Month: Jun 2019

In The Defence Of The Citizens Of Belfast

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The re-developed memorial to the 36th (Ulster) Division along the Shore Road (see previously) now includes the emblems of the 10th and 16th Divisions, as well as a large metal plate “in honour of the brave men and women who served on the Home Front 1939-1945: the Ulster Defence Volunteer Force, the Women’s Voluntary Services, the Auxiliary Fire Service, the Air Raid Precautions Wardens. This memorial is dedicated to the thousands of local people who volunteered during World War II and to the York Road Civil Defence Hall which played a vital role in the defence of the citizens of Belfast.”

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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Ready For The Big Parade

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Sandy Row gets ready for 11th Night and the Twelfth with flags and bunting and loyal Orangemen (from lodges 126 and 428) in the windows.

Update: in 2020 the same windows were decorated with graveside mourners, past and present:

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Copyright © 2019/2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Fáılte Go Dtí Glengormley

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Irish-language signage was in the news recently after Antrim & Newtownabbey council threatened an 85-year-old Randalstown pensioner with a fine of up to 2,500 pounds if she failed to remove a street sign erected by her granddaughter (Irish Central). So far, no action has been taken by the same council against the Glengormley graffitist who added Irish to the new ‘welcome’ sign on the bridge near the Bellevue Arms, though without translating the placename: “Fáılte go dtí (Gleann Ghormlaıthe).” There is a matching sign at the other end of the area, on Sandyknowes roundabout.

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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Murdered By Those Who Followed In Their Footsteps

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The “Provisional” split from the IRA in early 1970 and the feud between the Provos and the “Official” IRA went on intermittently throughout the 70s. This board on Teach Oisín in the New Lodge commemorates three local OIRA members who were (or, were thought) killed in the feud (John) Mario Kelly was killed in Newington near his home in November 1975. Trever [Trevor] McNulty, education officer for the Republican Clubs and OIRA, was shot by the Provisionals in the entrance hall of Alexander House (later Teach Fhinn) in the New Lodge. 11 people, mostly OIRA, died in the feud in the two weeks from the tail end of October into November (CAIN). The third person shown is Patric​k​ McGreevy from Carlisle Square, a youth member aged 15 or 16 (hence the Gal Gréine) who was shot from a passing car outside a café on Clifton St​reet. Originally his killing was thought to be part of the feud (which explains his inclusion here), but it is now generally accepted that he was shot by the UVF (Lost Lives). 

The genealogy of the republican movement goes through the pike-men (silhouettes on the left and right) of 1798 and 1803 to the Easter Rising (the quote from James Connolly: “The cause of labour is the cause of Ireland and the cause of Ireland is the cause of labour”)

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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Soldier F

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“Sandy Row stands with Soldier F” of the Parachute Regiment, who admitted (to the Saville inquiry) firing 13 shots in Derry on Bloody Sunday, and has now been charged with the killings of James Wray and William McKinney. For more information see Stop The Witch-Hunt.

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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Billy Hanna

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“William ‘Billy’ Hanna” murdered 21/6/1978. We will remember. Pride Of Ardoyne FB.” On the 40th anniversary of his death, a memorial plaque and cross were mounted at the top of Ardoyne Road to Billy Hanna, founder member of the Pride Of Ardoyne flute band. The word “murdered” is notable: Hanna was shot by the SAS as they ambushed a PIRA attempt to bomb the Ballysillan post office depot. It is alleged that the SAS snipers opened fire without warning and discharged 170 rounds (An Phoblacht); alternative interpretations of the event put the focus instead on Hanna being caught in the crossfire (BBC-NI) or mistaken for an IRA member (Sutton).

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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Catch Up With Jesus

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“Catch up with Jesus. Lettuce praise & relish him. Cos he loves me from my head to-ma-toes.” Some delicious puns outside Sandy Row Methodist, McAdam Park.

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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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No Hedge Trees Or Shit

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06634 2019-06-11 PDown Dump Wood+

With less than a month to go until 11th night, bonfire builders are busy collecting materials for their pyres, but although they want people to “dump wood”, they don’t want to become dumps. Thanks to squire93@hotmail.com for this image of the site in the Edgarstown estate (Portadown): “Dump wood – no hedge trees or shit.”

For the mural in the background, see In Answer To The Echo Of Alarm.

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Copyright © 2019 squire93@hotmail.com
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Dump Wood, No Shite

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With less than a month to go until 11th night, bonfire builders are busy collecting materials for their pyres, but although they want people to “dump wood”, they don’t want to become dumps. “No shite” is on Lanark Way (west Belfast). For a more articulate list, see previously Stuff We Don’t Need.

The other three images are from the RYL [Roslyn?/Ravenhill? Young Loyalist] bonfire site in Lismore Street (east Belfast). where the “Irish News [is] not welcome” to write stories and take pictures of sites as the controversies surrounding them resurface each year, such as toxic fumes from tyres (see e.g. Tyre-Free Pyre and Tyred Of Your Culture) and state attempts to exchange funds for conditions on fires (see e.g. Culture Before Cash and Real Loyalists Will Never Be Bought).

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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Spontaneous Combustion

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Brennan’s chippie in North Street suffered a fire (and burglary) at the beginning of April that closed the store (Belfast Live). They hope to be open again in two weeks. In the meantime, citizens are urged to be aware of spontaneous combustion “by order of Fire General Bob” (FBG).

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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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