“Welcome [to the] loyalist Westwinds estate U.V.F.” – mural a little way down Blenheim Drive from the entrance to the Westwinds estate, Newtownards.
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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The Westwinds
Youths Of The Future
Scrabo tower (or possibly Helen’s Tower/Thiepval tower) and the Union flag appear alongside a football, a heart, a bird and the handprints of local children in this board in the Bowtown estate in Newtownards. The wide shot, below, shows a Bowtown Youth Club board higher up and in the background the Somme mural featured separately.
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X01500 X01499 bowtownyouth club equality respect attitude together trust tolerate
Armed & Ready
Above is a detail (wide shot below) of a new (June, 2013) mural in Newtonards’s Westwinds estate presenting a familiar UVF theme, that the Ulster Volunteers are an independent body, armed and ready to fight against whatever enemy is present, whether it be London’s decision to grant Home Rule (see Carson in the apex of the building and the figures in militia-style clothing) or the Germans in WWI (as represented by the uniformed figures and Thiepval tower) or any threat to Northern Ireland as a political entity (the Northern Irish flag flies in the top right).
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image of gates T02194 courtesy of Paddy Duffy 2023
At The Going Down Of The Sun
Mural in Newtownards to the Ulster Volunteer Force and Young Citizen Volunteers of the first world war shows two soldiers bent in reflection against an orange and red background, suggesting sunrise/sunset. “At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”
Close-ups of the wall to the left (featuring lines from Binyon’s For The Fallen) and the plaque in the middle can be found below.
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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01496 X01495 X01494 [X01603] north down brigade, somme ypres arras thiepval st. quentin fricourt grandcourt messines william hannagan, william lightbody, stephen campbell, stuart allan, keith mckinstry, eddie moreland, michael mckeague, thomas o’brien, jim moore, david stirling lest we forget for god and ulster
No Loitering
Three panels in Newtownards about the Scotch-Irish (or: Ulster Scots) emigration to the United States in the middle of the eighteenth century. Each of the three shows a stage of the experience: ‘Farewell Brothers’ shows family left behind looking out over the sea at the receding ships; ‘The Voyage’ shows sleeping conditions on-board; ‘The Arrival 1731’ shows the flags of the United States and Northern Ireland, with the statue of liberty superimposed upon a red hand.
The three panels are next to a larger, now damaged, board also portraying emigration to the States, shown in the final images below.
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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01488 X01489 X01490 X01491 X02975 X01486 muraltec n.i. commonwealth of kentucky united we stand divided we fall
Na hÉıreannaıgh Aontaıthe
“Liberté, égalité, fraternité”. The United Irishmen of 1798 had been inspired by the revolutions in both the United States and France, and France attempted without success to send troops to Ireland in 1796 and 1798 (Irish History). “It is new strung and shall be heard” – this style of harp is called a Maid Of Erin harp.
Painted by Andrea Redmond in South Link, Andersonstown, Belfast, for the 200th anniversary of the rebellion. Also new for the 200th anniversary is the stone below in the nearby memorial garden outside the PD. “Who fears to speak of 98? This plaque was erected to the memory of the United Irishmen who gave their lives for Irish freedom; also all those who died as a result of the Great Hunger. ‘These are the times that try men’s souls’ [Thomas Paine] ‘The rich always betray the poor’ – Henry Joy McCracken.”
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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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We Too Are Strong
“We too are strong. We too are a threat to the oppressive enemy. We are revolutionaries. We are the other half of our revolutionary men. We are their equal halves.” Earth is contained within the symbol for woman. The IRA’s Maıréad Farrell is in the top left.
Next to Mac Brádaıgh in South Link, Andersonstown, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Richview
A tattered Union flag on a gable wall at the end of Richview Street, south Belfast.
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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Black & White
Four shots of the “Go safe Mandela – RIP” lettering by Gael Force Art on Slıabh Dubh/Black Mountain two weeks ago, commemorating the death of Nelson Mandela on December 5th, 2013.
The one above is on the Springfield Road with ‘The Usual Suspects’ in the foreground. (Previously from the same location: G8 War Criminals.)
The second, below, is from the Whiterock Road and involves the ‘IRA Final Salute’ mural.
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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01481 X01589 X01525 X01590 dorothy maguire corner ira vol. bobby sands mp fermanagh south tyrone
Forgotten In Life, Remembered In Death
Trade unionist John Quinn, who helped found the ITGWU, died in 1935 and was buried in an unmarked grave in Milltown. Last weekend (December 14th, 2013) a new headstone was unveiled. As can be seen in the image above, Quinn was fortunate to escape the sinking of the Titanic – he boarded as a fireman in the Belfast crew, but a team of firemen had already been hired in Southampton.
There is a detailed account of Quinn’s life and the process that brought about the new headstone at the Belfast Telegraph.
Previously: ITGWU mural – Till Labour Knows No Master | Larkin – We Only Want The Earth | Winifred Carney & Nora Connolly | Lockout
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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01480 1876-1935 beloved husband of margaret pollard native of sailortown seaman docker a participant in the 1907 dockers and carters strike and one of the founder members friend and colleague of james larkin, winifred carney, james connolly, 4 april 1912 Forgotten in life, remembered in death daughter bridget son robert nephew gerard
Seosamh Mac Coille Collection 