City/Town

And The Sword In The Other

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2013-09-18 Sash+

Here are two final images from the Clifton Street Orange Lodge, the first showing various insignia on a sash, including a Bible and crossed swords, the second showing various halberds.

The title of the post comes from a well-known phrase “with the Bible in one hand and the sword in the other”, the earliest appearance of which seems to be in Giovanni Battista Nicolini’s 1854 History Of The Jesuits: “Protestantism, a giant in its infancy, standing in a menacing attitude, with the Bible in one hand and the sword in the other, bid defiance to the impugners of the Sacred Volume.”

Previously: All Our Hope On Thee Is Stayed | Occupy | Total Abstinence | Across The Water

2013-09-16 Pikes+

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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No Surrender

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2013-09-18 Twaddell+

Above is a recently-added banner, from Tiger’s Bay loyalists, to the Twaddell Avenue protest camp – Carson’s statue in front of Stormont with the words ‘We will not be the generation to fail Ulster. Ulster is British. No Surrender’. A wide shot of the south side of the street, where the camp is, can be found below.

Previously: Civil Rights Camp | Supporters Club | Twaddell Protest Camp

2013-09-18 TwaddellWide+

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Total Abstinence

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2013-09-17 Angel+

Two more images from inside the hall of the Loyal Orange Order on Clifton Street, both having to do with temperance. (Also: All Our Hope On Thee Is Stayed | Occupy Till I Come)

The first, above is of ‘the angel with the book’, a reference to Revelation 10: “And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: and he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth.” (King James trans.)

The second, below, shows Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley being burnt at the stake in 1555. “Be of good comfort, Master Ridley and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle by God’s grace in England [as I trust] shall never be put out.” (WP)

2013-09-16 Abstinence+

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X01311 X01308 Ballygomartin l.o.l. no. 741 st. michael’s church defender 1890

Topper Thompson

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This is the (second) memorial to Paul ‘Topper’ Thompson in Moyard. He was killed by the UDA on April 27th, 1994. Collusion is alleged – see Relatives For Justice.

“In memory of Topper Thompson, murdered by British death squads, 27th April 1994 aged 25. Deeply missed by never forgotten. Erected by his friends.”

Springfield Park, west Belfast.

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Occupy

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2013-09-14 OccupyTillICome+

Another image from inside the Clifton Street Orange Order hall: an outline of the island of Ireland under the title (in Old Irish script) Oḋreaċt na [h]Éıreann – The Heritage of Ireland – surrounded by the coats of arms of the cities of Londonderry, Dublin, Cork and Belfast, and with the words “Occupy Till I Come – Luke 19:13” at the bottom.

“Occupy until I come” is the King James translation of Luke 19:13 (Greek: πραγματεύσασθαι ἐν ᾧἔρχομαι) and is better translated as “conduct business until I come [back]”. It is from the story of the king who gave money to 10 servants to see what they would make with it. The one who does nothing with it says he knows the king is exploitative and harsh (αὐστηρὸς, austere!) and he was afraid (to lessen or lose the money, presumably). To which the king says, roughly, ‘if you knew that I expect to profit from other people, you should have done something with it!’ and has his money taken away; meanwhile, the citizens who spoke against the king in his absence are executed. So the moral of the story for Ireland is … the King has given Ireland to Protestants in order to increase its value, and they better make sure they do, because he expects to collect the profit; and anyone among the natives who protests is to be executed upon his return?

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Talking Shop

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2013-09-11 Anti-Glob+

These protesters are outside the Antrim Road Tesco’s, with placards bearing messages about globalisation: “Politicians, we need support against Tesco globalisation”, “No more! Unfair, non-transparent and collusive tendering practices”, “Support local companies in their fight against Tesco”.

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Second Best

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2013-09-09 Inverwood+

As reported in the media a week ago (BBC | Guardian | U.tv video | Slugger), an east Belfast mural featuring footballer George Best, which itself replaced a UVF mural, has been painted over and is being replaced by a new UVF mural. Progress on the piece, however, seems to have halted. This image shows the progress as of Monday 9th, showing no change since the 4th. The mural quotes Martin Luther King’s Letter From Birmingham Jail (pdf), drawing a parallel between the Civil Rights movement in the US and the situation of contemporary Protestants. Below is an image of the George Best piece, courtesy of the Geograph project.

Update 2013-09-13 U.tv reports that the work on the mural has indeed been halted.

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