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Hope Unlocking Friendships

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“Tackle inequality – create opportunities – inspire change”. The large board shown here is in Cupar Way, near the security gates in North Howard Street, which are locked nightly between 8:30 and 6:30 a.m. (DoJ). These and the nearby Northumberland Street gates separate the lower Falls and the middle Shankill, including the young people from the Active Communities Network (web), a cross-community youth group that lobbied for increased opening hours to allow members to return home quickly after meetings (BBC).

The board was originally on Northumberland Street (Belfast Live) in the Arthur Guinness spot but is now in Cupar Way.

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Copyright © 2025 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Defend The Sperrins

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The “defend the Sperrins” “day of resistance” on Saturday August 23rd will include a “family fun day – walk through the land – creative protest – education – eating together – céılí – music – camping on occupied land overnight”.

At issue is a plan to mine for gold from US-backed company Dalradian Mining (web) in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In response to local pressure (see the “No toxic goldmining” placard in the poster), the company has already ditched its plan to use cyanide during the extraction process (BBC | The Planner).

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Copyright © 2025 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Hope Lives Here

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“In our community no one walks in the darkness alone.” West Wellbeing (web) offers counselling and suicide-prevention services from its offices in the Dairyfarm centre on the Stewartstown Road. This new mural – by Glen Molly (ig) – is a little further along the road, just past Bell Steel Road.

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Copyright © 2025 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Nurture Your Child’s Mental Health

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Play and physical activity are promoted as aiding with mental health among Twinbrook children.

“Nurture your child’s mental health through play” at Scoıl Na Fuıseoıge and Sands Youth Centre – “play builds friendships, health & wellbeing, resilience, communities.

“How physical activity – at St Luke’s/Brookville/Almond Star FC (Fb) and Gaeıl Chollaınn CLG – helps mental health” by producing increasing self-esteem, improved mood, reduced depression, anxiety, and stress.

On the wall behind the Bobby Sands info boards and next to the Sands mural in Twinbrook.

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Copyright © 2025 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Republican Youth Land

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“This is republican youth land! Be happy! GGRY” This is a more ambitious piece of graffiti, at least in terms of scaling the building, when compared to 2023’s GGRY on the lower wall. (“GGRY” is “Glengormley Republican Youth”.)

With bonus “Nazis out!” graffiti on a litter bin at the Valley leisure centre.

Church Road, Glengormley

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Copyright © 2025 Ronan Woods
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Greenwashing Against Climate

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The Nestlé logo features a bird feeding its young in a nest but in this sticker the tree is dead and the bird has fallen to the ground. The QR code at the centre of the sticker takes one to a Swiss site (orghan.ch) making the case (in German) that “Nestlé exploits & kills for profit. A good product is a free product. Greenwashing against climate.”.

Falls Road, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2025 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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I Was A Stranger And You Welcomed Me

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God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son (John 3:16). And, greater love hath no man but to lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13, often used in the context of military sacrifice). But local homes are for local people. (The use of a stencil is a step up in sophistication.)

The Union Flag fills the empty frame where there used to be a list of locals who died in The Belfast Blitz.

Hogarth Street, Tiger’s Bay, north Belfast

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Copyright © 2025 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Hang Tight

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Here are three stickers/paste-ups from illustrator and artist DEID (web) in Belfast city centre.

Above: “Слава Україні!” [Slava Ukraïni!] – a Ukranian soldier in front of a field of sunflowers gives the shaka/hang loose sign.

Immediately below: MAGA red-hats with an upside-down Stars And Stripes bring to mind David Bowie’s 1997 song “I’m afraid of Americans” (youtube).

Third, below, “Do you know the traffic warden?” Last below, “The end of the West?” – Donald Trump and JD Vance berate Ukranian president Vlodomir Zelenskyy in the White House in February, 2025 (PBS).

There is one more DEID paste-up in the Paddy Duffy collection.

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Copyright © 2025 Fintan Woods
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