The Road To The Somme Begins

2012-12-29 WillowfieldWide+

Two murals confront each other on Carlingford Street, east Belfast. Here is one, showing a map of the area, a statue of Carson, and a group of volunteers. Detail and close-up of the plaque below.

2012-12-29 WillowfieldPlaque+

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00803 X00802 X00801 carson’s volunteers we will not have home rule willowfield unionist hall 28th sept 1912 3,242 sign the ulster covenant road to the somme begins; this mural is dedicated to the men and women of in the 3rd bill was introduced and passed by parliament and although defeated 3 times by the house of lords it was sent for royal assent over 200,000 unionists attended a rally at balmoral including the orange order and unionist clubs which had marched from the city center; here they were addressed by among other sir edward carson leader of the irish unionist party on 28th september nearly 500,000 men and women signed; factories and shipyard in belfast were idle and silent allowing their workers the opportunity to attend church and then to congregate at the city hall; some in their own blood; they then formed into the 2nd battalion of the regiment u.v.f. commanded by dr. william gibson; drilled and trained that was situated about half a mile from this spot; with the onset of WW1 in 1914 these same volunteers stood to the fore to defend the empire as the 8th battalion in the 36th ulster division; many did not return but their bravery and honour will forever be remembered; they went with songs to the battle they were young straight of limb true of eyes steady and aglow they were staunch to the end against odds uncounted they fell with their faces to the foe they shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old, age shall not weary them nor the years condemn, at the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them

Our Wee Country

2012-12-25 OurWeeCountry+

Here is another mural celebrating the Northern Ireland football team with the slogan “our wee country” on the top part of a wall of the Times Bar in York Street.

George Best is on the left and (perhaps) David Healy on the right.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Tower Street

2012-12-23 TowerStDetail+

A detail from a board in Tower Street (off the Lower Newtownards Road) featuring a young girl carrying a union flag – a famous photograph from VE Day, 1945. For the whole mural, see M04869.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Mount Vernon Welcomes You

2012-12-26 MtVernonWide+

Loyalist boards showing a (UVF) hooded gunman and a tiger from the “Mount Vernon Volunteers” wearing a purple beret, on Ross House, the Mount Vernon tower block. On the upper floors are an Ulster Banner and Union Flags.

See also: Families Against Supergrass Trials.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Castlereagh Street Shipyard Workers

2012-12-06 CastlereaghStDetail+

A board at the top of Castlereagh Street listing residents of the street who worked in 1911 on the Titanic and Olympic. With plane-breaking lifeboats and sponsorship from Belfast City Council (see Daniela Balmaverde’s page on the project), the Department for Social Development and the Titanic Foundation.

Wide show below ….

2012-12-06 CastlereaghStWide+

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00763 X00764 X05206 boiler maker plater iron turner shipyard marine engineer draughtsman smith fitter helper, carpenter apprentice joiner moulder chief harbour board clear storekeeper’s office, ropemaker, labourer, leighton cunningham, william horsly, william nelson, francis gregson, james taylor, robert keenan, john miller, joseph atkinson, john porter, william boyd, thomas finney, joseph walker, joseph simpson, sidney ham, archibald hutchinson, andrew mulgrew, james brown, robert dobson, robert simpson, john mccurley, william roy, charles cameron, john m. murray, john lapidge, william horsly (again?), thomas maitland, thomas valentine, alexander mccallum, thomas henderson, george moody, ?jack? kennedy, william wise, edward thomson, william henry ?adison?, bartholemew ivory, john campbell, james miller

Loyalists Welcome

2012-12-04 RisingSonsFluteBand+

A banner announcing the Rising Sons Flute Band outside their practice hall in east Belfast. (Previously: Rising Sons mural)

One of many Rising Sons youtube videos:

The banner makes an appearance in this CNN video on the rioting …

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Prepared For Peace, Ready For War

This is one of the most famous murals in Belfast on account of its position overlooking the entrance of Mount Vernon and the M2 – the central gunman appears to be aiming right at you as you come down the off-ramp to the Shore Road. The original mural (T00138 | D00382) – which dates back to the ceasefire (1995) – was on a gable at the front of the estate but the entire block of houses was knocked down (c. 2000 – BelTel). It was later recreated (though without the words “3rd battalion” above “North Belfast) in the current more elevated position.

The other gunman-aiming-right-at-you mural is the UDU mural in the lower Shankill estate.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Send Our Prisoners Home

This vintage UDA/UFF stencil goes back to the time of the ceasefire and the Agreement.

On the shutters of A1 Alterations on the Newtownards Road, east Belfast.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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City Of Industry

The industrial high-point of Belfast, according to this mural, would seem to be when people travelled on trams, cloth was woven by hand, and Titanic sat in dry dock. Only the Shorts-Bombardier aircraft confuses the nostalgia.

Bloomfield Ave, east Belfast.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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