cultural

Larne Remembers Her Fallen

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History Hub Ulster and Larne Urban District Council are conducting a search for additional names of residents from the Larne area who died in WWI, to add to the 147 included on the war memorial in Inver. The dead are also remembered in this wrap-around mural in Milbrook. We will have close-ups of the different panels and plaques tomorrow. For images of the launch, see the Friends of the 36th – Cairncastle facebook page.

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Le Coq Sportif

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Glentoran FC’s emblem features a cock (similar to the rooster on Le Coq Sportif, which made the team’s strip from 1996-1999) and its slogan is “le jeu avant tout” (“the game before/above all). The sources of the French influence is unknown. In the mural above, from outside the Oval, he gives “East Belfast” the boot.

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Over The Bridge

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The large mural of H&W shipyard workers at the turn of the century has been restored by Dee Craig (Fb). The mural is on the footbridge linking Dee Street and Queen’s Island. Inspired by paintings of William Conor such as Shipyard Workers Crossing Queen’s Bridge and Over The Bridge. For images of the previous version, see Titanic Workers.

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The Strangest Victory In All History

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From Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, 1953: “The strangest victory in all history: Heremon [Érimón] O’Neill racing a rival chieftain for possession of Ireland became the first man to touch its soil by cutting off his own hand and hurling it ashore! His sacrifice made Heremon the first king of Ulster, 1015 B.C. The red hand of Ulster is still the provinces coat of arms thousands of years later.” Most people believe it not.

Newtownards Road, east Belfast

From left to right: For Freedom Alone | As Long As 100 Of Us Remain Alive | Loyalist East Belfast | The Strangest Victory In All History | Ulster’s Past Defenders | Nationality is included in Loyalist East Belfast | Ulster’s Present Defenders | Freedom Corner

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Metalwork

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Newcastle artist Alan Burke in 2015 produced four pieces for Eastside Partnership (with funding from the Arts Council) for the area between the Newtownards Road and (what is now) CS Lewis Square (Tele). The piece shown in today’s post is a pair of metalworks depicting the heavy industry of Harland & Wolff. The works themselves are made from sheet metal, stainless steel, and weathering steel which is designed to “form a stable rust-like appearance” after a few years of exposure the elements.

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Tyred Of Your Culture

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There’s one month to go before 11th night bonfires (and parades on the 12th) and collection of pallets is well under way in loyalist areas. TLO (web) is back this year protesting the use of tyres on bonfires, with King Billy and horse crushed beneath a pile tyres. Under the ‘bonfire management programme’ communities receive funds only if their pyres do not contain tyres. The Irish News reports that 72 groups have signed up this year, down from 95 in 2015. 40% of Belfast fires are in the scheme (BelTel).

Below is one of last year’s posters – still visible – partly covered with a pride sticker (see Good Year For A Bonfire and below that Lost Duppy).

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One Million People Buried Here

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“When the name is called by the one above/Their troubles at once did cease/Like the people who went there before them/I prey they will rest in peace.” The words of Shankill man Albert Haslett are used on a Daniella Balmaverde mosaic commemorating the dead buried in Shankill graveyard. The full poem can be found at Belfast Experience, which claims that the number of burials is about half a million. NVTv has a interview program with Haslett, who died in January of last year (2017) – photos and remembrance at Shankill Area Social History group.

Previously from the graveyard: Queen Of Ireland, Empress Of India | Watch-House | WWI Dead

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Shaftesbury Fringe

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The Accidental Theatre Company (web | Fb) is an experimental theatre company that has taken over 12-13 Shaftesbury Square for the time being. Before Christmas they put on a Michelle & Arlene Holiday Special, with the two political leaders on the run from their self-imposed isolation (review by Alan In Belfast) but still trying to do a deal. The mural above is in the style of another holiday odd-couple road tale, the 1987 film Planes, Trains And Automobiles. Along with theatre duo Amadan, they are “keeping Belfast weird” – artwork by Verz (Fb), below.

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Crom Abú

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O’Donovan Rossa GAC (web | Fb) dates back to 1916, just one year after the death of republican Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa (at whose funeral Padraig Pearse gave the oration – “The fools, the fools …”). “Crom abú” is a war-cry of the ancient FitzGeralds as they attacked the O’Donovan fortress at Crom, Co. Limerick. Some of those fleeing eventually settled in Rosscarbery, Co. Cork, which is where Jeremiah was born in 1831. The sword is a symbol of justice, the snake of wisdom.

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