Being a human is hard and being a good human is harder. But art (specifically the Queens Of The Stone Age ‘God Is In The Radio’) gives us the inspiration to keep coming back for another try. Graffiti on a McHugh’s poster in the New Lodge.
The New Lodge grotto in honour of Mary, adjacent to various murals in support of republican POWs, has been repainted (see previously) with images of the Immaculate Heart Of Mary, Our Lady Of Fatima, and the trio above, showing St. Joseph the carpenter, Mary, and St Patrick(?).
St Thérèse is the figure next to “New” in “New Lodge Grotto” and Our Lady Of Medjugorje is on the right.
“Welcome: When you Enter this Loving school Consider yourself One of the special Members of an Extraordinary family”. Two images from St Patrick’s primary on the edge of the New Lodge. The “Hail Mary’ is written in Irish
Hope for salvation from the coronavirus epidemic appears in Iveagh Street: “‘There is no problem I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary.’ – Sister Lucia [Lúcia], Fatima visionary. Rediscover the power of the Rosary at www.therosary.net“
“Active service” on paramilitary plaques means death by a premature bomb explosion rather than at the hands of enemy forces. All three of the IRA volunteers named here died in this way: Paul Fox in King Street in 1975, Sean Bailey in nearby Nansen Street in 1976, and Paul Marlowe on the Ormeau Road later that same year (Sutton). The central plaque (shown below) has been in place since at least 2006 but was augmented last year with portraits. The fourth is Tony Campbell, also from the 2nd battalion, dead by natural causes in 1985.
“I ndíl [ndıl] chuımhne ar Óglach Paul Fox A-Coy 2 Batt Belfast Brigade, died on active service 1-12-1975, Óglach Sean Bailey A-Coy 2 Batt Belfast Brigade, died at this location on active service 13-2-1976, Óglach Paul Marlowe A-Coy 2 Batt Belfast Brigade, died on active service 16-10-1976, Óglach Tony Campbell died of natural causes 4-8-1985. I measc laochra na hÉıreann atá sıad. In every generation we have renewed the struggle and so it will be to the end. When England thinks she has trampled out our blood in battle, some brave men and women rise and rally us again.”
“Loyal” and “Brexit” boards on lamp-poles and walls in Tiger’s Bay. If you know when they were put up (or any other information), please comment or get in touch. The final “Brexit” is on the same pole as was Hand-Crafted.
Above is one of the few remaining houses in the old style in Tiger’s Bay. This is one of three on Mervue Street, which back onto a row of six in Mervue Court; there also is a row of six on Halliday’s Road which survived the rebuilding there – for images of loyal drawings in the boarded up houses that were replaced, see The Queen In Tiger’s Bay. Below, however, is an image of the freshly-repainted kerbstones just above the house, at the junction of Mervue and Edlingham streets.
100+ politicians, academics, and signed a letter calling for the release of some ETA prisoners during the coronavirus epidemic. This is only the first of the five demands (recalling the Blanket protest here) in this 32CSM poster from King Street, Belfast: “Support Basque political prisoners! Support the 5 demands! 1. The freeing of vulnerable prisoners and those who are coming to the end of their sentences. 2. To receive family visits. 3. Access to materials to avoid being infected (gloves, sanitisers, etc.). 4. Carrying out of Covid-19 tests on prisoners and jailers. 5. In the event of the death of family member, the possibility of a prisoner going to the funeral home to pay their last respects. Stop the torture!”
The weather hasn’t been great and coronavirus is till here too, but hope is the last thing to die and we might get one of the two. Better Days Bob replaces Clive The Whale – work by FGB (Francois Got Buffed | web | ig) in Belfast city centre.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, people celebrating the Twelfth yesterday were encouraged to maintain physical distance from others by staying in their gardens as the bands marched by. Homeowners decorated their properties (perhaps using these Twelfth At Home packs in Lurgan). Here is video from the Belfast Telegraph of this year’s marches.