PUL

Titanic Town

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May 2012 mural celebrating workers at Harland & Wolff and the building of the Titanic (and Olympic) 1908-1911. Gable wall of Allen’s Tours (Allen’s Furniture)

The artist is Ed Reynolds, whose site contains images of him at work on the piece (steadyhanded.com).

Somewhat reminiscent of Magritte’s 1959 Le Mois Des Vendages.

Combermere St. (Donegall Rd. just before Sandy Row).

The left-hand “title” and two details follow below …

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00595 X00600 X00594 X00601 funded by belfast city council titanic workers, this mural was developed under belfast city council’s titanic community engagement project with support from titanic foundation. thanks go to sandy row community forum, local residents and artist Ed Reynolds.

Death Of Billy Hunter

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Billy Hunter (background BBC | Belfast Telegraph) has died. On Saturday (25th August) a floral tribute to him was mounted on the railings of the ASDA store where he worked.

According to ‘The Irish News’ (Monday 27th August 2012) ‘Hunter died after he doused himself  in petrol and set it alight at the side of the Ballywalter Road, Millisle, on Friday morning.’

The Irish News quotes Gerard McErlane as saying, ‘The fella did it and God have mercy on him. What he did he did to himself. John and Thomas had no choice when he murdered them. He had a choice and maybe it was his conscience. I don’t know.

I said a prayer and lit a candle for him doing that as I would for any human being doing that to themselves.’

However, Mr McErlane said tributes to Hunter should be removed. ‘It bothers me that they are supporting him. Even in his death they are supporting him. They are glorifying him. I want it removed.’

Quoting an ASDA spokeswoman, the Irish News reported that the store would support colleagues who want to attend the funeral. She said the store would let the ‘community decide on floral tributes.’

Detail and wide shot below …

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00591 X00592 X00593 no goodbye no farewell billy so! until the next time good night mate!! john s.r.t, york star linfield s.c.

Stroud Street

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Here is an angled shot of the entire Stroud St. mural, details of which have been featured in one | two | three previous entries. The artist is Ed Reynolds (steadyhanded.com) “assisted by William McKee Strong, June 2012”. The Tele had a write-up of the work: The Singing Butcher.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00588 sandy row 1907, tram workers sandy row at the albion Alex Higgins Joe Hillerby Alanna Audley-Murphy Ruby Murray James Johnston Joe Bambrick

The Elliots – Stroud St #3

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Here is a third panel from the new Stroud St. mural (previous panels one | two). This image is based on a photograph by the celebrated Belfast photographer Bill Kirk whose exhibit ‘Sandy Row 1974’ was at the Red Barn Gallery September-October 2011. At 6:50 in the video below one can see the original photograph of the Elliots.

This mural is an example of the ‘re-imaging’ of local areas that is being commissioned/sponsored by public bodies in NI at present. The stated aim of the project is to replace existing murals with ones that are less violent or, as in this case, to create new ones in order to enhance the appearance of an area. This mural contains no images of flags, political or paramilitary personages or emblems. It is ‘non-political’ in that sense, though you might argue that state sponsorship of ‘neutral’ images is in itself a political act.

Many such murals seem to rely on nostalgia, as is evident in this image.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00587 mr & mrs elliot in the back yard of their house boyne sq 1974

Pole Swing In Stroud Street

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Here’s the part of the Stroud Street mural (mentioned a few days ago in Just The Ticket) that incorporates the street-light into the mural.

Ed Reynolds is the artist. The mural was commissioned by the Belfast City Council, in consultation with the Sandy Row Community Forum and the Residents’ Association

There are a few seconds of footage of children swinging on a light pole at the 1:25 mark of this youtube video

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Just The Ticket

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Part of the long, multi-panel mural in Stroud St by Ed Reynolds – with help from the person pictured, William McKee Strong. For the whole thing, see Stroud St Entire.

The parking-ticket machine is real.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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July 1st

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In the old style of calendar (prior to 1752), the Battle Of The Boyne took place on July 1st, the same date as the Battle Of The Somme (in the new style of calendar). It is reported that some soldiers from the 36th Division wore their Orange Order collarettes into battle. In the image above, which reproduces a painting by Carol Graham, they defend their trench from a German assault.

Carson signing the 1912 Covenant is the second of the pair.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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From Sandy Row To The House Of Windsor

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“From Sandy Row to the house of Windsor: happy diamond jubilee 1952-2012. God save the Queen.” Although the coronation was held in June 1953, Elizabeth acceded to the throne immediately upon the death of George VI, on February 6th, 1952.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Whitewash

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The ‘Welcome to Sandy Row’ mural is painted over, June 25th, 2012. The new King William mural was launched on July 4th. More pics of the painting-out, from the BBC. Video from UTV.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Inniskilling

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The 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment Of Foot was raised in 1689 at Enniskillen to fight against James II in Ireland (WP). It was folded into the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in 1881, which in turn was made part of the Royal Irish Rangers in 1968, which in turn was merged with the UDR in 1992 to form the Royal Irish Regiment, whose flag is in the top right – though the colours are incorrect; there are no white bars and two red bars (WP). This RIR served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

The flowers around the outside are perhaps orange lilies rather than English roses.

“T-Bay youth – support our troops”

Mackey Street, Tiger’s Bay, north Belfast.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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