Rangers’s season doesn’t end until May 15th but they have already clinched the Scottish League title. This gives their fans plenty of time to celebrate. This display is from Glenbryn. See previously: F*ck Your Ten In A Row | Respect, Heritage, Culture.
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‘Men Of Iron’ is the name of a 1922 William Conor painting, showing shipyard workers in the shadow of a great ship (you can see it at ArtUK). The painter himself was rendered in bronze (by sculptor Holger Lönze) and stands on the Shankill at the corner with Northumberland Street.
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Sandy Row Marching Band Supplies (Fb) has this Somme commemoration flag in a number of variations (“South Belfast”, “Loyal Carrick”, etc). Perhaps the “West Belfast” version has sold out, as this “North Belfast” flag is actually flying along Cupar Way in the middle Shankill.
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This time last year, Portadown True Blues flute band (Fb) was preparing for a trip to Toronto, Canada, for an international celebration of the Twelfth (News Letter) but it was cancelled on account of the pandemic. This blue board was an update of their long-standing purple mural in Edgarstown next to the Somme mural, also featured below (and previously in In Answer To The Echo Of Alarm.
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Babies’ bottles and “dummies” (pacifiers) hang from a tree in the middle of Musgrave Park, next to St Brigid’s GAC pitches, perhaps because Brigid is patron saint of babies, children, and midwives (as well as brewers and poultry farmers) (WP).
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The Shankill Somme association (Fb) uses the Ulster Tower in Thiepval, France, as its emblem. The association celebrated its 20th anniversary last February (2020) with a parade (gallery of images).
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“In Deo speramus”. “Edgarstown Remembers” “our forty-two fallen sons who made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their tomorrow for our today in the Great War 1914-1918.” “Dear Lord, I am just a soldier, a protector of our land/A servant called to battle when my country takes a stand./I pray for strength and courage and a heart that will forgive/For peace and understanding in a world for all to live./My family’s prayers are with me, no matter where I roam./Please listen when I’m lonely and return me safely home – Unknown”
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“This park is dedicated to three brothers who made the ultimate sacrifice defending their family, town and country in the Great War: Private Alexander Hayes, Private John Hayes, Private William Hayes.” Lurgan Ancestry would appear to give the third brother as Wesley, rather than Alexander. He and John died on the first day of the Somme.
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This is a vintage board in Milltown (south Belvoir), carved and painted with the YCV/UVF emblems but with “MYV” instead of “YCV”. The band’s last on-line presence seems to be from a decade ago, playing in Rathcoole.
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“Glorie tae God, the Messiah’s come noo”. The story of the birth of Jesus is told in Ulstèr-Scotch passages from the Bible and from Alexander Halliday’s song on tarps around the North Belfast Orange Memorial Hall. “A virgin will cairrie a wean … an whan he’s boarn, he’ll be caad Immanuel, mainin “God is wi iz.” (Mattha 1v23)” “When frae the East the wise men cam/The staur in Bethlehem was brightly shinin’/Doon on the place whaur lay the Lamb/And the angels roon’ about were singin’.”
The NHS tarp on the front of the hall was recorded in May.
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Seosamh Mac Coille Collection 