Cumann Spóırt An Phobaıl (Fb | ig) is an all-abilities (and all-ages – starting at age 5) soccer club based on the Ballymurphy Road in west Belfast. The club was profiled in the Irish News in late 2020. “CSP Abú”
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.
Noah Donohoe was 14 when he died after disappearing on June 21st, 2020; he would have been 16 on November 25th, 2021 (BelTel). The mural “14 4 Ever” mural is in the New Lodge, which also has A Heart In A Heart.
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.
“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.
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?)
A message from BUILD Shankill (web): “Did you know? The Shankill has over 80 waste sites the size of 62 football pitches with the space to build 3300 homes. #BuildShankill.” Members of the team, as well as representatives from the Housing Executive and the NI Executive, took a bus tour of the sites in June (Alternatives youtube channel).
Housing is also a concern in other areas of Belfast – for CNR west Belfast, see (e.g.) Is This Our City? | in north Belfast see (e.g.) Equality Can’t Wait.
Posted in the window of the NI Human Rights Commission (web) in North Street: “Our workers have the right to be treated with dignity and respect at all times. They should be able to their jobs without being physically or verbally abused. Most people respect this. Thank you for being one of them.” The sign pre-dates the pandemic.
“Lovable lefty football fans” and brandishers of beer and spirits TUFAC (web | Fb) were at the Sunflower last Friday and in the days that followed pasted a sticker or two around the city centre. This ‘refugees welcome‘ one shows the iconic ‘fleeing family’ dribbling a soccer ball as they go.
At a pre-inquest review yesterday (2021-12-08) lawyers for the PSNI defended the request for a Public Interest Immunity certificate regarding evidence in the case of Noah Donohoe (PA). This stencil on Divis Street says “not in our name” and asserts that “the public want full disclosure”. Below is graffiti on the Glen Road alleging that the PSNI is “hiding Noah’s killer”.
Seosamh Mac Coille Collection 