Horsey Hill

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The Lagan river between Belfast and Lisburn was made navigable in 1763 after seven years of work. The remaining distance between there and Lough Neagh (and the coalfields of east Tyrone, which were connected to Lough Neagh and then Portadown and Newry) required a canal, which finally opened on January 1st, 1794. The were 27 locks on the route between Belfast and the lough, and horses walking on the tow-parth would pull the barges up river (WP | Lagan Valley | Lagan Navigation has photographs of horses at work). Horsey Hill was perhaps the site of stables in south Belfast; it is now the name of the alley that continues on towards the river from the Ukraine sunflower mural off Harrow Street in the Holylands.

Forward South Partnership/Connor McKernan’s video about the history of the Holylands, including Horsey Hill, can be seen on youtube.

Painted by Daniela Balmaverde (ig) and DMC. At the bottom of Horsey Hill, along the embankment, are Animals Two By Two.

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‘Bout Ye

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How’s about ye?! FGB (ig), Leo Boyd (ig), and KVLR (ig) added three pieces at the end of April to what is now the “Belfast Stories” construction hoarding. FGB’s piece, shown above, was inspired by the fact that the northern branch of North Street was called “Goose Lane” (tw) at the time of (Chichester’s) Belfast Castle, as herders headed through the north gate (see the map at Lennon Wylie). There is a “Goose Lane” plaque on just the other side of Royal Avenue; it is included below.

Dog by Verz (ig)

Fried Eggs by Rob Hilken (ig)

“One of the earliest streets in the city, North Street was known as Goose Lane, along which geese were driven to feed on the fields outside the town. That 17th century street consisted of single-storey houses and the old city wall bisected it at what is now Royal Avenue – Belfast City Council.”

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Jimmy Steele Will Lead Us

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Over the course of a long career as a Fian, IRA volunteer, and Northern Command adjudtant, Jimmy Steele saw action in the S-Plan (see Joe Malone’s gravestone in Far Dearer The Grave Or The Prison) and the border campaign, went on hunger strike and “strip strike” (blanket), escaped from Crumlin Road gaol, and was the first editor of Republican News. (Treason Felony | WP) This poster (from the Irish Republican Martyrs’ Commemorative Committee – Fb) calls people to a commemoration of Steele on the anniversary of his death, August 9th, 1970.

“Óglach Jimmy Steele Commemoration. Assemble at Milltown Cemetery gates 3:00pm Wednesday 9th August. Irish Republican Martyrs Commemorative Committee wreath laying ceremony 53rd anniversary. All welcome/fáılte roımh chách.” “Jimmy Steele will lead us … Éıre abú. An Phoblacht abú.”

Northumberland Street, west Belfast

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Repent

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The graffiti on the bottom part of the New Life City Church (web) mural on the west Belfast “peace” line has been painted out and this mild wild-style “repent” added.

New Life murals in the area go back to at least 1997 and one on this stretch of the wall goes back to 2004 – see The Dividing Line Of Hostility.

Update, July 2014: “Show kindness” illustrated with a handshake has been added

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Marrowbone Youth Club

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“Fáılte go dtí Marrowbone youth club [club óıge Mhachaıre Bothaın (Fb)] – better our community by working together.” The verbiage is a mix of Irish and English and the imagery is a mix of youth activities and … a minion.

The previous mural – which included Cliftonville (soccer) and Antrim (GAA) emblems – was seen previously in 2013 and in 2021.

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11,000 Days And Counting

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The number is arrived at by aggregating the days served by republican prisoners in Maghaberry, Hydebank, and Portlaoise (IRPWA – page contains images of all the locations in which this board was mounted).

Braemar Street, west Belfast.

“End internment by remand! 11000 days and counting. Bail denied. Seán Farrell, Davy Jordan, Kevin Murphy, Nick Donnelly, Charlie Love, Shea Reynolds, Ciaran Maguire, Gary Hayden, Sean Walsh, Damien McLaughlin, Sharon Jordan, Mandy Duffy.”

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Torn

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Ireland’s most famous export is not its music – including Fontaines D.C. (web) – or its stout – including Guinness – but its people, about 10 million of them since 1800 (WP). The youngster in this new mural by Dublin artist ACHES (ig) is torn in different directions.

Queen’s Quay, Derry.

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Love The Brotherhood

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This entry is an update to 2022’s Upward which showed the new arch in Denmark Street (the north side of the lower Shankill estate). To each side of the arch has since been added a quote from scripture: on the outside, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel – Psalm 41 v. 13”, and on the inside “Love the brotherhood, fear God, and honour the King – [1st] Peter 2 v. 17”

The ‘Platinum Jubilee’ panel has been replaced with the image from the other side of the ‘Faithful Unto Death’ stained glass that is in Schomberg House (see Our Murdered Brethren), and it has been replaced with an image King Charles III.

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