Coming Of Age In The Lower Shankill

03076 2015-10-01 Never Doubt+

The quote on this new board in the Lower Shankill estate – “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has” – is attributed to “Margaret Mead, American Author 1901-1978”. Mead in fact was best known as an anthropologist and in particular for her study of adolescent coming-of-age in the islands of Samoa which concluded that adolescence there was not at all the stressful and confused period that it was Western teens.

03077 2015-10-01 Never Doubt info+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03076 X03077 [X12019] The campaign against social exclusion group CASE created this artwork using themes of social justice to highlight how a group of residents by standing together can create real change within their area for the benefit of all residents the quote was written by the american author margaret mead and reflects what the residents aspire to within their community artist lesley cherry worked with case during this project drawing out their concerns hopes and fears for the future and how this statement can relate to similar communities not only in northern ireland but at an international level funded by the housing executive working in partnership with the lower shankill community association replaces several contentious paramilitary murals removed during the redevelopment of the shankill estate

Pick Us Up If We Fall Down

02833 2015-08-25 BrandywellPanel+

This mural featuring the rights of children was painted in Derry’s Brandywell area in 2014; it puts images alongside parts of Caroline Castle’s rendering of the UN’s Rights of the Child. The one above reads “Understand that all children are precious. Pick us up if we fall down and if we are lost lend us your hand. Give us things we need to make us happy and strong and always do your best for us whenever we are in your care. Right no. 3”.

02832 2015-08-25 BrandywellFull+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02833 X03154 X03155 X03156 X03157 X02832 whoever we are wherever we live these are the rights of every child under the moon and the stars gallagher and sons oil and coal all children shall have time to play and time to rest when we are tired right no 31 watch over us wrap us up against the cold and rain and give us shade from the hot sun make sure we have enough to eat and drink and if we are sick nurse us and comfort us right no 24 if we are disable either in body or mind treasure us especially and give us the care we need to live happily in the world right no 23 no one on earth has the right to hurt us not even our mums and dads protect us always from anyone who would be cruel right no 19 all children should be allowed to live and to grow and grow and grow until we are grown up and and can decide things for ourselves right no 6 keep our families together and if we have no family look after us and love us just the same right no 9 faılte go dtí welcome to

The City May Bring About Its Own Utter Downfall

03065 2015-09-28 Jackalope CNB15 Godzilla+

Here are three pessimistic panels from CNB15. The first (The City May Bring About Its Own Utter Downfall by Ailie O’Hagan) shows an apocalyptic scene: Belfast city hall in flames while Godzilla rampages. The second shows artists in hoodies and face-masks stealing through the city with brushes and a camera. (Yesterday (Nov. 3rd) saw a march on Stormont to protest cuts in arts funding. See TwitterBBC-NI) The third has a giraffe in a fishbowl helmet ‘reaching for the stars’ but beneath it is written “Politics is the art of the possible, except in Northern Ireland”.

For pictures of the folks they got to draw panels in September, see the Jackalope Twitter feed.

03067 2015-09-28 Jackalope CNB15 Gang+

03068 2015-09-28 Jackalope CNB15 Giraffe+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03065 X03067 X03068

The Trenches Have Vanished Under The Ploughs

02847 2015-08-25 StruleWWIFull+

This WWI mural is fading somewhat after at least eight years on a wall in Strule Gardens, Londonderry. It shows soldiers going over the top, as depicted in JP Beadle’s Attack Of The Ulster Division (belfastsomme.com).

The title comes from the Eric Bogle song No Man’s Land (better known as “The Green Fields Of France” or “Willie McBride”. Here (youtube) is the recording by Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy.)

02849 2015-08-25 StruleWWIRight+

02848 2015-08-25 StruleWWILeft+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02847 X02849 X02848

Stop Wars Not People

03143 2015-10-19 Capitalism Imperialism Created Refugees+

The bombs of the US, NATO, and the EU drive fleeing refugees into a circle of barbed wire in this new mural on Beechmount Avenue: “Capitalism & imperialism created refugees! Syria • Iraq • Afghanistan • Libya … Stop wars not people!!!” A report in Saturday’s New York Times on the migrant crisis cites a June UN report when it asserts that “There are more displaced people and refugees now than at any other time in recorded history — 60 million in all”.

Previously: Refugees Welcome

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03143 ascaill ard na bhfeá antifa international

The Monster Mash

03146 2015-10-19 Halloween d left+

More Halloween-themed art today, this time by Rich T and 45RPM (ig), two artists from Bristol who were over in Belfast for CNB15. They have mashed together a wide variety of spooky and frightening imagery, from bats, chains, and a bloody axe to webs, skeletons, and claws! Two close-ups are included and a full shot, below.

03147 2015-10-19 Halloween d right+

03145 2015-10-19 Halloween w+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03146 X03147 X03145 lamp lantern rosary beads newt toad eye tree brain in a vat rope brainz fist television gothic arch

The Darker Half Of The Year

03080 2015-10-03 Faigy CNB15 Witch d+

For the day that’s in it, spooky work by Faigy showing a skull-faced spider on the brim of a fedora-like hat on a witchy woman with an unhappy cat for a familiar. See Andrew Stewart’s tumblr for a work-in-progress image.

03079 2015-10-03 Faigy CNB15 Witch+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03080 X03079

Orange Crossing

03120 2015-10-11 School+

In this modified ‘School’ safety sign in the lower Shankill estate, a mother and child with collarettes go to school, under the watchful eye of UFF, UYM, and UDA boards on the gable wall behind it. (In 2000, a board reading “Drumcree” was placed over “School”. See J0585)

03119 2015-10-11 UFF UDA UYM+

03118 2015-10-11 UYM School+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03120 X03119 X03118 terrae filius quis separabit UFF 73 ulster defence force young militants freedom fighters

We Borrow The Earth From Our Children

03096 2015-10-04 Emic CNB15 Bee+

The environmentalist saying “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children” is used by emic as the title of his work for CNB15/Belfast Almanac Environment conference. Here are two details, of a bee and (below) a hummingbird, and finally a full shot which shows a tree growing from the mind of a boy. The origins of the phrase are – fittingly – unknown. (QuoteInvestigator)

03097 2015-10-04 Emic CNB15 Boy Bird+

03095 2015-10-04 Emic CNB15 Boy Bird Bee+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03095 X03096 X03097 almanac

The Way We Were

02961 2015-08-24 TheWayWeWere+

“The way we were” written on the bog side of the walls of Derry provide a name for this mural behind Derry’s Bogside Inn. The old Rossville flats are in the top left hand corner. (Both Rossville flats and graffiti on the walls – “God made the Catholics, the armalite made us equal” – can be seen in this 1982 image (M00039) from Peter Moloney’s collection.)

In the lower right-hand corner is a “Free Gaza” board that was on the back of Free Derry Corner.

In the lower left-hand corner is a picture of the second version of the “You are now entering Free Derry” writing on the gable wall of 33 Lecky Road.

02828 2015-08-24 TheWayWeWereSide+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02961 X02828 fuck all hoods INLA IRA BRY irish national liberation army bogside republican youth