Blast Off

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A metal banner (attached to the two barrels) outside the Bowtown Youth Club in Newtownards shows the classic image of the signing of the Ulster Covenant against the background of a Union flag, and also a rocket taking off, in the children’s mural painted on one side of the club.

“NVF” in the left-hand insignia stands for “Newtownards Volunteer Flute [Band]” (Fb). On the right is the insignia of another flute band, the North Down Defenders (Fb).

The caption below the image of the covenant signing lists a good number of those in the picture:

Sir Edward Carson (later Lord Duncairn) signing the Ulster Covenant in the Belfast City Hall, September 28, 1912.

Left to right, 1st row: Mr. R.J. McMordie, Lord Mayor of Belfast, Lord Charles Beresford, Marquess of Londonderry, Sir Edward Carson, Captain James Craig (later Lord Craigavon), Mr. J.H. Campbell, K.C. (later Lord Glenavy), and Dr. W. Gibson.

2nd row: present Lord Londonderry, and Col. R.H. Wallace, C.B., D.L. Behind the latter, Ronald McNeill, M.P. (later Lord Cushendun).

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Union Flag 365

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The union flag “flies” every second of every day in this painted version in the Westwinds estate in Newtownards. Ards Borough council also flies the flag every day (source), unlike Belfast city council which now follows the ‘designated days‘ policy: see previously Union Jack – Donegall pass | And So This Is Christmas | Imagine | Banned and various posts about the Twaddell Protest Camp).

The central (St. George’s) cross widens as it rises, which makes the flag  seem to loom over the viewer.

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Youths Of The Future

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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

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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

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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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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

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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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X01488 X01489 X01490 X01491 X02975 X01486 muraltec n.i. commonwealth of kentucky united we stand divided we fall

Na hÉıreannaıgh Aontaıthe

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“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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We Too Are Strong

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“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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