Belfast west

The Conlan Revolution

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Michael Conlan (tw | ig) won his first title and tenth professional bout on Saturday night (December 22nd), in Manchester, by defeating Englishman Jason Cunningham (BBC). He features here in one of the new murals on the Fáılte Feırste Thıar offices alongside the traditional Gaelic games of hurling, camogie, football, and handball.

Previously: Conlan’s 2012 Olympics mural. Also: Soccer, boxing, and football in Glen Bawn.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06408 X06407 brighton st

Fáılte Feırste Thıar

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Welcome to West Belfast.” The sights of nationalist west Belfast are depicted in (part of) a new mural by Mickey Doherty and Marty Lyons on the side wall of the tourist office. From left to right: The (2015) Bobby Sands mural in Sevastopol Street, tourists being introduced to the IRA D Company memorial garden on the lower Falls by Peadar Whelan, Conway Mill, Divis tower, RISE at the bottom of Broadway (better known as the “Balls on the Falls”), the Falls library, the “international wall” in 2012 (with marchers in support of a nondescript international cause, crocodiles for the Irish language, and gay rights), St Peter’s pro-cathedral, a black taxi, the Connolly statue outside Comhaırle Phobaıl an bhFál, and the model for the new Casement Park stadium.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06340 X06339

Go West!

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

As you head west along Falls Road, you will pass by the three landmark buildings depicted in the mural above: Clonard Monastery, Cultúrlann McAdam-Ó Fıaıch (opposite this mural and the offices of Fáılte Feırste Thıar), and the entrance to Milltown Cemetery at the edge of Andersonstown. For the parts of the mural in Brighton Street, see The Conlan Revolution and Fáılte Feırste Thıar.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06338 X06341 brighton st marty lyons mickey doherty

Over Time

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

These two pieces in the gallery of pro-Palestinian murals at the top of Springhill Avenue were never finished. On the left is the diminishing territory of Palestine while on the right would probably have been the diminishing territory of the Gaeltacht.

For the murals above these on the side wall, see Grasping The Barb and David And Goliath; for the murals on the end wall, see Palestine Abú, Man Against Machine and Hellfire.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X05165 [X05163] [X05164]

Dumnie Pamiętane I Nigdy Nie Zapomniane

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Proudly remembered and never forgotten.” The ‘Band Of Brothers’ mural, which celebrates the contribution of Polish airmen stationed in Northern Ireland to the Battle Of Britain in WWII, was partly covered over with a vertically aligned Polish flag, obscuring fire damage from August(?) seen in the third image. The wreath on the right-hand side interestingly combines poppies (perhaps for Armistice Day and the centenary of the end of WWI) and the Polish writing used as the title of this entry, along with the Polish WWII eagle (perhaps commemorating the end of the Battle Of Britain, which is marked (in the UK) on September 15th). The wreath of poppies is next to the Kitchener mural.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06324 X6325 X06112 X06323

The Fight For Rights

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

It’s still anybody’s guess as to how Brexit will happen in March, 2019. This week, the ball is in the court of the hard-Brexiteers as they decide whether or not to challenge Theresa May’s leadership of the Conservative Party. Political parties in Northern Ireland claim to be “fighting” for their side – such as this Sinn Féin board on Falls Road – but in practice this means only looking on with fascination and anxiety. “The fight for rights continues – 1968-2018. Don’t let the DUP/Tories take away your rights through Brexit.”

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06306 Falls Road

Caırde Agus Comrádaıthe

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Friends and comrades” – IRA volunteers Brendan Hughes (“The Dark”) and Bobby Sands were leaders of the 1980 and 1981 hunger strikes, respectively. Hughes survived when the first strike was called off after 53 days; Sands died in the ’81 strike after 66 days of fasting. “IRPWA” is the Irish Republican Prisoners’ Welfare Association (Fb); Saoradh (web) is a hard-line left-wing republican party.

The mural to the left shows Palestinian double-amputee Saber Al-Ashkar, protesting as part of the Great March Of Return.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06304 [X06317] [X06223] X06322