cultural

As I Roved Out

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It’s impossible to travel for any distance in Belfast without using or crossing a street employing as a name “king” or “queen”, “Victoria” or “Albert”, “Cromwell” or “Donegall”, or a host of other colonial lords and ladies. Lasaır Dhearg (web) last week undertook a campaign to rename 14 streets and Queen’s University after republican rather than colonial notables. As these images show, the campaign did not meet with the same level of support that has lately seen figures related to slavery removed from public spaces in the US and England. Carlisle Circus was briefly McCracken Circus, Donegall Square North was briefly Kieran Doherty Street, May Street Joe McDonnell Street, and Donegall Square South Bobby Sands Street. (Here is a complete list of street names changed.)

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Our Heroes Past And Present

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The heroes of the past are the soldiers of WWI and WWII (commemorated by the poppies growing in ACT Initiative‘s Shankill Road Community Garden, above, and in the 75th anniversary VE Day posters in Madrid Street, east Belfast, below); the present-day heroes are the doctors, nurses, and staff of the NHS, symbolised by the rainbow in both images.

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There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

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“Glentoran FC. Pride of Ulster.” Two examples from the Glentoran sticker campaign in the early months of the year, before coronavirus put and end to the season and the players on furlough. See previously Le Coq Sportif.

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Newbuildings Victoria

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The garden of remembrance in Newbuildings was opened in November, 2018, and has grown to include several boards (second image), including “Newbuildings Victoria LOL 1087 remembers our murdered brethren.” (for “Orange Victims” day in September, 2019), troops going over the top at the Somme, and a Celtic Cross with Irish-based British Army regiments (and their battles): Royal Irish Rifles, Royal Irish Fusiliers, Royal Irish Rangers, and Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. On the front railings are now tarps related to the pandemic (“Thank you to all our NHS staff and essential workers from the local Orange family. Together fighting Covid-19”) and the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

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VE Day

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May 8th this year (2020) marks the 75th anniversary of victory over the Nazis in Europe, or VE Day. (The war against Japan would not end until August 1945.) Celebrations were muted, however, by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which meant that people dared not congregate in parades or services to mark the occasion. The bunting above is in Sperrin Park in Londonderry’s Caw, which took part in the socially-distanced street party; the window below, which gives dual attention to both VE Day and NHS workers, is in Alexandra Park Avenue in Belfast.

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Imprisoned In A Glass Tower

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“Eıthne – daughter of (Evil Eye) Balor and maternal grandmother of Fıonn Mac Cumhaıll, Eıthne was imprisoned in a glass tower on Tory Island because of a prophecy that a child of hers would grow to defeat Balor in battle. Despite Eıthne’s imprisonment the prophecy was fulfilled.” This Eıthne is in the foyer of the “house” (tower block) that bears her name: Teach Eıthne in the New Lodge. 

Le buíochas do Mícheál Ó D as an ıontráıl.

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X07136 X07137 [X07138] painted by DD and ML Creating common ground green spaces and sustainable communities programme lottery funded

Valerie Hobson

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Valerie Hobson, star of movies, television, and theatre in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, was born in Larne in 1917 but grew up in and around London. Here she is as (the adult) Estella in the 1946 adaptation of Great Expectations (youtube). Her second marriage was to John Profumo (he of the Profumo Affair) but chose to stay with him. She died in 1998 (Independent obit).

The mural of Hobson is in Point Street, Larne, by Visual Waste (tw | ig).

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If I Send Pestilence

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Some communities, because of their previous piety, have the ear of the Lord, and need only pray when the Lord sends drought or locusts or pestilence in order to be granted relief (2 Chronicles 7: 14). This mural suggests that the people of Tiger’s Bay are one such people, but that they need to start praying if they want to be freed from the Coronavirus.

Biblical reference on the wall: Rev 18:4 | John 15:13 | Gen 38:28 | Luke 1:31-33 & 2 Sam 7:16

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Nihil Timeo

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The Royal Air Force was established on April 1st, 1918 and in 1925 the 502 (Ulster) Squadron was formed at Aldergrove as a Special Reserve squadron (and later as an Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron). The squadron flew bombing raids against enemy submarines and ships during the second World War, from a succession of bases, including Limavady, Norfolk, Cornwall, and Stornoway (WP). (The plane depicted is perhaps a Halifax from later in the war. The officer depicted is perhaps Robert Oxland, the first commanding officer.) The mural above, in Main Road, Glynn, was unveiled on August 20th, 2018 (Roy Beggs) to commemorate the Force’s 100th anniversary.

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