Month: Apr 2015

For Valour

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2015-01-23 LarchesRIR+

This mural celebrates the 14th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles and the Victoria Cross-winning exploits of two soldiers born in Carrickfergus: James Crichton, who served in the New Zealand forces (WP) and Daniel Cambridge, who served in the Royal Artillery in the Crimean War (WP). Their bravery is described as follows on the side-wall (in the image below):

Rank: Pte. James Crichton. Reg: 2nd Btn Auckland Infantry Reg. Born: Carrickfergus 15th July 1879. Deed: Creveloeur, France 30th Sept. 1918

For most conspicuous bravery & devotion to duty, wounded in the foot, he continued with the advancing troops. After being forced back by a counter attack, he carried a message, which involved swimming a river and crossing an area swept by machine gun fire. He later saved a bridge which had been mined and although under close fire from snipers and machine guns, was able to remove the charges and return with the fuses and detonators.

Rank: Sgt. Daniel Cambridge. Reg: Royal Regiment Of Artillery. Born: Carrickfergus Co. Antrim 1820. Deed: Crimea, 8th Sept. 1855

Having been severely wounded at the assault of Redan, on the same day he went out in front of the advanced trench under heavy fire to bring in a wounded man. In performing this he was severely wounded a second time [having been shot through the jaw]. He was decorated by Queen Victoria at the first V.C. investiture at Hyde Park on 26th June 1857.

2015-01-23 LarchesRIRWide+

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Vótaí Do Gach Saoránach Éıreannach

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“Paul Maskey supports votes for ALL Irish citizens.” Eligibility for voting in the Presidential election is based on eligibility for voting in Dáıl elections, which requires being a resident in a Dáıl constituency. As such, non-residents – whether in Northern Ireland or elsewhere – are not eligible. The matter was among those take up by the recent Constitutional Convention and a reply from the government is expected by the end of May (WP). Maskey is the incumbent for West Belfast in May’s Westminster election.

On the railings of the shuttered O’Connor’s/Rebel’s Rest, Falls Road, Belfast.

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Unite The Union

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2015-02-28 TransportUnite+

Here are more images from the new ‘Unite – the union’ mural at Transport House. Monday’s post featured Jim Larkin, who, after the Belfast lockout, founded the Irish Transport & General Workers Union in 1909. The separate (Amalgamated) Transport & General Workers Union (headquartered in London) was formed in 1922. (Larkin’s old union NUDL, renamed the National Union of Dock, Riverside and General Workers in Great Britain and Ireland, joined soon after in the same year.) In 2007, the T&G merged with Amicus to form the current Unite – The Union. The TGWU’s base in Belfast was Transport House, a 1959 building by architect J.J. Brennan in the International style (C20) and a B1 listed building (wikimedia). As can be seen from the image of a female welder above, the new mural features the green tile squares of the building itself, as well as the string of workers in the large mosaic on the front.

2015-02-28 TransportFront+

2015-02-28 TransportWide+

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Do Not Cut Flowers

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2015-03-18 GlynnDetail+

The Somme mural in Glynn, County Antrim has been repainted. The previous version had troops silhouetted against the colours of sunset; the new version has them against a cloudy sky and includes a grave and poppies.

2015-03-18 GlynnFull+

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Big Jim

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2015-02-28 TransportLarkin+

Big Jim Larkin spoke from the steps of the Custom House – a stone’s throw away from this new mural at Transport House in the city centre – in the early months of 1907, speaking on behalf of the dockers and other unskilled labourers, recruiting them to the National Union of Dock Workers, and ultimately organizing various strikes as part of what is now known as the ‘Belfast Lockout’, which stretched from April 26th to August 28th. Larkin was expelled from the NUDL and went on to form the Irish Transport & General Workers Union in 1909 and organize the Dublin Lockout in 1913. The rest of his history is equally dramatic, including arrest and imprisonment for ‘criminal anarchism’ in the US in 1919. (WP)

Here is an image of Larkin on the platform at a Belfast rally (mouse-over to enlarge), surrounded by workers wearing cloth caps.

2015-02-28 TransportClothCaps+

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The Glorious Memory

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2014-08-25 BallyduffFlags+

The flag of Israel flies beside the flag of the parliament of Northern Ireland and one celebrating “The glorious memory” of William III, crossing the Boyne on his horse. Ballyduff.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Road To Equality

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2014-11-25 RoadToEquality+

The road to equality is long and winding and goes through Andersonstown’s Derrin Pass. The junction is full of small board depicting Gaelic games, Irish culture, and landscape drawings, as well as exhortations towards equality — see the corresponding entry in the Peter Moloney Collection.

2014-11-25 RoadToEqualityWide+

2014-11-25 RoadToEqualityWide2+

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Standing Together Against Racism

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2014-06-27 SFAntiRacism+

Anti-racism board on Sınn Féın’s Andersonstown office.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Re:store

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2014-12-25 reStore+

A menacing sofa, or possibly the Titanic centre, lurches through the flames on the shutters of the re:store furniture shop, with LOFT upstairs.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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A Welcoming Hand

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2015-02-19 SliabhDubhWelcome+

Local residents and children who helped construct the ‘Welcome To Sliabh Dubh’ mosaic at the top of the estate got to include their handprints as part of the artwork, under the direction of Martin McClure (according to a City Council brochure). As the other images (below) show, the area is also host to another mosaic depicting local landmarks from the past such as the Glenalina Bleaching Co and a cottage on the hills of Black Mountain as well as the superhero murals (Wallbusters | Cartoon World | Red-Eye) and Disney murals (some of which have been featured in If The Shoe Fits | Look Behind You! | Magic Mountain).

2015-02-19 SliabhDubhFull+

2015-02-19 SliabhDubhFilm+

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