The water is fine. Really good, in fact. Come on in. Work by Francois Got Buffed (web | tw) in Kent Street for HTN.
Previously: 100% Less Hate | Ye Dancin’? | Dangerous Dave | Hi | Dancing In The Streets | Together
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“In loving memory of our uncle and brother.” A memorial of flowers and cards to “Uncle George” in Ormeau Park.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“Don’t be ashamed of your story – It will inspire others.” “You are amazing – remember that.” The Belfast ‘Darkness Into Light’ event for suicide-prevention (a walk to greet the sunrise) was held in Ormeau Park on May 11th, and the park was decorated with lots of inspirational messages and stencils from organisations including PIPS (Public Initiative For Prevention Of Suicide And Self-Harm Fb) and Pieta House (web) (with electric ireland).
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Tonight’s second round of performances in the Eurovision Song Contest sees the Irish entry take the stage. (The UK’s song has a bye into Friday night’s finals.) The competition is taking place in Tel Aviv, Israel, which has prompted the BDS movement to urge a boycott of the event. Among those lodging a protest are Gael Force Art, who took to Slıabh Dubh last weekend with a large Palestinian flag. Article 11 of UN Declaration 194 asserts that refugees displaced by the 1948 Arab-Israeli war should be able to return home.
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“It’s no lie – drugs will make your mama cry!” Sisters Bridget and Geraldine McKay died within three weeks of each other, one from heroin and the other from prescription dugs (iTV | BelfastLive | BelTel). Between them, they leave nine children behind. The graffiti above is at the Colin transport hub, not far from Geraldine’s Suffolk Road home; Bridget lived in the New Lodge flats.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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After suffering a lot of damage in a fairly short time, the PSNI land-rover-cum-ice-cream-van by Leo Boyd (web) and Laura Nelson (ig) – see Freshly Made For You! – has been stripped off and replaced with this clockwork version.
The PSNI land-rover is a familiar Boyd subject – see Off The Ledge for a list.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Show Some Love is a campaign by non-profit Another World Belfast (web | Fb | ig) to collect toiletries and underwear for ‘Love Packs’. The organisation takes its name and inspiration from the last line of Arundhati Roy’s Confronting Empire (which was subsequently expanded into An Ordinary Person’s Guide To Empire (p. 86)): “Another world is not only possible, she’s on the way and, on a quiet day, if you listen very carefully you can hear her breathe.” (The last line actually appears to be “On a quiet day, you can hear her breathing.”)
Behind their stencil on the electrical box is the spring 2019 Hit The North piece by artist Emmanlene Blake (web), portraying author and journalist Lyra McKee, who was shot in the head in Creggan (by a gunman from the New IRA) on April 18th while observing a riot from behind police lines. She was taken to Altnagelvin hospital but later died. At her funeral in Belfast, Father Martin Magill was inspired to ask why her death was required in order to make politicians work together. He received a standing ovation (BBC-NI).
Later in the painting process the electrical box was painted over in keeping with the piece (“Here’s to saying goodbye to bombs and bullets”) and a quotation added to the main piece: “It won’t always be like this. It’s going to get better – Lyra McKee.” See the final two images, below.
Kent Street, Belfast city centre
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The East Belfast UVF memorial parade primarily commemorates hitman Robert ‘Squeak’ Seymour, who killed the IRA’s James Burns in his own home in 1981. He was killed by the IRA in 1988. Here is video from the 2019 parade. Seymour’s portrait is included in Ballymacarrett (see Standing Guard) and in London Road (Ulster’s Brave).
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The first Dáıl Éıreann met in 1919 in the wake of a Sınn Féın sweep of the elections of 1918. Current leader Mary Lou McDonald addressed her deputies at a centenary commemoration, recounting the rise of the party: “They banished us, imprisoned us and bereaved us. But still the people spoke.” The mural above presents a montage of historical images, from the women of Wicklow (Barton) and Dublin (Mulcahy) being urged to exercise their new right to vote (also Arthur Griffith in East Cavan), to Bobby Sands and Owen Carron, to Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness. (Cormac’s Fight Back was turned into a mural on the Springfield Road.)
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Seosamh Mac Coille Collection 