City/Town

Up

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Work is well under way on the main floors of a new 12-storey student accommodation that will tower over the houses in Stephen Street (in the middle-ground of today’s images); the construction involves Lacuna Developments, Farrans Construction, and Plantavi and is due to be completed in spring 2023. For a timeline of the development, see SkyScraperCity.

The plot along Carrick Hill remains vacant – see Dense for the board (in the second image) calling for traditional family housing.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
[X08828] [X08829] X08830 X08831 [X08832]

Glory Days

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Henrik Larsson left Glasgow Celtic for Barcelona in 2004, after scoring 174 goals in 221 appearances (WP), but he replaced Katie Taylor as an inspiration to the kids at Victoria Nursery in the New Lodge. (Her faded right shoulder is still visible in the bottom left corner of the image below; for the whole thing, see School Of Champions.)

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X08836 X08835

Jock Davison

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Gerard ‘Jock’ Davison (here spelled “Gerarrd ‘Jock’ Davidson, 3rd Batt”) was an IRA volunteer who became a community worker in the Markets after the peace. He was shot dead in 2015 (BBC), probably by republicans, and the murder case is still open (Bel Tel | Irish Examiner). It drew publicity in 2021 because a date for the inquest into his alleged killer’s death (which occurred three months later, possibly at the hands of IRA members still holding weapons) has been set (Irish News), the arrest in Spain of a criminal wanted for questioning in connection with the gun used (Bel Tel), and because it was revealed that the PSNI warned him his life might be in danger a month before he was shot (Irish News).

This graffiti tribute is in Carrick Hill.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
[X08825] X08826

Unsung Heroes

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“The young and the old rallied around/To help fight the forces of the British crown/Unsung heroes too many to name/Defended Unity flats and never sought fame”. Unity flats were built in 1968 to replace the old Carrick Hill but immediately came under repeated attack by loyalists from the nearby Peter’s Hill and Shankill; by 1987 their demolition had been approved but because of difficulty in rehousing residents (Hansard), the new Carrick Hill was not completed until 2009 (BelTel). The flats have a Facebook page, Growing Up In Unity Flats. The plaques shown today are on the side of the newsagents in the new Carrick Hill.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X08819 X08820 X08817 X08818

The World Affords No Enjoyment Equal To That Of Promoting The Happiness Of Others

Extramural Activity2 Comments

Mary Ann McCracken lived to the age of 96 (1770-1866) and over the course of that long life used her family prosperity and the success of her own muslin business to support various causes: these included the United Irishmen and her brother Henry Joy McCracken – whose illegitimate daughter Maria was taken in by Mary Ann after he was executed – and a long list of ‘social justice’ causes, including the abolition of slavery, the protection of working children, education for young children both male and female, women’s rights, and care for the destitute in Belfast – her uncles Henry and Robert had founded the Belfast Charitable Society and built a poorhouse on Clifton Street and Mary Ann served on the Ladies Committee (WP | NICVA). This new bust of Mary Ann McCracken looks towards Clifton House from Stanhope Street in Carrick Hill. (The bust was designed by Anto Brennan (Irish News), who also did the No Pasarán bust in Writer’s Square.) In the other direction, as shown below, can be seen the Divis tower block.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X08810 [X08811] [X08812] [X08813] [X08814] X08815 [X08816] X08823

What We Want You To Think

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Two more from the so-called “White Rose” (see previously: Where Your Fear Begins). To repeat, this is not the anti-Nazi White Rose but a modern-day group of activists fighting the “scamdemic”. Above, the news is fed to us; below, mice refuse a Covid vaccine (because it hasn’t been test on another species?)

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X08809 X08796 Lanark Way Shankill Rd

West Belfast Supports The Community Rescue Service

Extramural Activity1 Comment

“West Belfast supports the Community Rescue Service (web | Fb) – Thank you for all the work you do for our community.” “West Belfast” in this case means PUL west Belfast, though this tarp is at the very edge of the Shankill, on the railings at the bottom of Lanark Way. A mural to the Service was painted on Northumberland Street (in CNR west Belfast) in November – see Hill Or High Water.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X08808