The Apprentice Boys mural in Emerson Street, Londonderry, which was at least fifteen years old, was replaced in 2018 with a version of boards (shown above). The shutting of the city gates in December 1688 began the Siege Of Derry.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06329
Between its construction in 1841 and decommissioning in 2003, Ebrington Barracks served as a home to many military units, including those whose emblems are at the bottom of the mural above (from left to right): the Royal Irish Rifles, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Royal Irish Rangers, UDR, and the Royal Irish Regiment.
HMS Ferret and HMS Sea Eagle are not in fact ships but a part of Ebrington barracks given to the navy to serve as a “stone frigate” during (Ferret) and after (Sea Eagle) WWII. HMS Londonderry was an anti-submarine frigate but does not appear to have a particular connection to Ebrington (please comment if you know otherwise).
The Northern Ireland General Service medal – in the middle of the mural – was awarded to any soldier who served at least 30 days during Operation Banner, the deployment of British troops in Northern Ireland from 1969 onwards.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06331 Ebrington st lwr BSCA
“Cherish ALL of the children of the nation equally/Chomhchúram [sic] a dhéanamh do chlann UILE an náısıúın.” Pro-life tarp at the entrance to the library on Main Street, Dungiven, perhaps in reference to the 2018 referendum on abortion in the Republic (see Yes And No | Repeal Head).
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06328
These two pieces in the gallery of pro-Palestinian murals at the top of Springhill Avenue were never finished. On the left is the diminishing territory of Palestine while on the right would probably have been the diminishing territory of the Gaeltacht.
For the murals above these on the side wall, see Grasping The Barb and David And Goliath; for the murals on the end wall, see Palestine Abú, Man Against Machine and Hellfire.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X05165 [X05163] [X05164]
The Bunch Of Grapes in east Belfast was an infamous UDA bar known in particular for the
torture and killing of Georgie Legge in 2001 (Irish Times). The east Belfast Resolve NI (Fb | tw) office – formerly a DUP advice centre – sits across from it at the junction of Beersbridge and Castlereagh roads. The pub has been derelict for 5 years or more and an apartment building is to be developed on the site (BelTel). Demolition would also remove Friz’s Hope, Life.
For a short time (2006-2008?) the pub was called the Ibrox Bar and, when this proved controversial with Rangers FC, the Eye-Brox Bar.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06327 [X03626] Castle Inn
“Proudly remembered and never forgotten.” The ‘Band Of Brothers’ mural, which celebrates the contribution of Polish airmen stationed in Northern Ireland to the Battle Of Britain in WWII, was partly covered over with a vertically aligned Polish flag, obscuring fire damage from August(?) seen in the third image. The wreath on the right-hand side interestingly combines poppies (perhaps for Armistice Day and the centenary of the end of WWI) and the Polish writing used as the title of this entry, along with the Polish WWII eagle (perhaps commemorating the end of the Battle Of Britain, which is marked (in the UK) on September 15th). The wreath of poppies is next to the Kitchener mural.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06324 X06325 X06112 X06323
With 100% less hate (and no artificial ingredients), there’s nothing to spread but love. Belfast paste-up by FGB (Francois Got Buffed) (web).
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06320
John 15:13 reads “Greater love hath no man than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” Fighting in the Great War ceased at 11 a.m. on November 11th, 1918, after approximately 10 million military deaths, 10 million civilian deaths, and another 20 million injured.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06321
Since the 1980s (BBC | BelTel), Belfast’s maritime history has been celebrated in the form of three buoys outside the Belfast School of Art (known to all as “the art college) in York Street. They were given a face-lift during CNBX/HTN18 by DMC (ig) (above) and (in the middle, below) KVLR and (on the left) Nol (web | ig | Fb).
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06319 X06318
The Union Flag/UVF side-wall is a new addition to the Ulster Volunteers/UVF memorial in London Road, east Belfast. The main panel shows WWI soldiers going over the top (see Between The Crosses) while the four portraits to its right are of deceased UVF volunteers of the 70s and 80s – Seymour, Long, Cordner, and Bennett – (see Ulster’s Brave).
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06316
