Sandy Row gets ready for 11th Night and the Twelfth with flags and bunting and loyal Orangemen (from lodges 126 and 428) in the windows.
Update: in 2020 the same windows were decorated with graveside mourners, past and present:
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019/2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06629 X06628 X07474
“Sandy Row stands with Soldier F” of the Parachute Regiment, who admitted (to the Saville inquiry) firing 13 shots in Derry on Bloody Sunday, and has now been charged with the killings of James Wray and William McKinney. For more information see Stop The Witch-Hunt.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06627
“William ‘Billy’ Hanna” murdered 21/6/1978. We will remember. Pride Of Ardoyne FB.” On the 40th anniversary of his death, a memorial plaque and cross were mounted at the top of Ardoyne Road to Billy Hanna, founder member of the Pride Of Ardoyne flute band. The word “murdered” is notable: Hanna was shot by the SAS as they ambushed a PIRA attempt to bomb the Ballysillan post office depot. It is alleged that the SAS snipers opened fire without warning and discharged 170 rounds (An Phoblacht); alternative interpretations of the event put the focus instead on Hanna being caught in the crossfire (BBC-NI) or mistaken for an IRA member (Sutton).
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06614 X06612 X06613 h/t Tony Crowley
“Catch up with Jesus. Lettuce praise & relish him. Cos he loves me from my head to-ma-toes.” Some delicious puns outside Sandy Row Methodist, McAdam Park.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06637 [X06638]
With less than a month to go until 11th night, bonfire builders are busy collecting materials for their pyres, but although they want people to “dump wood”, they don’t want to become dumps. Thanks to squire93@hotmail.com for this image of the site in the Edgarstown estate (Portadown): “Dump wood – no hedge trees or shit.”
For the mural in the background, see In Answer To The Echo Of Alarm.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 squire93@hotmail.com
X06634
With less than a month to go until 11th night, bonfire builders are busy collecting materials for their pyres, but although they want people to “dump wood”, they don’t want to become dumps. “No shite” is on Lanark Way (west Belfast). For a more articulate list, see previously Stuff We Don’t Need.
The other three images are from the RYL [Roslyn?/Ravenhill? Young Loyalist] bonfire site in Lismore Street (east Belfast). where the “Irish News [is] not welcome” to write stories and take pictures of sites as the controversies surrounding them resurface each year, such as toxic fumes from tyres (see e.g. Tyre-Free Pyre and Tyred Of Your Culture) and state attempts to exchange funds for conditions on fires (see e.g. Culture Before Cash and Real Loyalists Will Never Be Bought).
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06551 X06552 X06553 X06554 No fly tipping
“Frankie + Andy – Village legends.” UVF hitman Andy “Hard To Kill” Aiken died of a drugs overdose in June 2018, six months after the death of his brother Andy (BelTel) who lived in Roden Street (Funeral Times). The graffiti was previously to Frankie alone (Street View).
Aiken was a suspect in the killing Bobby Moffett on the Shankill in May 2010; Moffett had previously been expelled from the RHC for drug use (BelTel).
The referent of “RIP Lee – one love” is unknown. It is perhaps Lee Rigby (WP).
Roden Street/Donegall Road, Belfast.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06622 [X06624] [X06625]
A sticker protester in Bloomfield Avenue is tired of high rates: “UVF bonfire riots are to add £500 to your rates. Thank your morons”, “UVF scum push up rates + selfish bonfire builders”, “High private rentals and lack of council homes = EU open border German plan”.
Policing at two east Belfast bonfires last year cost 188 thousand pounds (BBC-NI), but it’s not clear that had any impact on rates. Commercial rates will increase by £138 this year, due in part to the allocation of half a million pounds for “bonfire diversionary schemes” (up from 400,000 pounds in 2018), resulting in a rates increase of 1.98% compared to a planned increase of 1.67% (Irish News | BBC-NI). The scheme has been called a “carve up” for special interests as the allocation of funds was decided by Sinn Féin and the DUP alone. Last year’s allocation was investigated by the NI Audit Office, and it appears that the office will investigate this year’s too in order to see that the recommendations made were adhered to (Alliance).
The other issue seems to be that immigration into Europe (including Belfast) is forcing up rents. Most immigrants to east Belfast live in privately-owned accommodation (NIHE). Germany ended its open-door migration policy in June 2018 (Vox).
Please get in touch if you can shed light on any of the issues.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06568 X06567 X06566
The Who, the parka, the scooter with multiple mirrors … Mod life in Belfast.
Please get in touch if you can explain “113”.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06611 Tamar St
“Even Protestants love Marxism/Leninism – just ask Wolfe Tone.” Tone, an Anglican, was an Irish republican and famously thought that the “men of no property” would play a part in the revolution, but what he thought their role would be in the new Ireland is much less clear. The graffiti is in loyalist east Belfast.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06564 London Rd
Extramural Activity 