They Sleep Side-By-Side

Bangor’s Finest [Fb]” the Pride of Whitehill Flute Band marks its 40th anniversary (1976-2016) with a mural and two small boards dedicated to Ulster Volunteers and Young Citizen Volunteers in WWI: “When you go home, tell them of us and say “For your tomorrow we gave our today.” “They fought together as brothers-in-arms, they died together and now they sleep side-by-side. To them we have a solemn obligation.”

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Always A Little Further

East Belfast now extends all the way to Bangor: shown today are two East Belfast UVF boards in Whitehill, one a red hand and the other the familiar “pilgrims” image, seen continuously in east Belfast since the 90s in Tamar Street, Mersey Street, and (twice) on the Newtownards Road (currently in the Iceland car park). (Article on the EB – North Down UVF dispute in nearby Bowtown area in 2015.)

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Your Kingdom Will Endure Forever

Orange emblems added to the Welcome To Loyalist Tigers Bay mural: the crown and bible, a heart and sword, a red fist and the union flag. Two Bible verses are referenced: “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” (2 Sam 7:16) and “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God.” (Luke 1:31-33)

For “Genesis 38:28” see Pro-Testant Reformation.

For “Vote Leave” on the gable, see Brits Out!

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Stand With Theresa May

The UK general election takes place on Thursday (June 8th), only two years after the previous one. The (British) Conservative party hopes to increase its majority of 17 seats/votes. The NI Conservatives (web) are fielding candidates in 7 of the 18 seats but are not expected to contribute to the overall Conservative tally.

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Killed In Action 1st July

As the plaque in the third images shows, the mural was originally painted in 2006 for the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. The plaque was originally in the plinth below the headstone – see Killed In Action. The side wall was painted last year for the 100th anniversary.

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Sloganeering

“The Stormont swamp is irreformable”, claims the TUV election manifesto. “It’s time to drain it.” The expression “drain the swamp” in politics goes back to (at least) 1903 when it was used by an American socialist in reference to capitalistic influence in and is borrowed from the literal practice of draining swamps in order to reduce mosquitoes, and so, malaria.

Another Americanism is shown in the second image: Barak Obama’s “Yes we can” became Hillary Clinton’s “Yes, she can”, which Naomi Long (Alliance), the #gingerninja, is using for her own campaign.

Polls are open today from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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