“In loving memory of our uncle and brother.” A memorial of flowers and cards to “Uncle George” in Ormeau Park.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06593
Uncle George
Belfast
UN 194
Tonight’s second round of performances in the Eurovision Song Contest sees the Irish entry take the stage. (The UK’s song has a bye into Friday night’s finals.) The competition is taking place in Tel Aviv, Israel, which has prompted the BDS movement to urge a boycott of the event. Among those lodging a protest are Gael Force Art, who took to Slıabh Dubh last weekend with a large Palestinian flag. Article 11 of UN Declaration 194 asserts that refugees displaced by the 1948 Arab-Israeli war should be able to return home.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Winding Up The Peelers
After suffering a lot of damage in a fairly short time, the PSNI land-rover-cum-ice-cream-van by Leo Boyd (web) and Laura Nelson (ig) – see Freshly Made For You! – has been stripped off and replaced with this clockwork version.
The PSNI land-rover is a familiar Boyd subject – see Off The Ledge for a list.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06585
If You Listen Very Carefully, You Can Hear Her Breathe
Show Some Love is a campaign by non-profit Another World Belfast (web | Fb | ig) to collect toiletries and underwear for ‘Love Packs’. The organisation takes its name and inspiration from the last line of Arundhati Roy’s Confronting Empire (which was subsequently expanded into An Ordinary Person’s Guide To Empire (p. 86)): “Another world is not only possible, she’s on the way and, on a quiet day, if you listen very carefully you can hear her breathe.” (The last line actually appears to be “On a quiet day, you can hear her breathing.”)
Behind their stencil on the electrical box is the spring 2019 Hit The North piece by artist Emmanlene Blake (web), portraying author and journalist Lyra McKee, who was shot in the head in Creggan (by a gunman from the New IRA) on April 18th while observing a riot from behind police lines. She was taken to Altnagelvin hospital but later died. At her funeral in Belfast, Father Martin Magill was inspired to ask why her death was required in order to make politicians work together. He received a standing ovation (BBC-NI).
Later in the painting process the electrical box was painted over in keeping with the piece (“Here’s to saying goodbye to bombs and bullets”) and a quotation added to the main piece: “It won’t always be like this. It’s going to get better – Lyra McKee.” See the final two images, below.
Kent Street, Belfast city centre
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Still The People Spoke
The first Dáıl Éıreann met in 1919 in the wake of a Sınn Féın sweep of the elections of 1918. Current leader Mary Lou McDonald addressed her deputies at a centenary commemoration, recounting the rise of the party: “They banished us, imprisoned us and bereaved us. But still the people spoke.” The mural above presents a montage of historical images, from the women of Wicklow (Barton) and Dublin (Mulcahy) being urged to exercise their new right to vote (also Arthur Griffith in East Cavan), to Bobby Sands and Owen Carron, to Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness. (Cormac’s Fight Back was turned into a mural on the Springfield Road.)
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Shankill Brigadistas
After the Nationalist coup in 1936, the UK and US continued to recognise Spain’s Republican government but did not intervene militarily. Individuals from these counties thus participated in the conflict by joining the British and Lincoln battalions of the XV International Brigade, fighting alongside Balkans, Belgians, and Cubans at Jarama, Brunete, and the Ebro river, among other battles. For background on Belfast socialism of the period see this article by Stevie Downes.
“International Brigades – Spanish Civil War 1936 – 39. Commemorating all those who served and died with the XV International Brigade in the fight against fascism including the following Brigadistas from the Shankill area: William Beattie … Bill Henry … William Laughran … Henry McGrath … James Isaac Hillen … Joseph Lowery … Andrew Molyneaux. No pasarán. Unveiled by Tommy and Freddie McGrath, nephews of Henry McGrath, and Baroness May Blood, trade union & community activist. International Brigade Commemoration Committee. Saturday 1st February 2014.”
Previously: Plaque to (Protestant) Beattie and (Catholic) O’Neill | Belfast Socialists marching at Bodenstown (though possibly those from the Shankill were excluded) | Derry Brigadistas | a bust to the International Brigade in Writers Square, Belfast. Also: Guernica | Derry Guernica.
The plaque is in the Shankill Road Library.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Squeak Seymour Memorial Parade
The East Belfast UVF memorial parade primarily commemorates hitman Robert ‘Squeak’ Seymour, who killed the IRA’s James Burns in his own home in 1981. He was killed by the IRA in 1988. Here is video from the 2019 parade. Seymour’s portrait is included in Ballymacarrett (see Standing Guard) and in London Road (Ulster’s Brave).
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06578 on the belvoir bar, Newtownards Rd
Brexit OK
The UK – including Northern Ireland – will leave the European Union on October 31st of this year (2019), perhaps resulting in the return of a border between Northern Ireland and Éire. The departure has support from Unionists, including this graffitist in Oakdale Street, east Belfast.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06565 brexit
Michael McCartan
“Michael was born 4th March 1964 to parents Charlie and Molly. Charlie was originally from Raglan Street and Molly was from Stanfield Street and they move to 13 Artana Street in February 1963. They had seven children: Michael, Sean, Dermot, Martin, Conor, Marie and Roisin. Michael was educated at Holy Rosary PS and St Augustine’s Secondary School and was due to start an apprenticeship in joinery and plastering. Michael was a typical teenager. He loved spending time with his mates but as the eldest child he was very helpful to his parents. On the day of his murder he had been helping his father paint the house. On 23rd July 1980 Michael, aged 16, was playing cards with his mates in the ‘nook’ at Ormeau Bridge. Getting bored, Michael got some paint and painted a slogan on the adjacent wall. He was seen by two plainclothes RUC men in an unmarked van. Without warning, Michael was shot by one of the RUC men and died shortly after. Nobody was ever convicted of Michael’s murder. Unveiled by his mother Molly 4th March 2019.” Father Raymond Murray, who with Fr Dennis Faul wrote a report on McCartan’s death, was also at the launch.
The killing of Michael McCartan by an RUC officer named McKeown was long ago (in the 1980s) depicted in a mural in Oakman Street: They Murder The People And Have No Shame.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06563 Dromara St
The Retro Future
An outline, presumably by Leo Boyd (ig), from one of his tech heads pieces, which in this colour-scheme particularly reminds us of the Handmaid’s Tale tech head: She Is My Spy As I Am Hers.
Replaces the posters for Hit The East 2017 in the alley off Bloomfield Avenue.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06570
Seosamh Mac Coille Collection 