Angry Birds

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Dundela “ultras” have been told they are not welcome at the team’s future games after “unsavoury chanting” at the NI Championship match against local rivals H&W Welders – “the most cataclysmic derby match in world football” (BelTel).

Thirteen more soccer-related stickers are below, including [Glasgow] Rangers Action Force.

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Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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X14544 Joe Gormley Cliftonville He hates the Linfield
X12617 Bangor Maniacs Sankt Gallen
X14184 Helsinborg X14186 Rangers X14187 Bristol Rovers
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Stop The Slaughter In Gaza

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“Stop the slaughter – ceasefire now”. A pro-Palestinian board was added to the “International Wall”, Divis Street, and launched on November 4th. The previous Saber Al-Ashkar mural — His Land, His Legs, His Life — has been mostly painted over, with part of the mural remaining at the top and the image of a man carrying a wounded child perhaps deliberately left to the right of the board.

The image represented would appear to be an from social media (probably AI-generated, as no one can say who is depicted or where) of children sitting among their ruined house, surrounded by broken toys, including SpongeBob and Pudsey Bear, with the boy using an incorrect Palestinian flag to cover the girl.

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Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Ulster & Israel

Extramural Activity1 Comment

“Ulster & Israel – brothers in arms”. The Uzi was developed in Israel in the late 1940s and became a general-issue weapon in 1956 (WP). It was used (and copied) by loyalist paramilitaries in Northern Ireland (Balaclava Street has a comprehensive history of loyalist weaponry) and appeared in a both UDA and UVF murals and graffiti: The Elite | Ulster Says No! To The Politicians | Sandy Row 2nd Batt | UFF Uzi.

Here is an article from TheJ.ca interviewing PUL politicians on their support for Israel and an Irish News article revisiting the issue in light of the current conflict. And loyalists have previously (since 2002? Irish Times | OU) flown the flag of Israel — see Gregg & Carson (2011) | View From The North Bank (2012) | The Young Conquerors (2013) | The United Nations (2014) | The Glorious Memory (2014) | Ulster Supports The People Of Israel (2018) | EU Hands Off Ulster (2021). But this is the first time that a symbol of violence has been used as the symbol of solidarity. (In republican muraling, see PLO-IRA (1982) | Women In Armed Struggle (1983).)

Tate’s Avenue, in the Village area of south Belfast.

The placard in the middle, between Brothers In Arms and “Sir E. Carson K.C., M.P.” was discussed in Stand Firm. The Winning Hand was seen previously in The Red Hand And The Winning Hand.

See also: Godfather Of The Israeli Army.

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Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Copyright © 2024 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Forever 16

Extramural Activity1 Comment

Caitlin McLaughlin died suddenly on June 24th. She collapsed from a heart attack as she walked to the bus station in Belfast to return home from a music festival at which she had taken ecstasy (BBC). A requiem mass was held in Galliagh on the 28th (BelTel) and the mural shown here was launched in Brookdale Park on October 27th, which would have been Caitlin’s 17 birthday (Belfast Live).

“I saw you all, my family & friends/the day God took me home,/I smiled, I cried, I felt so proud/You didn’t let me go alone//To all my friends, please listen now/To what I have to say,/Please don’t leave your loved ones/the way I did that day//I’m with the angels in heaven now/and with our we[e] Kyle too,/But often I look down and sigh/For I’d rather be there with you//Forget me not/XO”

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Copyright © 2023 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
X14467 X14468 X14471 X14469 X14470 Galliagh Community Response

Stop Israeli Terror

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A march/rally supporting Palestine takes place in Belfast today, starting at noon and going from Writer’s Square to City Hall. The graffiti above is on the Falls Road at the Royal: “Stop the genocide. Stop “Israeli” terror. ‘Fom the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!; BDS [Boycott, divestment, sanctions (web)] IPSC [Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (web | Fb)]”

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Behold, The Dwelling Place Of God Is With Man

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“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away. He will wipe every tear from their eyes.” (Revelations 21:4)

In addition to the image of a tear being wiped away there is a burning heart with the words “In the name of love” and panels reading “faith”, “hope”, and “forgiveness”. And also “Team Syracuse, NY, USA 2004”.

Across the street from St Andrew’s church in Forthriver (on the right of the widest image).

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Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Israel Get Out Of Palestine

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These images were taken in the lower and middle Falls, west Belfast. As might be expected, there is some reaction to the current conflict between Hamas and Israel: “Victory to the resistance – Free Palestine!” and “#NotMyKing” are at the closed-up Mac Diarmada club at Sráid Phort Láirge (see previously: CIRA GHQ); “Israel get out of Ireland” is on a crossing button in Beechmount.

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Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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