Author: Extramural Activity

Lest We Forget

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This is the third commemoration to Village UVF volunteer Stevie McCrea and the second to Sammy Mehaffy – see Stephen Desmond McCrea and Battalion Of The Dead, which also includes John Hanna, who has a solo board in Prince Edward Pk.

As is often now the case, the modern UVF (McCrea died 1989-02-18 from wounds sustained in the IPLO attack on the Orange Cross, and Mehaffy on 1991-11-13, shot by the IRA in nearby Lecale Street) is mixed in with the 1912 anti-Home Rule Ulster Volunteers and Young Citizen Volunteers, which are themselves blended together with WWI and the 36th (Ulster) Division of 1914-1918.

Replaced 2nd Batt B Coy and next to Taking Aim in Tavanagh St.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X10091

Four F*cks Given

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Derry’s Bogside is at odds with everyone, it seems: above, the English Queen and her platinum jubilee, below, NATO, and … Creggan!

Lasair Dhearg’s take on the jubilee is entitled 70 Years A Parasite.

The anti-NATO placard has a small hammer-and-sickle at the bottom.

Click image again to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
X10261 X10262 X10260 X10259

Eat To The Beat

Extramural Activity1 Comment

This signal box on the Holywood Road, Belfast, has been repainted by FGB (ig) to look like a Drumstick – not the musician’s tool or the chicken leg but the chewy lolly. The Drumstick dates back to 1957 (swizzels.com). Swizzels makes not just Drumsticks but also Refreshers, Double Lollies, Love Hearts, Double Dips, Lipsticks, and Whistles.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X08977

Spring Into Art

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

A paint-pot for a helmet, the lid for a shield, a paintbrush for a lance, a caparison sporting graffiti as a coat of arms – the knight of art springs into the playground of the imagination.

By Dublin artist ADW (ig | web) for HTN22 in Kent Street, Belfast.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X10200 X10201

The Famous

Extramural Activity2 Comments

Sons Of Kai flute band (ig) re-formed in 2006 (youtube | Coin Talk) but here claims as its origin date “1972”. IWM gives the founding year as 1970, and quotes one of the founders, Bo Kerr, saying that the band was named after Danish soccer player Kai Johansen (WP), who played for Rangers from 1965-1970, and that the “tartan” gang (History Ireland) ‘Rathcoole KAI’ subsequently took its named from the band. Then (BelTel) and now (Irish News | Slugger) “KAI” is understood to stand for “Kill All Irish”. A 1982 image of the Rathcoole KAI “red devils” mural can be seen in the Ciaran McGowan collection at IWM.

[2024 update: the band’s foundation story is told in more detail in Kai Johansen’s Bar.]

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X10175 X10176 X10174 rathmullan dr derrycoole way

Ballykinlar Internment Camp

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Ballykinlar barracks in County Down was originally Abercorn barracks, used by the British to intern IRA prisoners during the War Of Independence, and the use continued under the new Northern Irish government (WP); the camp held about 2,000 prisoners (McGuffin, ch. 5). The prisoners attempted to maintain their military structure and perform drills; they created a currency using cardboard discs (images can be seen at Old Currency Exchange) – and, as a way to keep up morale, worked on “autograph books” in which prisoners would write dedications and verses for one another and occasionally draw pictures. The pages shown here are from books currently exhibited in Monaghan County Museum; Offaly Archives has digitised an autograph book; a few more images from a book in the Kilmainham collection can be seen at the BBC.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X10190 X10189 X10188 X10187 X10186

Femelle Fatale

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

A painting of a model from Femelle Studios (ig) by London artist Mr Cenz (web | tw) in Londonderry’s Waterside, with support from UVArts (ig).

Previously, in Belfast: Good Cenz

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
X11055 X10016 X11054 X10017 [X10018]

Diu Regnare

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The celebrations for Queen Elizabeth’s platinum (70th) jubilee officially began yesterday with the “trooping of the colour” (Guardian) (a birthday parade – which has been notable here for a BBC commentator’s description of the Irish Guards as “micks” (BelTel)) and the lighting of 1,500 beacons (Sky). Today’s church service at St. Paul’s Cathedral in the Queen’s honor will take place without her after she (again) experienced “mobility issues” on Thursday (Guardian). Today’s images are of jubilee merchandise for sale in Shankill shops.

See previously: On The Occasion Of Her Platinum Jubilee.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X10129 X10133 X10132 X09982 [X10053] X10054 X10051 [X10052] X09973 [X09974]

New Levels, Same Devils

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is a selection of recent graffiti art on the Cupar Way “peace” line – images by (in order) Lobster Robin (web), HAZ (ig), Wee Nuls (ig), Niall.Ol (ig), Carl Kenz (ig), Emic (ig), Web and Kayos, and Bustart (ig).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X10121 [X11380] X10115 X10117 X10118 [X10119] X10120 X10116 X10114 X10122

Remember Your Neighbourhood

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“A scramble for the window seat/Steam curls as the whistle blows/Clickety clack train on track.//Remember your neighbourhood in the late afternoon sun/The district was a different place then/All you owned was a box full of toys and a smile on your face.”

The York Road railway station was a few minutes’ walk below Ritchie Street – site of this mural and community garden – until it closed in 1992. The original line was to Ballymena and then Coleraine and London-/Derry, with service to Carrick and Larne added later. It was badly damaged in WWII and its final demise came with the opening of Belfast Central in 1976 (WP). It was replaced with Yorkgate in 1992 which no longer serves as a terminus (WP), but the line still runs along behind the end of the streets along York Road and the Grove area of the Shore Road.

Ritchie Street, Belfast

Previously in Ritchie St: Union Flag

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X10145 X10146 X10147 X10148 X10144 [X10149] [X10150]