Our Queens

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Mixed reaction to the Diamond Jubilee visit of Queen Elizabeth II. Above, the remains of an RNU (Fb) poster which (in full) read “Send the Brit queen packing back to the depths of Hades – royal jubilee not welcome here, signed by: the army of unemployed.” and showing Elizabeth with half-human, half-skeleton face (reminiscent of a mural idea from 1989/1990 in Springhill and in Beechmount). (Full poster at Alamy.)

Below, “God save our queen” and “Fuck the queen” graffiti.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Exhibition Open

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The big red sign usually says “Road Closed” but has been changed for the exhibition. On this day, however, the exhibition (which is a large satellite-image map of the area, on the ground) was not, in fact, open. The Flax St/Crumlin Road interface, Ardoyne, the day after the 2012 riot.

Below, taken later, a detail of the exhibition … a very small portion

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July 1st

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In the old style of calendar (prior to 1752), the Battle Of The Boyne took place on July 1st, the same date as the Battle Of The Somme (in the new style of calendar). It is reported that some soldiers from the 36th Division wore their Orange Order collarettes into battle. In the image above, which reproduces a painting by Carol Graham, they defend their trench from a German assault.

Carson signing the 1912 Covenant is the second of the pair.

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Inniskilling

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The 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment Of Foot was raised in 1689 at Enniskillen to fight against James II in Ireland (WP). It was folded into the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in 1881, which in turn was made part of the Royal Irish Rangers in 1968, which in turn was merged with the UDR in 1992 to form the Royal Irish Regiment, whose flag is in the top right – though the colours are incorrect; there are no white bars and two red bars (WP). This RIR served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

The flowers around the outside are perhaps orange lilies rather than English roses.

“T-Bay youth – support our troops”

Mackey Street, Tiger’s Bay, north Belfast.

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No Right In Ireland

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“The British government has no right in Ireland, never had any right in Ireland, and never can have any right in Ireland.” (Last Statement, 1916)

“James Connolly 1868-1916 James Connolly was born in June 5th 1868. In 1810 he became organiser for the Irish Transport And General Workers Union in Belfast. In 1913 he co-founded the Irish Citizen Army. He was one of the signatories of the 1916 Proclamation and commanded HQ in the GPO during the 1916 Rising. He was executed by the British on May 12th 1916.”

“Nora Connolly O’Brien 1893-1981 Nora Connolly was the 2nd daughter of James Connolly. Nora was a member of Cumann Na mBan and the Gaelic League in Belfast. She played an organisational role in the ICA in the run up to the 1916 Rising. She was a trade unionist and remained so throughout her life.”

The mural was launched on May 3rd.

For the gallery above the mural, see On The Brink Of Sectarian Disaster.

Clondara Street, west Belfast

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