To Bathe The Sharp Sword Of My Word In Heaven

2015-06-29 Bradford+

South Belfast MP Robert Bradford was assassinated by the Provisional IRA in Finaghy at a meeting with constituents; the caretaker of the community centre, Ken Campbell, was also killed by the fleeing attackers. Taking place in late 1981, with the hunger strikes having ended only a month before, the killing was noted around the world and raised fears of broad civil unrest (BBC | NYTimes). The board above serves as a substitute for an earlier mural to Bradford on the adjacent gable wall. See below for a wide shot of Oak Street with the Bradford board between the repainted Cemented With Love and No Surrender Club.

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02673 X02677 my role is to say harsh things oft-times, but to bathe the sharp sword of my word in heaven, to temper what I say with love and lead people from their folly to a life of fuller service with their king for seven violent year from 1974 to 1981 unionist mp for south belfast an outspoken champion for liberty in ulster unafraid to speak his mind despite the danger he faced daily from terrorist death threats finally they murdered him while he was on constituency duty doing the special work god had called him to do one of the worst political assassinations in recent british history sent shockwave around the world

100% British

2015-07-01 RUC Collusion+

For weeks (since April) a whitewashed panel on the International Wall sat empty, before being partly filled in with “RIC – RUC – PSNI”, “RUC -> Collusion covered up by PSNI”, but progress seems to have halted again and a 32-County Sovereignty Movement tarp has been placed on top: Oppose British political policing.

Previously in this spot: End British Internment | Scairt Amach

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02686 in defence of the nation

Garden Of Eatin’

2015-07-02 GardenOfEatin+

Badger, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, and owl – along with various butterflies and birds – all inhabit the new community garden at Conduit Street in Donegall Pass. (It’s not all make-believe; the bird box on the tree in the middle is in fact real!) The mural above is the work of Nozzle & Brush.

Click here for work-in-progress shots. And for images of the launch (on April 22, 2015) see the Fb page of the Donegall Pass Community Forum.

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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From Celtic Park To Barcelona

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The stands of three football stadiums are shown in the background of the Don Patricio mural at the bottom of the Whiterock: Belfast Celtic’s Celtic Park (“Paradise”), Manchester United’s Old Trafford, and Barcelona’s Camp Nou. The Old Trafford stands bear the emblems of the teams Patrick O’Connell played for and managed: Liffey Wanderers (whose shirt is also featured, on the left), Sheffield Wednesday, Hull City (The Tigers), Manchester United, Dumbarton, Real Racing Club de Santander, Real Oviedo, and Real Betis Balompié (also shirt on the right).

Previously about Belfast Celtic: Know Your History | Reaching Out

Previously from this mural: The Don | The Flea

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02683 X02685 cuando te lleves mi alma no robes mi orgullo when you take my soul, do not steal my pride est. 1891 irish football association limited international champion

The Flea

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Yesterday we had ‘Barcelona Past’ in the form of Patrick “Don Patricio” McConnell (The Don); today we have ‘Barcelona Present’, in the form of Lionel Messi. The Argentinian forward is shown in front of the Spanish League cup, which Barcelona won this year (2014-2015) with a goal from “La Pulga” (“the flea”) – Messi is 5’7″ but four-time world player of the year.

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X02684 cirsa casino camp nou

The Don

2015-07-01 DonPatricioDon+

Here is part of the new Patrick O’Connell, “Don Patricio”, mural at the bottom of the Whiterock. As a player, the Dublin-born O’Connell started with Belfast Celtic before moving on to various English and Scottish clubs, including a period at Manchester United at the time of WWI. He then went on to manage a string of Spanish clubs. As manager of Barcelona during the Spanish civil war, he accompanied the club on their tour of Mexico and the United States. The money from the tour saved the club from bankruptcy but 12 of the 16 players went into exile in Mexico and France. (WP) Barcelona returns to the US this month (2015-07) for games against the LA Galaxy, Manchester United, and Chelsea. (FCBarcelona)

The newspaper in the mural above crams all of this news onto one page: “Civil war erupts in Spain – Barcelona bombed”, “Football suspended – President [of FC Barcelona] Josep Sunyol assassinated” [by Franco’s troops] (WP); “Irishman O’Connell takes players on tour – FC Barcelona saved from extinction”; “Funds lodged in Switzerland”. In the bottom left-hand corner of the newspaper is Robert Capa’s famous photograph of ‘The Falling Soldier’, purporting to show a Republican soldier at the very moment he is struck by a bullet and dies. The image is now thought to have been staged (WP).

The image on which the portrait is (perhaps) based can be seen in this Irish Times article on O’Connell.

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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No Surrender Club

2015-06-29 OakStSiegeBoard+

Oak Street is a fitting place for a mural about the Siege of Derry, as the oak leaf, shown to the left and right of the board above (and in the wide shot, below) is a symbol of the town, “doire” meaning an oak grove. The gates to the city were locked by thirteen apprentices, against the wishes of Governor Robert Lundy who wised to surrender the city. When the deposed king James II and his army arrived and demanded the surrender of the city of Derry, the cry from within was “No surrender!” The city was then besieged for 105 days until relief arrived in the form of ships of the navy of the newly crowned William & Mary.

The board shown above celebrates 50 years of the No Surrender Club South Belfast (1963-2013) a club affiliated with the Apprentice Boys Of Derry.

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2015-06-29 OakStSiegeInfoBoard+

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02674 X02675 X02676  The Siege of Derry, 1688 – 1689, April 18 to July 28 played a key role in the victory of the Williamite forces in Britain and other parts of Europe. The success of William III and the Glorious Revolution effectively stopped the rise of a tyrannical Empire under Louis XIV of France and his ally the deposed king of England, James II. The theory of the divine right of Kings was replaced by reforms created by King William III and Queen Mary, establishing the supremacy of parliamentary democracy and its freedoms which continue to this day. during the war of the three kings showing the jacobite fortifications and position of the boom across the foyle gold mask of the sun king vita veritas victoria protestant nobles stewart dynasty prince of orange convention parliament abdicated battle of the boyne kingdom of england scotland ireland londonderry toleration of roman catholics dissenters cousin dutch citizens walls of derry but the cry was siege of 105 days duly initiated in apprentice boys’ memorial hall shutting of the gates rules and ritual roaring meg siege key

With Matching Barbs

2015-06-22 YouthCentre+

The New Lodge youth centre has received a make-over, with kids’ drawings of purple pencils, yellow flowers, pink buses, and red circles. Even the security wire at the top has been included in the gaiety.

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Cemented With Love

2015-06-25 CementedWithLoveFull+

The ‘Cemented With Love’ mural on Oak Street (Donegall Pass) has been repainted for the 2015 marching season. According to the painted note in the bottom left corner, it was originally painted in 1989 on the 25th anniversary of the erection of the arch in nearby Lindsay Street. The mural shows William of Orange rearing back his horse in the Boyne river while a Jacobite soldier in green, white, and gold expires on the shore (shown below along with a close-up of William and horse).

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X02670 X02669 X02668 X02671 Lindsay St arch erected 1964 holy bible william of orange launched 2015-06-19

Seasons Greetings

2015-06-26 OurWoodGoes+

“Our wood goes, your windows go” – a message from the Bawnmore Zulus at Longlands Court/Arthur Road bridge in anticipation of August “festivities”.

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X02672 bmz nnd newtownabbey nationalist defenders