Newtownabbey

Long To Reign Over Us

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
2015-01-24 QEII50th+

The Queen’s golden jubilee (50th anniversary 1952 – 2002) is celebrated in this long-lasting UFF/UDA mural in Rathcoole. It originally included a (painted) “plaque” at the bottom, which has been painted out. On September 10th, 2015, Elizabeth II will surpass Victoria as the longest reigning British monarch.

Diamond jubilee mural in the Village: Looking Back; board on the Shankill: For Those About To March | Ulster Girl.

2015-01-24 QEIIWide+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02489 X02490 flags of england scotland wales norther ireland union jack crown quis separabit red fist hand

A Poppy Grows

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
2014-11-05 PopUpPoppy+

November 11th is Remembrance Day or Armistice day, the anniversary of the cease-fire of the first world war, while 2014 is the centenary year of the beginning of the war in 1914. As part of this year’s commemoration, a very striking giant poppy has sprouted in the middle of the Manse Road roundabout. A close-up is included below: “We will remember them 1914-2014”.

2014-11-05 Poppy+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02328 X02327

At The Boundary

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
2014-10-09 Boundary+

The Bawnmore area lies just beyond the border of Belfast, north of the city council along the Shore Road. While the area has seen many large retail chains erect stores over the last few decades, the local businesses have closed. Above, the Boundary Bar, which was burnt out in 2007, now with fake window dressing; below, Paul’s newsagents around the corner in Mount Street.

2014-10-09 PaulsColour+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02268 X02272 fake front

Monkstown UFF

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
2014-08-27 MonkstownUFF1stBatt+

The background, at least, has been repainted on this UFF mural in Monkstown with three hooded gunmen in balaclavas, black jackets, and blue jeans posing with assault rifles on an outline of the north coast in the colours of the Northern Irish flag. For the original, see Monkstown UFF 1st Batt.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02128 ulster freedom fighters rifle Ards Pk

Bill & Ben, The Loyalist Men

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
2014-08-26 BillAndBen+

The original ‘Flower Pot Men’ was a radio show in 1951 and then a television series in December 1952; it featured the adventures/mishaps of two flower pot men, ending – because they were identical – with the question ‘Which of those two flower pot men – was it Bill or was it Ben?” The few (10? IMDb) episodes produced were repeated until 1970. “Bill” and “Ben” were the names of the younger brothers of creator Hilda Brabban and ‘Little Weed’ was based on her younger sister, Phyllis (Toonhound | Daze Of Our Lives). The characters were revived in 2001 and given a new look; the garden ornaments above from in a yard in Monkstown are based on the modern pair, though painted in red, white, and blue.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02117 listen watch with mother

Memorial To The Missing

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
2014-08-26 WeRemember+

Canadian physician John McCrae’s poem In Flanders Fields and the triple arches of the Thiepval memorial to the missing are featured in this Monkstown mural. It is McCrae’s poem that is thought to have given rise to the use of the poppy as a symbol of military remembrance (WP). A close-up of the right-hand side, showing the memorial, is below. The names of over 72,000 dead are inscribed on the memorial (WP | travelfranceonline).

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow/Between the crosses, row on row/That mark our place; and in the sky/The larks, still bravely singing, fly/Scarce heard amid the guns below.//We are the Dead. Short days ago/We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,/Loved and were loved, and now we lie/In Flanders fields//Take up our quarrel with the foe:/To you from failing hands we throw/The torch; be yours to hold it high./If ye break faith with us who die/We shall not sleep/Though poppies grow/In Flanders fields.”

2014-08-26 WeRememberDetail+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02126 X02127 we remember 1914 1918 uvf ycv

Who Will Separate Us?

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
2014-08-26 Monkstown1stBatt+

This Monkstown mural commemorates four UDA volunteers: Malcolm Fisher, Colin Weir, Jim McClurg and William Hobbs. Hobbs and McClurg were killed when a bomb went off prematurely (CAIN’s Sutton Index 1977) ; there is no mention of the other two. Please leave a comment or send an e-mail if you have any information.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02118 absent friends quis separabit at the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them