Author: Extramural Activity

Goodnight, Sisters

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Derry native Nell McCafferty was commemorated by a new mural in the Maiden City, launched on International Women’s Day (March 8th), 2025, and the annual Femme Sesh event was also dedicated to McCafferty (ig | Derry Journal).

McCafferty died last year (2024) after a long career as a journalist and activist (BBC). “Goodnight, sisters” was her parting phrase at the end of her segments on The Women’s Programme, which aired on RTÉ between 1983 and 1986 (Journal).

Here is RTÉ footage of Nell and Marian Finucane on the Late Late in 1991 and in 1980.

The mural was painted by Peaball (web) on a gable in Lisfannon Park and is visible from Lecky Road. The portrait of McCafferty appeared on the cover of (the Penguin Ireland edition of) her autobiography Nell.

For the mural on the low wall (in the wide shot, below), see Two Nations One Struggle.

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Show Israel The Red Card

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“Show Israel The Red Card” is a campaign to suspend Israel from UEFA and FIFA competitions (Haaretz).

Supporters of various teams around the world (Quds News | Combat Antisemitism) have been displaying the slogan at games, following the lead of Celtic ultras in a match against Bayern Munich (youtube).

On March 8th, various groups, including RSYM (Fb), held a protest at Free Derry Corner (Fb video).

In smaller letters below the main slogan is “#LajeeCeltic” – Lajee Celtic (web) is a football academy in a camp in Palestine.

For the small posters see Boycott The White House.

Free Derry Corner has its own Visual History page.

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Boycott The White House

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“Boycott St. Paddy’s Day at the White House. Sign the petition!” The petition (at ActNow) is sponsored by twenty different Palestine-solidarity groups, headed by Derry IPSC (Fb), and calls for politicians not to shake “hands soaked with the blood of Palestinians” (and wearing a sleeve with US stars-and-bars and an Israeli-flag cuff).

Taoıseach Mıcheál Martin spent two days in Austin (Texas) before travelling to Washington DC for meetings and St Patrick’s Day celebrations (itinerary from Irish Central), including a meeting with President Donald Trump, who told him that Ireland is cheating the US economically, because “Ireland has our pharmaceutical companies” (AP).

Among northern politicians, First Minister Michelle O’Neill of Sınn Féın did not travel to the States but Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly of the DUP did (RTÉ) and gave Trump a flag from Royal Portrush golf club (Irish Times).

On Free Derry Corner, Bogside, Derry

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All Together Now

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At the heart of this east Belfast homage to the healing power of soccer are German and British soldiers shaking hands over a ball in ‘no man’s land’ on the Western Front, on Christmas Day, 1914. The image is not from a contemporary photograph but a modern one of a 2014 sculpture depicting such an even by Andy Edwards (TruceStatue) (who also did the Pat Jennings sculpture in Newry – seen in Pat Jennings). For more images of the WWI soccer statue, see WWI Cemeteries.

It’s not clear that matches between opposing forces – rather than simple fraternisation – were actually played; see Wikipedia for a review of the evidence.

Dee Street, east Belfast.

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Copyright © 2025 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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With Voice, Pen Or Hand

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“With voice, pen or hand we will defend our land.” David (Davy) Patterson (12-10-1955 – 03-01-2019) was a member of the 1st East Belfast Rangers Supporters Club (Fb) and Albertbridge Glentoran Supporters Club (Funeral Times).

This memorial board is the side-wall to the Somme Society mural (see Their Name Liveth Forevermore) and the Red Hand Commando memorial garden in Hunt Street, east Belfast.

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Copyright © 2025 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Fast Car

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These three cars are by DanK (ig) in Bank Square, Belfast city centre, on the wall of Crown Jesus Ministries (Fb) (in the Berry Street Presbyterian building), replacing the ‘Creation’ mural painted in 2012. Dan calls the piece “Hope” (ig) after the church’s ‘Hope Mission Centre’ (ig); this is the same title he gave to the geisha on the Shankill. This piece does not feature any of the kanji street-signage that would place it in Japan (compare with Night Taxi in the Woodvale), though there is some on the pink car, left.

The middle car has the license plate “OUTATIME” which was the plate on the DeLorean in ‘Back To The Future’ (see also: You Built A Time Machine … Out Of A DeLorean?)

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Not For EU

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“”Not for EU” label. Some items in this store are only for sale in Northern Ireland. Individual product labels and shelf markings showing ‘Not for EU’ will identify the products to which this applies.”

The labelling is part of the Windsor Framework’s attempt to facilitate trade between Britain and Northern Ireland, given that products moving from Northern Ireland to the Republic are also subject to EU regulations for meat, dairy, and plant products (Irish Times).

Also included is a “plant passport” from 2022.

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Keep Belfast Tidy

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“Keep Belfast tidy” by throwing fascism into the bin. Here is a vintage “Keep Belfast tidy” bin (at Alamy).

Rosemary Street and North Street (with swastika removed), Belfast city centre

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Deadly Pints, Deadly Tunes

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“Deadly” here means “excellent” or “terrific”, perhaps from the idea of “hitting the (living!) target” (Stack) – it is a piece of southern slang that artist and print-maker Leo Boyd (web) perhaps picked up on his journey from Bristol to Dublin to Belfast (Boyd | Atom) where he is one of the Vault Studios artists (Vault).

The new work shown here is at the American Bar (web) in Sailortown.

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Stella Maris

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Stella Maris (“star of the sea”) hostel in Sailortown provides accommodations for “up to 23 long-term homeless street drinkers” (web). The name is a hold-over from the building’s former use as a charity for seafarers; the name “stella maris” has also long been associated with the pole star by which sailors reckon their course of sail.

This large installation (by Elfire Ceramics – ig) on the exterior wall of the hostel is full of maritime imagery, including the pole star, as well images of hope such as a message in a bottle (left) and a life-preserver (right), as well as inspirational words: love, care, acceptance, respect, dignity, hope, equality, decency, kindness, awareness.

The piece was launched in September 2023 (St Joe’s); the previous piece in this spot was a ceramic representation of St Brendan crossing the Atlantic.

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