Coming To Be And Passing Away

2012-12-28 BankSquare+

This recent, biblically-themed, mural is in Bank Square, the open space outside Kelly’s Cellars. Included in the panels are various Bible stories such as Noah’s Ark, the burning bush, and the loaves and fishes. (Mary-Ann McCracken is also included?) Watching over them from both left and right are the pike-men of 1798.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00800

From The Boyne To Afghanistan

2012-12-26 FaughABallagh+

On the side wall of the Times Bar in York Road, a mural commemorating Irish and Northern Irish service in the British military.

Robert Blair “Paddy” Mayne is featured on the left (WP).

A plaque in the middle reads: In memory of Pte. F.G. Dolloghan, Parachute Regt. Killed at the Nijmegan Bridges, Holland, Sept. 1944. (WWII’s Operation Market Garden (WP))

Click image to enlarge
Copyright© 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00795
Lt. Col. Robert Blair Mayne D.S.O. Middle East 1st bar Sicily 2nd bar Normandy 3rd bar N.W. Europe 1939-45 stat africa italy france germany defence medal war legion d’honneur croix de guerre 36th ulster division royal irish rifles ulster leinsters guards inniskilling dragoon UDR fusiliers queens hassars north horse south rangers munster dublin connaught martinique 1762 havannah st. lucia 1778-1792 india cape of good hope 1806 maida monte video nourbon busaco fuentes d’onor java tarifa talavera badajoz salamance vittoria pyrennes ciudad rodrico niagara orthes toulouse ava south africa 1935, 1846047 sevastopol central india tel-el-kebir egypt 1882, 1884 relief of ladysmith 1899-1902 mons le cateau marne 1914 messine 1914 17 18  ypres 1914-15 neuuve chapelle loos albert 1917 arras 1917 cambrai 1917-18 st. quentin hindenburg line france and flanders macedonia suvla gallipoli gaza jerusalem palestine 1917-18 dyle scomer-la bassee dunkirk 1940 normandy landing caen iraq thine bremen bou arrada djebel tanniguocha 1942-43 centuripe 1943 sangro garigliano crossing anzio cassino II tiber argenta gap 1943-45 malta 1940 yenangyuang 1952 burma 1942043 imjin korea 1950-51

Prepared For Peace, Ready For War

This is one of the most famous murals in Belfast on account of its position overlooking the entrance of Mount Vernon and the M2 – the central gunman appears to be aiming right at you as you come down the off-ramp to the Shore Road. The original mural (T00138 | D00382) – which dates back to the ceasefire (1995) – was on a gable at the front of the estate but the entire block of houses was knocked down (c. 2000 – BelTel). It was later recreated (though without the words “3rd battalion” above “North Belfast) in the current more elevated position.

Another gunman-aiming-right-at-you mural is the UDU mural in the lower Shankill estate.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X05216

Reaching Out

2012-12-18 Suicide+

A mural in Shiels Street/Sráıd Uí Shıaıl on the side of the offices of the Suicide Awareness and Support Group (Facebook) – “Reaching out is a strength not a weakness”. The plaque to the right notes that the original (1891) home pitch of Belfast Celtic was near this spot. It was known as “Boghead”; in 1901 they moved to Celtic Park, known as “Paradise”. (WP | belfastceltic.org)

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00787

All The Children Laugh And Shout

2012-12-13 MMarleyDetail+

Here is a detail from a fairly long mural depicting children’s street games and Mickey Marley’s Roundabout (pulled by his horse Joey) on a wall and security gate that are part of the Townsend Street “peace” line. (For another pole swing, see Stroud Street.) Mickey Marley was so well-known that a song was written for him, which you can hear on youtube.

Townsend Street Presbyterian church can be seen in the background and in the mural. For the part on the gate, see Through The Wardrobe.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00777 X00784

Nollaıg Shona

2012-12-13 NollaigShonaMid+

Seasonal greeting in support of Republican political prisoners – with candles at base – in Northumberland Street (Visual History). This is the centre part of a wider mural-board composite – left and right shots below.

The “Nollaıg shona” and board in the picture just above together replace the previous “human rights” mural; the area below the “doors” hoarding, where the phoenix now appears, was previously blank.

2012-12-13 NollaigShonaLeft+

2012-12-13 NollaigShonaRight+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00779 X00778 X00780 remember cogús p.o.w’s at christmas nollaıg shona support all republican this time doorways quality doors r.i.c. murder gang harrison nixon the beehive 1926 victims september 1920 vol. ned trodden sean gaynor sean mcfadden