DJ and remixer Andrew Weatherall died in February. He was most famous for his work on Primal Scream’s Screamadelica album in 1991. The mural above is by Glen Molloy (Fb), who also recently did Prince Of Peace Line. Another mural to Weatherall was painted in Edinburgh by Shona Hardie.
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Copyright © 2020 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
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Artist Glen Molloy (Fb) has painted a portrait of Jesus Of Nazareth next to the Cupar Way “peace line” in the style of Shepard Fairey’s Obama ‘Hope’ poster (also the inspiration for De Craig’s Achieve! in east Belfast). Irish News report on the mural.
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Copyright © 2020 Sabine Troendle
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The “cowards” in this case are the members of the UDA who killed Rockett in front of his girlfriend and 18 month old child in an attack on her house in the lower Oldpark, during the feud between the UVF and UDA, sparked by Johnny Adair’s “loyalist day of culture” and removal of the UVF from the lower Shankill.
In response to the purge (and attacks on the Rex bar), the UVF killed Jackie Coulter (UDA) and Bobby Mahood (formerly of the UVF). Rockett was killed by the UDA in retaliation for Coulter’s death; 1,000 people attended Rockett’s funeral (Irish Times). The feud continued until mid-December (Mirror).
“In proud and loving memory of Vol. Samuel Rockett, ‘B’ Coy. 1st Belfast battalion, Young Citizens Volunteers. Murdered by cowards 23rd August 2000. ‘At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember him.'”
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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Plans for the Highfield estate were drawn up and approved in 1945, converting a green-field site in the foothills of Black Mountain between the Ballygomartin, West Circular and Springfield roads. The first houses were completed in 1948 (Belfast Forum.) The community hall sits at the centre of the estate. UDA bomb-maker Michael Wright died there in a premature explosion in 1980 (Sutton) and there used to be a UFF mural on the side. This was replaced in 2000 (C01505) and again in 2006(?) (M04512) with the current mural (entitled “Whiterock Festival” after the cross-community event sponsored by the City Council’s ‘Good Relations’ fund (one | two) showing Highfield kids having fun with music provided by a DJ, band, and the Whiterock Flute Band (Fb) drum.
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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Tourists to West Belfast/Feırste Thıar are given a tour of the sights on a black taxi tour: (clockwise from left) the entrance to Milltown Cemetery at the edge of Andersonstown, a trio of murals (the Bobby Sands mural on the side of the Sınn Féın offices; the Easter Rising mural in Beechmount Ave; the Acht Anoıs fáınne on Divis Street (also in Ardoyne)) with a march taking place, Cultúrlann McAdam-Ó Fıaıch, gaelic football and hurling, Divis tower, Conway mill, and the Falls library. This is the third such tourist mural in the area, after one at Divis tower (Gateway To West Belfast) and one on the offices of Fáılte Feırste Thıar (Go West! | Fáılte Feırste Thıar | The Conlan Revolution).
Replaces Willowbank Huts from the centenary mural.
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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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James Connolly worked in Belfast from 1910 or 1911 to 1916 as a labour organizer, before being executed on May 12th, 1916, for his part in the Easter Rising. He lived in Glenalina Terrace on the Falls Road (An Phoblacht | the plaque over the door) a few blocks above the visitor centre in his honour which opened in spring 2019. (There is video from each of the Official Opening and the Grand Opening, which NVTv also covered extensively.)
The new mural shown here is on the International Wall on Divis Street, next to Welcome To West Belfast and Merdeka.
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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Civil war continues in Yemen with 111 soldiers killed, allegedly by Houthi rebels, in a missile attack on a military mosque on January 18th (BBC). The country remains the country with the most humanitarian need: according to the UN, 24 million people, 80% of the population, are in need.
The mural on west Belfast’s International Wall from April 2019 has been completed with the flags of Spain, Canada, and China being added to those of the US, UK, and France on the missiles raining down (now in two ranks) on civilians, blood dripping from cash-filled Saudi hands, and a UNICEF statistic included in the original entry: “1 child dies every 10 minutes as a result of the war in Yemen”
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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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In 1777 Viscount Enniskillen built Bundoran Lodge as a summer home (now called Homefield House) and set a trend that made Bundoran town one of Ireland’s top resorts. To accommodate the increase in tourism, hotels sprung up, including the 1830 Ulster Tourist House. The building still stands, but has long since ceased to function as a hotel.
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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At the end of September, York Road Historical Society (which does not appear to have an on-line presence) launched a new garden of remembrance to British WWI service-members in the “Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force”, symbolised by the crest of Strategic Command (formerly the Joint Forces Command).
The garden is next to the Times Bar (one | two | three | four | five) and opposite Arts For All/John Luke Gallery (one | two | three).
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06950 X06949 “”I am not an Ulsterman but yesterday 1st July as I followed their amazing attack I felt I would rather be an Ulsterman than anything else in the world” – Captain Wilfred [Wilfrid] Spender, the Somme 1916.” at the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them lest we forget
UDA volunteers in balaclavas stand ready to defend Erskine Park (Ballyclare) against forces from the south. “South East Antrim Brigade – “Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees in an Irish republic.” (A slogan from Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata.)
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Seosamh Mac Coille Collection 