Belfast

A Citizens’ Assembly

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The Citizens’ Assembly is a group of 99 randomly-chosen Irish citizens, plus a chair, that considers large-scale issues over the course of months. It began in 2016 by taking up the Eighth Amendment on abortion, the “pensions timebomb” fixed-term parliaments, voter turnout and referendums, and climate change – it is not restricted, like its predecessor the Constitutional Convention, to constitutional issues (WP). The 2020-2021 Assembly considered gender equality and biodiversity loss. Sınn Féın called for an Assembly on Irish unity at its November (2022) Ard Fheıs (Irish Examiner | Derry Journal | youtube panel) and Belfast City Council passed an SDLP motion to recommend that the Taoıseach form an Assembly (News Letter); in December, the Dublin City Council approved a measure calling for an Assembly to consider the topic (SF).

“The Irish government should establish a citizens’ assembly on Irish unity/tıonól na saoránach ar aontú na hÉıreann.” Sınn Féın’s preferred outcome of such a process is given at the bottom of the board: “#Time4Unity/Am d’Aontacht”. The images show the board in north Belfast (Limestone Road).

The “Bill Of Shame” (on the left of the wide image) is the legislation to forbid prosecutions for legacy killings.

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Lives Lost

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In addition to the repainted mural in Donore Court (featured yesterday in Time For The Truth) a number of information boards have been mounted along the New Lodge Road and on Teach Eithne, presenting photographs and profiles of the six youths who were killed, and a map and description of the events that took place on the night of February 3rd-4th, 1973.

The board concludes, “It is equally true that many others from the neighbouring Unionist and Protestant communities lost their lives during the conflict – these tragedies too bring a painful sense of loss that must be acknowledged. With over 100 lives lost by a combination of loyalist and British State forces – the Greater New Lodge community experience speaks to a story of State execution, collusion and naked sectarian killings over a 35 year period. … The New Lodge community has a narrative that remains to be told – this includes lives lost, imprisonment and discrimination. It is extremely difficult to accurately convey the enormity of the devastation and pain of lives lost in the conflict. … The New Lodge conflict narrative is not of passive victimhood, but of a community who survived the most difficult circumstances and who remain steadfast in their determination to pursue truth and justice for their loved ones.”

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Charlie Carson James McCann James Sloan Ambrose Hardy Tony TC Campbell Brendan ‘Fat’ Maguire John Loughran

My Da Was A Pigeon Man

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Here are six pieces on the fence above the Townsend Street gates in the west Belfast “peace” line (seen previously Da War Is Not Over Yet and Mickey Marley’s Roundabout) depicting life in years gone by in the Townsend Street/Brown’s Square area. The six are (from left to right on the street/top to bottom on this page):

My Da Was A Pigeon Man – a tribute to the many pigeon lofts and clubs in Belfast. There is a pigeon-loft mural in east Belfast.

Messages – “Doing” or “running” “messages” means grocery shopping.

Half Moon – the “half moon” was the semi-circular area on the pavement outside a terraced house that would become shiny with repeated washing. Here are some descriptions and memories from Belfast Forum.

Born, Wed And Buried On Townsend St

Atlas & Soho: The Soho iron foundry in Townsend Street was owned and managed by Robert Shipboy McAdam and his brother James (Ricorso | Grace’s); the Atlas foundry was at 73 Townsend Street and owned by Victor C Taylor (Lennon Wylie).

Dog Walking Man

These appear to be prints or photographs on boards, rather than stone casts as on the CNR side of the gates: see The Oasis.

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It’s Christmas After All

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“Merry Christmas from the loyalist Village – fuck the protocol – FGAU”.

More recent anti-Protocol graffiti – see Peace Or Protocol – and posters – A Return To Violence (for most background) and Political Leaders Are Not Listening.

Glenmachan Street, Belfast, just below Frenchpark Street.

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Where’s Our 600 Quid?

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After much delay and finger-pointing (BelTel | Belfast Live) – and this complaint from east Belfast graffitist Hallion – details were published yesterday (December 30th) about how people will receive a £600 pound direct debit (or a voucher redeemable at the Post Office) to help with energy bills (uk.gov). The £600 comprises £400 from the Energy Bills Support Scheme (approved back in April, 2022 – uk.gov) and a £200 “Alternative Fuel Payment” (announced in August – uk.gov). The £200 AFP is due to the high percentage of homes using home-heating oil in Northern Ireland as compared with Britain (Belfast Live).

“Where is our 400 600 quid? Cost of living, innit. – Hallion2″

Previous work by Hallion: Wash Your Hands | It Hasn’t Gone Away | Wear A Mask Or The Easter Bunny Gets It | к черту Путина/Thran Rights Nai. For the fake shop-fronts, see previously: Semiotics.

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Political Leaders Are Not Listening

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Here is a second set of images showing the “peace or protocol” poster that has appeared in PUL areas in the city, three in east Belfast – along the Newtownards Road. Two others in north Belfast were seen previously in A Return To Violence, which also explains the poster.

For the murals along “Freedom Corner” see 50th Anniversary; for the black-and-white mural, see Please Pay Here. See also Choose One Or The Other!

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Gertrude Street Defenders

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Gertrude Street no longer exists – it was just east of where Wolff Close now is. But the Gertrude Street Defenders LOL 525 (Fb) brought back a former lodge (Lees Temperance/East Belfast Orange) March 2017, with former members of the Gertrude Star flute band (News Letter). For the five-flowered board on the right, see The Flax And The Lily. This pair of boards is on the courtyard fencing around the Westbourne Glentoran Supporters Club, off the Newtownards Road in the old Solway Street.

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The Dead We Honour Here

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“The dead we honour here made the noble sacrifice for a cause that should never be forgotten.” A new board has been added to the memorial to the Ulster Volunteers on the Newtownards Road at St Leonard’s Crescent (the old Newcastle Street) over the bricked-up windows of the Belvoir Bar (see previously Not For Sale). The annual parade of the Belvoir Somme Association took place at the end of September (youtube)

There is also a portrait of Carson (see the Paddy Duffy collection), moved up from its previous location on the corner of Welland Street. The UVF Band mural is to the right of the memorial: see The Great War and They Said We’d Never Last.

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Ulster’s VC Heroes david nelson ernest wright alexander william mcfadzean edmund de win richard annesley west hugh colvin james somers jams duffy robert morrow edward barry stewart bingham thomas hughes robert hill hanna robert quigg john spencer dunville eric norman frankland bell james crichton geoffrey st. george shillington cather james anson otho brooke john alexander sinton dedicated to the women of east belfast that served in wwi and wwii