Thy Fearful Symmetry

The mortal hand that has framed the fearful symmetry of Blake’s Tyger is Friz, in her piece for CNB17/HTN17. “Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright/In the forests of the night/What immortal hand or eye/Could frame thy fearful symmetry?”

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Join The IRNC

Here is another Irish Republican National Congress (Fb | web) board. Where the first (in Beechmount) featured a Maid Of Erin harp, this one features assault rifles and some nasty barbed wire.

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Pearl

The female figure painted by Irony (twFb | tumblr) for CNB/HTN was the subject of a naming competition. There were various humorous suggestions but our favourite is “Iris”, to go with “Aether and Echo”, which is the name of the pub.

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On The Other Side

The stained glass from Townsend Street Presbyterian shown above depicts a scene from Bunyan’s Pilgrims Progress, where Valiant-for-truth crosses over to his Father’s house. The glass was unveiled in 1922 in memory of “John Sinclair Martin of the 5th Royal Irish Rifles and his son Robert T Martin” (Beechgarave | History Hub Ulster).

Below is ‘Charity’ from the trio of ‘Faith, Hope, and Charity’ by Wilhelmina Geddes, unveiled 1914-02-08. 2016 saw the publication of a biography of Geddes (BelTelIrish Times).

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Hit The Northern Lights

Bristol street artist Cheba (web | inst | tw) was in Belfast for Culture Night/Hit The North and produced this mural outside the Bear And Doll.

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Shankill Fathers

Eight silhouetted men ride on an elephant while the faces of a dozen more Like Sure Start, the Great Shankill Fathers’ Forum is perhaps part of the Greater Shankill Partnership. It does not appear to have any independent on-line presence.

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Copyright © 2017 ExtramuralSeosamh Mac Coılle
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Hair Dressing

Dublin-based artist Kathrina Rupit (KinMx web) visited Belfast in September for Culture Night/Hit The North.

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No Justice

Mervyn and Rosaleen McDonald were Catholics living in the mixed Longlands area of Newtownabbey when they were visited by “UFF loyalist assassins” and shot dead in front of their two young children. The killings are described in most detail in Jack Holland’s Too Long A Sacrifice, which contains an interview with the gunman and the claim that the unit had access to RUC files (p. 94). They are buried in Milltown Cemetery (see final image).

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Unfinished Business

The “Unfinished revolution – unfinished business” board at the top of Westland Street (featured in a 2016 post) has been updated in various ways: the year has been changed to “2017” and “Join the IRA” added in stencil. Around the board “IRA” and “Smash Stormont” graffiti has been added.

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Banana Republic

Rob Hilken (web | tw | inst) – artist and NI manager for Visual Arts Ireland – painted a load of bananas for Culture Night/Hit The North 2017.

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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