Model Learner

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This is a new mural on the Ballysillan Road by MWAK/Pigment Space (ig) close to the Boys’ Model and featuring a student at the centre of symbols of learning – a film camera in the top left; Hokusai’s Great Wave in the top right, for art; Titanic (for engineering?) and a thermometer (for chemistry? or global warming?) on the right; musical notes in the bottom right; sports in the bottom left. The dates on the left are obscure. “1971” is perahps for the year the school won the Schools’ Cup in rugby (News Letter); there is a soccer ball next to “1996” but no similar victory can be found – get in touch if you can supply a meaning.

Replaces the Alternatives mural seen in Our Wee Country and No Alternative.

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You’ll Know Us By Our Noise

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The “Lambeg drum” is named for the village near Lisburn, perhaps invented there to celebrate a visit by King Billy (LAD), or perhaps because it was there that the (already existing) drum was played with canes (WP).

As can be seen from these images, the drums are extemely large – three feet in diameter – which makes them difficult to use in parades, as does their immense noise (up to 120 dB); they are more frequently seen on their own at drumming displays such as this one on the Shankill yesterday (July 11th).

See also: Lambeg drums in Glynn last year (2022) in While I Live I’ll Crow.

For the King William railings, see Let Ambition Fire Thy Mind.

For the Clyde Valley, see An Astounding Achievement.
For Robert Quigg, see Victoria Crosses Of The 36th (Ulster) Division.

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Belfast Beacons

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11 “beacons” are being lit across Belfast this evening, an increase over the eight from last year (Belfast Live). They are re-usable metal frames filled with willow wood (above a base of pallets) and sit on a bed of sand in order to avoid scarring the ground (BBC). The name evokes the beacons lit in the hills of Antrim and Down that allowed King William’s forces to land at Carrickfergus in 1690; the practice of lighting bonfires for festivals goes back to pagan times (Gailey).

Rather than being collected by the local commuinity, the materials are provided by a City Council programme now in its fifteen year of operation; the cost of the beacons this year is 81,000 pounds (BelTel). For discussion of the beacons (and the wider bonfire programme), see this Slugger article.

The two beacons shown here are in Woodvale (above) and Brown’s Square (below). For the Herbie McCallum memorial, see Some Day Soon We’ll Proudly March On Parade.

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Solidarity With The French Riots

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“Solidarity with the French riots against racism & police – justice for Nahel!” 17 year-old Nahel Merzouk was shot and killed on June 27th by a motor-cycle policeman in Nanterre, France. The scope of use of firearms by police was expanded in 2017 to include dangerous drivers who refused to stop; Merzouk was at the wheel of a Mercedes that had twice failed to stop and (according to police) was putting others in danger. Police specifically alleged that the car, after the second stop, was driving towards the officer; video evidence later disproved this. This cover-up, combined with long-running discontent over the use of deadly force by police, led to six nights of rioting in which two people were killed, more than 3,000 people arrested, and 800 police injured. (BBC includes video | Independent | WP)

Divis Street, west Belfast

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Jim McCabe

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A new mural was unveiled yesterday in memory of Jim McCabe, the husband of Norah McCabe who was hit by a plastic bullet in 1981 and died a day later. Jim went on to become a “lifetime campaigner for truth + justice” and a “founder member of Relatives For Justice [web] and United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets [web]” – the sketch shown in the third image suggests this line was part of the plan for the mural. (For a profile of Jim’s campaigning work, see Belfast Media.) Jim died in January of this (2023) year.

The image above shows one of the children of Norah and Jim – James – standing in front of the new mural wearing a ‘Ban plastic bullets’ t-shirt and carrying an image of his mother.

Replaces #RememberMyNoah between La Solidaridad Invariable and BTCIC.

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Shankill Drummer

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Tomorrow (August 30th, at 12:30) there will be a family fun-day and the launch of a new mural of a colourful drummer boy. The mural is on Peter’s Hill; it takes the place of the “Original Belfast” murals (2009 and 2020) and before that a UDA emblem (M02480).

Painted by Glen Molloy (ig) with support from SAFE Shankill (see Woodvale OK), Alternatives (web), Executive Office, Communities In Transition.

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Shankill Parade

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The Shankill Area Social History (SASH) (Fb) celebrates the people and events of the Shankill Road with a new mural in Downing Street.

From left to right: girls wrapped in Union Flags watching the parade; boys on pallets; the Shankill Mission; Orange Order parade; the Summer festival in Woodvale Park (The Cabin); the former Belfast Savings Bank, now an undertaker’s; the Winter festival and switching-on of the Christmas tree lights, with Mrs. Claus, the Grinch in Santa jacket and hat, and last year’s (2022) celebrity guest Charlie Lawson (youtube); local band Casual Riots (ig). (SASH Fb Gallery)

For a mural of famous Shankill faces and places, see Save The Shankill.

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The Sun Never Sets

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“For God and Ulster” (as seen on the bucket hat) is the more common slogan of the of the Ulster Volunteers, but “For King and Empire” (as seen on the shirt) was occasionally used, as on the colours of Central Antrim’s 3rd battalion (Sam’s Flags | see also The Central Antrim Regiment). The phrase also appears on a plaque outside Carrickfergus Orange hall – see On Foreign Fields.

The items are for sale in the Shankill Historical Society in the middle Shankill. The shop is at least 25 years old.

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Éıreannaıgh Sınne!

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“Ní coırpıgh sınne! Éıreannaıgh sınne! [we are not criminals; we are Irish people] “There is that much to be done that no select or small portion of people can do; only the greater mass of the Irish nation will ensure the achievement of a socialist republic, and this can only be done by hard work and sacrifice.” – Bobby Sands [Hunger strike diary, March 14th, 1981]” With photographs of the ten deceased 1981 hunger strikers.

Falcarragh Drive, Lenadoon, Belfast.

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