City/Town

It’s A Knockout!

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

It’s A Knockout ran from 1966 to 1982 and entertained millions both live and on television, with teams from neighbouring towns playing ridiculous games in over-sized foam-rubber suits (plus jaunty theme music by Herb Alpert). It was based on a French show that was based on an Italian show, and so broad was its appeal that Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Great Britain (and, once, a team from “Northern Ireland”) – took part in an international version, called Jeux Sans Frontières. (Here’s a ‘best of’ compilation.)

The Conservative party leadership election ran for 54 days, with a series of debates and twelve hustings involving candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak (here are summaries of all twelve hustings, including the one in Belfast), ending mercifully on September 5th with party members electing Truss. In Ciaran Gallagher’s (web) repainted mural (see previously, And In The Blue Corner …) Jacob Rees-Mogg declares Truss – in the Union Flag top and England shorts – the winner while Boris Johnson (still nominally the Prime Minister but who took two holidays, to Slovenia and Greece (HuffPo)) counts out the bloody-nosed Sunak, skipping over the No 10.

In the middle of the mural, Larry (the cat) wants to “Bring back Julian Smith!” Smith was NI Secretary 2019-2020. The task has (eventually) fallen to Euro-skeptic Chris Heaton-Harris, Conservative MP for Daventry (web). He replaces Shailesh Vara, who lasted 62 days, the shortest-lasting NI Secretary ever (BBC).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Extramural Activity
X11469 X11467 [X11464] X11468 X11465 [X11466]

On Guard

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The war memorial in Redburn Square, Holywood, was removed in 2017 while the square was redeveloped (Belfast Live). It returned that November (County Down Spectator Fb) with a new base and several additions have been made since then, including the bench above (with art deco styling), a NI Centenary stone (below), and reproduction photographs from the period covering the utility box (final image), including one of the statue many years previously – it was sculpted by Leonard Merrifield and unveiled January, 1922, with the dedication a few months later (History Hub Ulster video | Wartime NI). In addition to the names of 110 locals who perished in the Great War, there are 28 names from WWII (Ulster War Memorials) and one from the Korean War (Traces Of War).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11447 X11448 X11446 X11449

Bill Of Shame

Extramural Activity1 Comment

A rally against the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy And Reconciliation) Bill takes place later today, congregating at City Hall after marching from three locations around the city (the McGurks Bar memorial in north Belfast), Divis tower in west Belfast, and Cromac Square near the Markets. The Bill passed the House Of Commons in July despite criticism from all sides, including the DUP, Alliance, and the SDLP – Colm Eastwood called it “shameful” and a “whitewash” (Breaking News). One criticism of the bill is that the body it would establish (the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery) must not place at risk the national security of the UK, which is taken to mean protection for UK government officials (Irish Central). It is also thought not to be compliant with the Human Rights Act (ITV | BelTel).

The rally is organised by the Time For Truth campaign (web).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11452 Limestone Road

We Can’t Afford

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“We can’t afford … heating … electricity … a home.” “Costs are rising and so must we!” “Cost of living crisis? You mean capitalism.” Lasaır Dhearg (web) seizes the means of propaganda to push for socialism as an alternative to capitalism’s current difficulties.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11438 [X11386] X11387 X11383 X11439 X11377 X11376

When Young People Are United …

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“… they can never be divided.” The two parts of this slogan are found at the end and the beginning of two murals and symbolically join together PUL Tiger’s Bay (with a mural at the end of the “peace” line on Hallidays Road, shown in the first three images) and CNR Newington (with a mural on Limestone Road, shown in subsequent images). Youths from both communities worked on the murals (Belfast Live).

The Hallidays Road wall previously had a similar ‘Welcome’ mural on it – see The Bigger Picture.

Presumably these are Blaze FX (web) productions. The murals were started back in May but were only completed last week. The muralists are perhaps busy with another job …

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11389 [X10404] X11388 [X10402] X10403 X10406 X11390 [X10405] X11392 [X10407] X11391 [X10079] [X10080] [X10081] it takes a community to raise a child holy family parish Limestone United four colours of man

Defund The Police

Extramural Activity1 Comment

These are new IRSP (web) boards along the Falls Road, opposite the leisure centre and below the IRA memorial garden, highlighting two of the organisation’s most pressing concerns: the PSNI and housing.

“The deadly web of corruption: Funding Scams, Sectarianism, MI5 Special Branch, Internment by Remand, Diplock Non-Jury Courts, Political Policing, Public Interest Immunity Certificates, Collusion/Coverups”,” “Defund – disarm – disband”

“Drop the rents – west Belfast demands affordable housing and an end to landlord exploitation.”

“96% of Divis residents do no support the PSNI” was seen previously and “Divis ’81” replaces the 40th anniversary hunger strike board, also seen previously – see For A Socialist Republic.

August 2021 graffiti reserving the spots:

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11371 [X11829] X11370 [X11828] X11372 [X11827] X11345 [X11346] X11369
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X15344

Hello Future

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Pat Sheehan had been on hunger strike for 55 days when the strike was ended on October 3rd, 1981. He became MLA for Belfast West in 2010. He was the main speaker at the 41st anniversary commemoration in Belfast this past Sunday (video). The boards shown here are in Pim Street, north Belfast, the former Andersonstown RUC station in west Belfast, lower Falls Road, west Belfast.

“Comóradh Náısıúnta in ómós na staılceoırí ocrais. Béal Feırste 21 Lúnasa, 2:00 i.n. Aoıchaınteoır: Pat Sheehan. Páırc Dunvılle a fhad le hUaıgheannaí na Poblachta, Reılıg Bhaile an Mhuıleann. (Ag cruınnıú ag 1:30 ı.n., ag fágáıl ar bhuıle 2:00 i.n.”

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11385 [X11381] X10438 X11382 X11374 X11375

And In The Blue Corner …

Extramural Activity1 Comment

This is the completed version of the Sunak-Truss mural – including Larry The Cat (ig) – in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter. The two candidates fighting to get through the door to No 10 Downing Street are, in the ‘Leave’ corner, wearing gold gloves, and sponsored by Prada, which is where his expensive loafers came from (Yahoo News) Rishi Sunak, and in the ‘Remain’ corner, wearing Euro gloves, and sponsored by Claire’s, which is where her 4.50 earrings come from (Nadine Dorries’s twitter), Lizz Truss.

“Round 8” above the ring indicates that the Belfast hustings (in the Culloden on Wednesday 17th) for Conservative leader were the eighth in a series of twelve. The News Letter has a blow-by-blow account of the meeting. In classic journalistic style, ITV reported on the hustings from in front of the mural (video).

Painted by Ciaran Gallagher (web) with funding by Willie Jack of the Duke Of York and Harp Bar (Today Post).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11369 X11370 X11371

Incendiary Device

Extramural Activity1 Comment

Irish-language rap group Kneecap (web) played in Falls Park on Friday night, sharing the stage with Imelda May and Damien Dempsey in a concert that Féıle entitled “Irish Voices“, but before that they revealed a mural in Hawthorn Street showing a PSNI land-rover on fire next to the phrase “Níl fáılte roımh an RUC [The RUC is not welcome]”.

Outraged responses to the mural have come from all quarters. The line comes from their song C.E.A.R.T.A. (youtube), about making sure the police don’t find the satirically enormous array of drugs – “cóc, speed, Es, agus moll marıjuana” to name only a few – they hope to take at a party: “Seans ar bıth go bhfaıghıdh sıad mo mhála MD/Mar tá cóısır ann anocht ‘s níl fáılte roımh an RUC”.

The Kneecap party and the middle Falls are the latest in a long line of places where the PSNI is not welcome, not just Ardoyne, Divis, and the Bogside (Derry) but also the Village, the Shankill, Carrickfergus, Millbrook (Larne), the Caw (Londonderry), and Tullyally (Londonderry).

The sticker shows a vintage republican image: see e.g. England Get Out Of Ireland and Stad Maggie Anoıs.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11158 X11159 X11157 3CAG trí chonsan agus guta