City/Town

Understand The Past

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“Understand the past – and build a better future, le cheıle, “Catholic, Protestant, and Dissenter” – Wolfe Tone”. The past that is to be understood is the 40th anniversary of the Battle Of St Matthew’s (“Cath Naomh Máıtıú” in the “4” on the left) which took place in June 1970. Two Protestants and a Catholic died; the battle was a founding moment in the history of the Provisional IRA (“Óglaıgh na hÉıreann” in the “0”) (WP). St Matthew’s church is depicted on the right.

In the centre is a Tricolour with a modified version of the ‘raised arms’ illustration of ‘everyone has their part to play’ (e.g. Emancipation Of Women has a paintbrush, hammer, and book in addition to a rifle; one in Derry has paintbrush, spanner, coloured pencils (at the end of a shorter arm), rifle, book, and placard – see The Destructive Talents Of The RUC). Here we have a dove – perhaps in place of the rifle – pencil, and spanner.

For information about the 2010 launch, see Glór Mhıc Aırt.

Mountpottinger Road, Short Strand, east Belfast

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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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…. And Short Strand Too!

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“Dublin, Belfast, Cork And Donegal” was a Sınn Féın media slogan in 2011, borrowing a line from (the song) On The One Road (here’s a Wolfe Tones rendition) and touting the fact that its candidates stand for election in both the Republic and Northern Ireland.

Mountpottinger Road, Short Strand, east Belfast.

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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Welcome To Loyalist Linfield Road

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“2009: Welcome To Loyalist Linfield Road. Celebrating Our Culture 1690.” The central panel is a combination Union Flag, Ulster Banner, and free-floating Northern Ireland.

The banner hung on the railings in Linfield Road from 2009 until it was stolen and placed on a 2013 republican bonfire (see Bonfire Flags) which then elicited a comment on the wall just east of this location (see They May Have Stole Our Banner).

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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Champions

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Here is a 2011 image of a 2005? boxing mural off Ross Road. The lower parts look like they have gone 10 rounds with graffiti artists. In the foreground is a mural featuring local boxers from the Immaculata Amateur Boxing Club (on the nearby Albert Road); in the distant mural, Muhammad Ali.

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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00381 danny sweetpea martin paul beaver ryan frank coco paddy rogie

Gregg & Carson

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John “Grug/Grugg” Gregg and Robert “Rab” Carson of the UDA’s Southeast Antrim brigade were killed on February 1st, 2003, on orders from Johnny Adair of the West Belfast brigade after Gregg and other brigade bosses voted to expel Adair from the UDA (October 2002).

The emblem is of the Royal Irish/Ulster Rifles/Regiment – it’s not clear if there is connection to Gregg or the UDA; the emblem is also used by the Cloughfern Young Conquerors, but again the connection to the RIR is unclear.

Replaces the Cloughfern Eddie. (See also the Visual History page on Eddie.) Gregg was known as “the grim reaper” and had a tattoo of the reaper on his back (Guardian).

The Israeli flag flies from the Watta-Chip in Knockenagh Avenue, Newtownabbey.

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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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