Author: Extramural Activity

Forever Young

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On this date twenty years ago (November 11th, 2001 – Remembrance Sunday) sixteen year-old Glen “Spacer” Branagh was killed by the premature blast of a pipe bomb he was carrying during a riot with New Lodge nationalists. He was affiliated with Tiger’s Bay First flute band – which held a memorial parade for him on October 16th (youtube) – and the UDA/UYM – for which see the old “Young Guns” mural on the site of the current Duncairn community garden. Distant relative Kenneth Branagh was also born in Tiger’s Bay (An Phoblacht), before leaving at age nine with his family in 1969 (WP); his film Belfast will be released in the USA tomorrow.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Fair Head

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Glentaisie Drive – site of this mural by Friz (web) – is named for Glentaisie, the glen – one of the nine Glens Of Antrim, at the foot of which lies Ballycastle – and Glentaisie is named for Taise Taobhgheal (Taise the bright-cheeked), daughter of King Donn of Rathlin island, renowned for her beauty, and who lived in the glen with her husband Congal, who had to kill the Norwegian king Nabghdon to prevent her being carried off (Archaeology Ireland). Or so they say. She also inspired the name “Fair Head” for the local cliffs. Or so they say.

In later years (1565), Sorley Boy MacDonnell was taken prisoner by the O’Neill’s after a battle in Glentaisie (WP).

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Legends Never Die

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“Heroes get remembered, legends never die.” Walter Smith passed away on October 26th, after a managerial career spanning 33 years, including two stints at Rangers – winning 21 titles over 11 years – and the Scottish national squad. A tarp in his honour – with poppies around his portrait – has been added to the Shankill Road celebration of Rangers’ 2020-2021 league title.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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What We Knead

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Man does not live on bread alone, but on cheese and tomato sauce. And perhaps some extra toppings and side orders, from We Knead Pizza (Fb) in McQuillan St. For information about Sr Faustina Kowalska, “Apostle Of Divine Mercy”, who had visions of Jesus, see This Image Is Blessed.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Stop PSNI Harassment

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“Stop PSNI harassment of the loyalist community” The PSNI were attacked on Wednesday by youths who blocked Lanark Way (site of this sticker), following a small protest against the NI Protocol. Belfast Live ran a live-blog of the events. Police later suggested that the young people were organised by older people in the community in an attempt to increase tension over the Protocol (Belfast Live) and the threatened collapsing of Stormont by the DUP (BelTel). They were also attacked from the Springfield Road side (BelTel).

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Life Preserver

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If the ice melts, we’re all in the drink – an environmental message from Spacer (Shane Sutton tw) for Friends Of The Earth (NI) (ig | tw) in High Street, Belfast.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Football Lads And Lasses Against Fascism

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“For a united working class”. Football Lads And Lasses (tw | Fb | web) is an organisation headed by former football hooligans against fascism and racism (BBC video). There are different stickers for dozens of English soccer clubs; this West Ham one has found itself on a light-pole on the Antrim Road in Belfast. Above it is a Lasaır Dhearg (web | tw) sticker decrying imperialism as the cause of climate change.

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Copyright © 2021 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
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Solidarity With Palestine

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The Dome Of The Rock with its golden dome and octagonal walls (WP) provides a background to Palestinian protesters in this Ard Eoın/Ardoyne board expressing solidarity with Palestine. Éıstıgí (Fb) is the youth division of Saoradh (web), and IRPWA (tw) is its prisoner-of-war organisation.

This is a printed board but even so the artwork is in a different style to what has been previously seen, with the two characters drawn in a cartoon/animation style. (See, e.g., End Maghaberry Torture previously in this spot, or Leave Our Kids Alone around the corner in Ardoyne Ave, or The Rising Of The Moon in Derry.)

For the current Kickham’s mural in the background: see The Heart Of Our Community.

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Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Quicker Than The Human Eye

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A blur of a hurler (or camóg) by Dublin artist Aches (web) in Ballycastle, where the local GAA club is Mac Uilín/MacQuillan’s (web).

Previously by Aches in Belfast: Disruption | A Closer Look | Headaches

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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To The Ends Of The Earth

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Here is another collection of images related to the Noah Donohoe campaign – this is now our twelfth post on the topic. The tarp and painted fencing, below, are from the Antrim Road, in north Belfast; the clothing bin is in bus turn-around just beyond Ligoniel; the sticker is in Dublin.

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First and last images Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
Middle two images Copyright © 2021 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
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