City/Town

Praying For A Miracle

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Saint Luke’s C of I opened in 1863 in what was then the lower Falls but – because of the “peace” line is now the lower Shankill. It closed in 2006 and the congregation merged with St Stephen’s (in Millfield). The building served as a community centre. In 2015 two pigs’ heads with racist graffiti were left in the doorway in response to rumours that the building might become a mosque (BBC). The property was (later) acquired by Living Faith Global – “a miracle believing and seeing church” – which opened in April 2019.

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Copyright © 2020 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
X07718 Northumberland Street

The Holy Family

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Christmas greetings from Holy Family Parish, in four languages: “Happy Christmas” in English, “Nollaig Shona” in Irish, “Wesołych Świąt” in Polish, and “ക്രിസ്മസ് ആശംസകൾ”/”krismas āśansakaḷ” in Malayalam. Many nurses working in Ireland come from Kerala (Irish Times). The hoarding is next to Brothers Asian take-away on the Antrim Road at – “A bite of Asia”.

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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07781 X07782

Home Is Where The Hurt Is

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Domestic abuse reports to PSNI in the second quarter of 2020 increased 4% to 8,302 (BelTel). Women’s Aid NI (web | tw) provides refuge and support to victims of domestic violence. The stencil by Laura Nelson & Leo Boyd from VaultNI is on Carrick Hill. The title of today’s post comes from Women’s Aid CEO Sarah Mason (tw).

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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07780 X07779

Stranger Kings

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Members of Foreign Assassins and TDS (The Death Squad, in homage to the old NY crew) collaborated on a series of panels along the Connswater greenway inspired by the hit Netflix show Stranger Things, which in turn was inspired by Stephen King novels (including Needful Things) and 1980s fantasy and sci-fi movies (WP).

For in-progress shots, see Montana Cans.

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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07771 X07773 X07772 X07775 [X07843] X07774

Step Back In Time

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The old Ballymacarrett station was the last stop before Belfast when travelling from points east such as Holywood and Bangor. On the morning of January 10th, 1945, a faulty signal caused the 7:10 from Bangor to be halted at Ballymacarrett, only for it to be hit from behind by the oncoming 7:40 from Holywood. The steel lead-car of the Holywood train ploughed through the whole of the last carriage’s wooden coachwork and on into the penultimate carriage, causing the death of 22 people and injury to another 27 (WP).

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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07766 [X07765] X07764 Blaze FX

Road Sign

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Speed limits in Northern Ireland are set by the Department Of Infrastructure/An Roinn Bonneagair after consideration of all relevant factors. The residents of Tern Street, Belfast, have instead used a decades-old mode of public communication – wall painting – to ask motorists to slow down around the sharp turn just off Dee Street.

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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07763

Sick Of Covid

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A six-week lockdown beginning on December 26th was approved last night by the executive, which said the current situation required an “urgent intervention” (BBC). The lockdowns are difficult for everyone, not just financially but psychologically. (See previously: Home Is Where The Hurt Is.) This Broadway graffiti suggests that the lockdowns are promoting suicides, though there do not appear to be data yet suggesting an increase in suicide during the pandemic. ‘Action 61’ appears to be a fringe protest group.

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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07761 X07762

Pakis & Taigs

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North Belfast is experiencing a housing shortage (Build Homes Now) which means people are willing to go the extra mile for homes, which doesn’t always go down well with the locals. The graffiti shown in today’s post appeared in mid November in the majority-PUL area of Skegoneill, near the junction with Glandore Avenue and (CNR) Ashfield. Police called the graffiti a “hate incident” (QRadio).

See The Earl’s Thorn Bush.

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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07760 X07759 X07758 Queen Victoria Gardens