nose) and Belfast Lough. (For more info on Urban II and the mural, see minute 17 onward in this NVTv documentary).

03268 2016-01-25 Painting Peace Line Statue+

03265 2016-01-25 Painting Peace Line w+

03266 2016-01-25 Painting Peace Line Urban+

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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03269 X03268 X03265 X03266 giving the community the initiative partnership in practice

HMS Caroline

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2014-12-17 HMSCarolineDetail+

HMS Caroline’s connection to Belfast is that she served as the headquarters for the Royal Naval Reserve in Alexandra Dock. Originally built in 1914, she served in the Grand Fleet and took part in the battle of Jutland on May 31st, 1916, as shown in the images above and below. She was decommissioned in 2011; it is hoped to open her as a museum and visitor attraction by the time of the centenary of the battle (WP). The Daily Mail has a gallery of images of the ship in its current state. Also present at the battle of Jutland, as captain of HMS Nestor, was Commander (later Sir) Edward Bingham.

The piece is by Jim Russell, who also painted Titanic Town – North Belfast.

Here is a New Visions video on the ship:

2014-12-17 HMSCaroline+

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The Heart Of Our Community

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02758 2015-08-10 Kickhams+

In early August the RNU blacked out an Ard Eoın Kickhams GAA mural in Ardoyne (featured previously) and replaced it with a tarp calling for the RUC/PSNI to be disbanded (see this Belfast Live article for an image). After complaint from the local community, the tarp was removed and the central part of the mural was repainted, showing the celtic cross of Cumann Lúthcleas Gael, a football, sliotars, and hurleys. Members of the RUC were forbidden from GAA membership until “Rule 21” (WP) until 2001; they are now permitted to join and play Gaelic games, even if they not welcome in the area – see the image below.

03138 2015-10-13 Ardoyne Kickhams blue Not Welcome+

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02758 X03138 founded 1907 MI5 british army not welcome in this area gaelic athletic association GAA CLG

At Home And On The Mainland

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03109 2015-10-11 The Great War+

The memorial garden in Mount Vernon, which previously had and Ulster Volunteers mural and UVF stone has undergone a major redevelopment this year with a new “cut-out” mural to the 36th (Ulster) Division and memorial plaques to six UVF members who died between 1974 and 2000, including (in the second image) Joe Shaw, who was shot by the UDA during the 1974-1975 feud. (For details of the killings and its aftermath, see this Balaclava Street article.) See the final image, below, for the plaque on the outside wall of the garden listing all six members.

03110 2015-10-11 Shaw plaque+

03108 2015-10-11 Joe Shaw+

X09892 2022-03-31 Memorial Garden 4+

X09893 2022-03-31 Memorial Garden 5+

X09898 2022-03-31 Memorial Garden 10+

X09897 2022-03-31 Memorial Garden 9+

X09896 2022-03-31 Memorial Garden 8+

X09895 2022-03-31 Memorial Garden 7+

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Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03109 X03108 X03110 [X09891] X09892 X09893 X09898 X09897 X09896 X09895 Joe Shaw 18-5-1974 Samuel Frame 13-3-1976 Jackie Irvine 16-3-1989 Colin Caldwell 28-11-1991 Bertie Rice 31-10-2000 Mark Quail 1-11-2000 murdered in the service of ulster we salute also all volunteers at home and on the mainland who served with dignity and pride 3rd battalion north belfast ulster volunteer force lest we forget ulster defence association the great war soldiers marching profile we will remember them 1914-1918

A Small Area

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2015-08-13 ArdEoinBoxingDetail+

“Ardoyne-Bone boxers have punched well above their weight. As professional we have won … British, Commonwealth, European & W.B.U. titles. As amateurs we have won 3 olympic bronze, European Gold, Commonwealth Gold, World Junior silver, 17 Irish senior titles & an A.B.A senior title. Nor forgetting all our boxing coaches, who put in their time and effort for all our young boxers. Truly amazing for such a small area.” The wide shot below shows the whole of this new Ardoyne/Ard Eoın mural celebrating local boxers; the boxers named are Darren Corbett (WP), John Kelly (FightsRec), Paddy Barnes (WP), Harry McAuley (BoxRec), Anthony Maguire, Hugh Gilhooley (BoxRec), Eamonn McAuley (BoxRec), Freddie Gilroy (WP), Terry Magee (WP), Sean Brown, Noel Magee (WP), Barney Burns, Pat Kelly, Eamonn Magee (WP).

A mural celebrating Paddy Barnes’s 2014 Commonwealth gold medal: Oh, Paddy Boy

Pathé video of John Kelly being knocked out in 1954

2015-08-13 ArdEoinBoxing+

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02731 X02730 professionals

Freedom Hath Arisen

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The hunger strikers tarp has been removed from the Ard Eoın memorial garden (see 2013) and the forty portraits have been moved over from the mural on Ardoyne Avenue after the plaster fell off (see one | two).

However, the two long-standing pieces remain the same. As can be seen in the image below, the cross goes back to 1976. “This garden of remembrance was unveiled by Nora Connolly O’Brien, daughter of James Connolly, Easter Tuesday 1976. It is dedicated to the memory of Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann and Fıanna Éıreann volunteers, Sınn Féın, and members of our community who lost lives since 1969. ‘Ireland unfree shall never be at peace.’ In loving memory of all from the Ardoyne, Bone and Ligoniel who died because of Ireland’s troubles.”

Above, the phoenix is used as a symbol of resistance in one of the oldest memorial plaques in Belfast (1993) with the names of deceased IRA volunteers and locals: “Oft from prison bars, oft from battle flashes/Oft from heroes’ lip, oftenest from their ashes.”

For close-ups of the forty portraits, see Oftenest From Their Ashes.

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Copyright © 2015 Extramural Activity
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