Belfast west

Life In Divis

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Here are eight images of the long (very long!) mural on the wall between Divis and the motorway, with scenes of life in Divis from yesteryear: kids swinging on lampposts, people praying in St Peter’s, women having a pint in the pub. Also notable is the hut made out of SDLP electoral signs. For a larger (in progress) set, see C01256.

[Partial ordering From left to right: shop + drinking + van | 3 women (above) + Belfast Celtic + boxer | pub house + 3 girls washing feet | trike + lamppost swing | praying | …]

[… | paperboy + pair on bike + communion pair | boy with ball + solo older man | 3 women in pub + street | …]

[… | man in profile + youths]

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Fáılte Go Dtí West Belfast

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A new Fáılte Feırste Thıar mural is being painted below Divis tower that will serve as a transition from the city centre to (CNR) west Belfast.

Below, an even earlier shot of the work in progress from 2011-05-27.

For the completed mural, see the entry at Peter Moloney Collection – Murals.

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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Victoria Crosses

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“Only by remembering these men, and others like them, can we ever repay their memory.” Nine Victoria Cross recipients from the 36th (Ulster) Division in World War I are honoured in this board on the Shankill at the Co-Op (which was previously across the road in Crimea Street).

The nine are (from 1917 and 1918) E[dmund] De Wind, E[rnest] Seaman, C[ecil] L[eonard] Knox, N[orman] Harvey, (from 1916) G[eoffrey] St. G[eorge] S[hillington] Cather, W[illiam] F[rederick] McFadzean, E[ric] N[orman] F[rankland] Bell, R[obert] Quigg, and J[ames] S[amuel] Emerson. 

The illustrations come from Cyril Falls’s book The History Of The 36th (Ulster) Division (from Project Gutenberg).

The poem In Flanders’ Fields is by Canadian John McCrea.

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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Champions

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Here is a 2011 image of a 2005? boxing mural off Ross Road. The lower parts look like they have gone 10 rounds with graffiti artists. In the foreground is a mural featuring local boxers from the Immaculata Amateur Boxing Club (on the nearby Albert Road); in the distant mural, Muhammad Ali.

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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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All Flags Are Welcome

Extramural Activity2 Comments

“Over 40 years ago the presence of this flag [the Irish Tricolour] on this street unleashed a vicious campaign of discrimination and violence against this community lasting decades … 45 years on … this flag can flow [sic] freely from every corner … All flags are welcome on this road and so are you … failte [fáılte] go dtí … West Belfast.”

The event referenced is the flying of the Irish Tricolour in 1964 from Billy McMillen’s electoral office, which Ian Paisley (and the RUC) found objectionable. Danny Morrison in An Phoblacht (web) has an account of the election and events. Here is news video from 1964 (DFA) of charges subsequently brought against 70 people.

The mural from Coıste Political Tours (web) is on Divis Street, just beyond down-town Belfast and directed at foreign visitors; the Union Flag, however, is not included among the display of international flags. On the right is a placard for the Eileen Hickey Republican History Museum (web).

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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Frederick Douglass

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Here are some in-progress shots of the new Frederick Douglass mural being painted on Northumberland Street, being painted by a Short Strand artist, Marty Lyons, and Mark Ervine. (An image of the three artists during work on the mural can be seen at An Phoblacht.)

Nelson Mandela is in the second image. The person in the third image is Harriet Tubman rather than Rosa Parks, though Tubman did not wear spectacles; Parks will also be included.

For the completed work, see Liberating Minds.

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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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