Signature piece, and signature, by This Means Nothing (later to become Emic (Fb | web)) in Garfield Street, Belfast city centre.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X05168
City/Town
Falls Curfew 1970
This is a 2010 mural of Máıre Drumm and the women of West Belfast breaking the British Army curfew of the lower Falls in 1970 (youtube). Drumm was later shot dead in her bed in the Mater hospital where she was a patient (WP).
The mural was unveiled July 4th on the 40th anniversary of the curfew’s end – see p. 28 of An Phoblacht. This version incorporates two of the ‘Free Marian Price’ (painted) “posters” that have been added to most of the murals – see the Visual History page on the International wall. The original can be seen in M05636. A shot of this mural being painted can be found here.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00597 oppression breeds resistance, resistance brings freedom, falls curfew july 1970, dedicated to all those women who faced up to military aggression, free marian price, i ndil chuimhne william burns 3-7-70 charles o’neill 3-7-70, zbigniew uglik 4-7-70, patrick elliman 11-7-70, murdered by the british army during the falls curfew of july 3-5 1970. the curfew was finally broken by the courage and determination of the women of belfast
Martin Corey
“Release Martin Corey” stencil now appearing all over nationalist west Belfast, alongside ‘Free Marian Price’. Martin Corey was returned to prison in 2010 and a 2011 commission ruled that he was a member of the CIRA (WP | Belfast Telegraph).
[An appeal – on the grounds that evidence had been withheld – was rejected in December, 2012.]
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00596 [X00810]
Titanic Town – South Belfast
This is a May 2012 mural celebrating workers at Harland & Wolff and the building of the Titanic (and Olympic) 1908-1911 on the gable wall of Allen’s Tours (Allen’s Furniture)
The artist is Ed Reynolds, whose site contains images of him at work on the piece (steadyhanded.com). The painting is somewhat reminiscent of Magritte’s 1959 Le Mois Des Vendages.
Combermere Street, (Donegall Rd. just before Sandy Row), south belfast
The left-hand “title” and two details follow below …
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00595 X00600 X00594 X00601 funded by belfast city council titanic workers, this mural was developed under belfast city council’s titanic community engagement project with support from titanic foundation. thanks go to sandy row community forum, local residents and artist Ed Reynolds.
Death Of Billy Hunter
The UVF’s Billy Hunter, who served fourteen years for the killings of the McErlane brothers (BBC | Belfast Telegraph), has died by his own hand. On Saturday (25th August) a floral tribute to him was mounted on the railings of the ASDA store where he worked.
According to ‘The Irish News’ (Monday 27th August 2012), “Hunter died after he doused himself in petrol and set it alight at the side of the Ballywalter Road, Millisle, on Friday morning.”
The Irish News quotes Gerard McErlane as saying, “The fella did it and God have mercy on him. What he did he did to himself. John and Thomas had no choice when he murdered them. He had a choice and maybe it was his conscience. I don’t know. I said a prayer and lit a candle for him doing that as I would for any human being doing that to themselves.”
However, Mr McErlane said tributes to Hunter should be removed. “It bothers me that they are supporting him. Even in his death they are supporting him. They are glorifying him. I want it removed.”
Quoting an ASDA spokeswoman, the Irish News reported that the store would support colleagues who want to attend the funeral. She said the store would let the “community decide on floral tributes”.
Detail and wide shot below …
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00591 X00592 X00593 no goodbye no farewell billy so! until the next time good night mate!! john s.r.t, york star linfield s.c.
Marian Price
Marian Price (WP entry) poster now appearing all over nationalist west Belfast. The rally for Price (shown below) was in Beechmount, on August 4th.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00590 X05149 oppose british internment, in defence of the nation, 32 county sovereignty movement, release free marian price
Hands Across The Yard
This mural expresses solidarity between Irish republican and Palestinian prisoners of war. It was painted by a local artist in collaboration with Carlos Latuff, a Brazilian political cartoonist. There’s a picture of Latuff and the local artist in front of the mural, as well as his cartoon version, here. (Update: he also drew a cartoon on the wall of a café in Belfast city centre.) He also visited Derry.
Northumberland Street, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00586 solidarity pows
Green, White, And Bronze
This is the new Michael Conlan mural, on Violet Street, painted by Marty Lyons. It is notable for how quickly it went up (Conlon (and Barnes) won medals on August 11th), for the sponsorship (by the Beehive and McPeakes), and for the artists’ signatures (below the McPeakes label – click on the image to enlarge).
Boxing is organized on an all-island basis (WP), though at the Olympics boxers can choose to fight for either Ireland or GBNI.
At London 2012, Ireland won four medals in boxing. Conlan, Barnes, Katie Taylor (gold) and John Joe Nevin (silver).
(P.S. The Nevins are travellers (WP) and Mr and Mrs Nevin could not find an establishment in Mullingar where they could watch the fight – they had to go out of town to a pub where they weren’t known. )
Here’s a picture of the mural in progress. (Replaces the Celtic mural.)
Other Olympians: In London, a mural of Usain Bolt. In the U.S., a mural was painted of gymnastic champion Gabby Douglas. Irish/Northern Irish Olympians in Belfast. Anti-corporate Olympics mural.
Violet Street, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00584
Just The Ticket
These are just a few of the panels that are part of the long, long, mural in Stroud Street by Ed Reynolds (steadyhanded.com), “assisted by William McKee Strong, June 2012” – McKee appears as the man putting money into the parking-ticket machine, which is real, as is the street-light pole incorporated in the mural above. (There are a few seconds of footage of children swinging on a light pole at the 1:25 mark of this youtube video.)
The third image is based on a photograph by the celebrated Belfast photographer Bill Kirk whose exhibit ‘Sandy Row 1974’ was at the Red Barn Gallery September-October 2011. At 6:50 in this youtube video one can see the original photograph of the Elliots.
Commissioned by the Belfast City Council, in consultation with the Sandy Row Community Forum and the Residents’ Association. The Tele had a write-up of the work: The Singing Butcher.
Stroud Street, Sandy Row, south Belfast
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00583 X00588 sandy row 1907, tram workers sandy row at the albion Alex Higgins Joe Hillerby Alanna Audley-Murphy Ruby Murray James Johnston Joe Bambrick
Never Actually Existed
The new WARN (West Against Racism Network) mural on International Wall.
On the left, an Irish family in front of a window reading “No Irish need apply” is stereotyped as jagged-toothed, shillelagh-wielding hunch-backs in the style of Punch and other magazines’ portrayal of the Irish. The Punch portrayal is described, and Punch named explicitly, in the song ‘Do Me Justice’ a.k.a. ‘Here I Am From Donegal’. (Lyrics | audio: Frank Harte (full song) | Len Graham (clip).) They also carry a copy of “The Big Begorra” – a play on The Big Issue, a newspaper published on behalf of, and sold by, homeless people. “We’re projections of 19th century anti-Irish prejudice—we’ve never actually existed.”
The treatment of the Irish is used as an analogy for the the Roma (WP): “Whereas I, ethnoid steriotypus their creator, have existed since time immemorial. My latest target—the Roma! I hope you’ll swallow all the lies I concoct.”
“Hey—what was the outcome of the harassment of the Roma newspaper sellers?” “The evening edition collapsed!” – this is a reference to the Belfast Telegraph‘s decision to cease printing an evening edition.
This mural does NOT contain a reference to the ‘Free Marian Price’ (WP | FB) campaign, which all of the other murals on the international wall currently (summer 2012) do. In the lower right is the signature of political cartoonist Ian Knox, a.k.a. Blotski (WP) – Marty Lyons and a Short Strand artist were also involved – and date (9 August, 2012 – for Féile 2012 (pictures of the launch).
(Replaces a black-and-red ‘Oppose Racism‘ mural, which replaced the Liam MacCarthy Cup mural.)
International Wall, Divis Street, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00581 No Irish need apply; we’re projections of 19th century anti-Irish prejudice—we’ve never actually existed;west against racism network’ big begorra issue; whereas I ethnoid steriotypus their creator, have existed since time immemorial; my latest target—the Roma!; I hope you’ll swallow all the lies I concoct; Hey—what was the outcome of the harassment of the Roma newspaper sellers?’ the evening edition collapsed!
Seosamh Mac Coille Collection 