Belfast

Rebuilding Confidence

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
2014-06-18 TBayFirstFlute+

Mural celebrating the old Tiger’s Bay First Flute marching band, established 1983. The mural is in the style of the UDA’s insignia; of late a UDA power-struggle has been taking place in the area – see Split.

In the background is a board showing the Union flag, the Ulster banner, and St. Andrew’s saltire (the latter pair are also featured in the lower corners of the mural), which in June replaced a ‘Mother – Daughter – Sister’ board celebrating women and designed by children from the local Mountcollyer Youth Club.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01981 X01980 north belfast tiger’s bay protestant boys hand painted mural was inspired, conceived and produced 2008-2009 renewing communities rebuilding confidence reviving hope restoring pride

Revolution

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
2014-06-18 BikeRevolution+

“Every turn of the wheel is a revolution”. This streetart by KVLR is outside The John Hewitt (pub) in the city centre. The John Hewitt was set up in 1999 by Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre (BURC | Belfast Media) and the mural was painted in 2000 (Turkington). This makes it one of the earliest pieces of street art in Belfast, if not the earliest. See Visual History 11 – The Rise Of Street Art.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01978

A Bird In The Hand

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
2014-06-15 NStreetArcGirl+

Here are two panels of Matt Sewell’s large-scale mural at the Donegall Street end of the North Street Arcade: above is an owl (held by a girl) and below is a jay (?). (For another owl, see Only When The Dusk Starts To Fall and for all the birds you’ll need, see his three volumes of bird illustrations.)

2014-06-15 NStreetArcBird+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01976 X01973

Only When The Dusk Starts To Fall

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
2014-06-15 NStreetArcOwl+

2014 is the tenth anniversary of the fire in the North Street Arcade (2004-04-17). The image above, which is one and a half storeys tall, is part of a recent (June) work by Matt Sewell (Twitter | Web | Fb). His work is at the Donegall Street end of the arcade; Andy Council’s Belfast Phoenix is at the other end; see that entry for more about the fire.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01977

Pot-House Lane

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
2014-06-14 PotHouseLane+

“Hill Street was originally called Pot-House Lane after pottery works located here in the late 17th century. By the 1790’s it was known as Foundry Lane, after Stewart Hadski’s iron foundry, the first of its kind in Belfast.” The original of the tin-glazed earthenware tankard shown can be seen in this lot from Christie’s (worth 10,000 pounds). The words “Queen Anne 1720” are inscribed on the tankard, a memorial to the queen who reigned from 1702-1714.

See previously: Old Foundary 1767

Here is some information about excavations in the area, and below is a brief video on the history of Hill St:

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01972 belfast city council queen anne artist’s initials “KN”

Justice

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
2014-06-14 JFTC2Chains+

The Craigavon Two – John-Paul Wootton and Brendan McConville – were convicted of the 2009 murder of PSNI Constable Steven Carroll; ‘JTFC2′ or ‘Justice For The Craigavon Two‘ is the group campaigning for their release. The mural above shows two pairs of arms in chains, surrounded by a border of chains.

Replaces the right-hand side of Think Independently. See previously: JFTC2

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01971 injustice

On First Looking Into Keats & Chapman

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
2014-06-13 ReadMoreKeats+

Two shots of Keats & Chapman, booksellers, in North Street, and a second incarnation of ‘Read More’ by “Filth” (This Is Filth, Graham Watson). The original Read More was two units further down the street – that spot has been taken by JMK’s Venus (recorded separately). A picture of the shop during trading hours (taken 2013-10) is below, with a little girl perhaps getting her first look into Keats & Chapman.

2013-10-06 KeatsChapman+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01967 X01371

The Cat That Got The Cream

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
2014-06-13 TivoliTiger+

In Belfast city centre in the early morning, it’s generally safe for the milkman to leave the milk on the pavement outside business premises, but perhaps not when there’s a well-camouflaged tiger on the prowl  – red and white striped to match the pole of the Tivoli barber shop.

Work by friz in North Street; replaces KinMX’s blue-haired nude.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01968