The Boyne Bridge joins Durham Street and Sandy Row. Translink plans to demolish the bridge to make way for a new Transport Hub costing 150 million pounds. The Boyne Bridge Defenders (web | Fb) are organising a petition against it on the basis of the bridge’s age (parts of it were built in 1642) and long history. More info from the Tele.
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A new mural to William “Buster” Keenan was unveiled this month – July 8th – coincidentally the anniversary of wife Eileen’s death. Both are listed on the UVF memorial stone (image 3) in front of the mural, along with David Ervine and the Long-Cordner-Bennett-Seymour quartet.
According to ACT, Keenan was involved in the Battle Of St. Matthew’s (in which Bobby Neill and James McCurrie were killed, along with Henry McIlhone). To the left (fourth image) is another “Ulster Volunteers” stone, a “Sydenham roll of honour – to those who gave their lives in the Great War”.
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A plaque has been added to the Cupar Way “peace” line memorial to UVF man William “Plum” Smith. “Moved on 8th June 2016 – sadly missed by his family.” For more information on his life, see the previous version.
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Marvel comics’ character The Punisher takes aim at the back of Captain America’s skull. Just above the piece: “The positive side of Belfast Shankill Road peace wall“.
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Tyres for the Conway Street/Cupar Way bonfire were removed from the site in June (Belfast Live | image at Alternatives) but some might have recently been put in the middle (Belfast Media). In any case, there are still plenty of pallets, not to mention Sinn Féin election posters featuring Alex Maskey, John Finucane, and Michelle O’Neill, as well as the flag of ISIS, and IRA and INLA lettering.
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Words of wisdom from the back of the Stoker’s Halt in east Belfast: “Remember … everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be nice. – Mr Andrews, 2015”. Please get in touch if you know who “Mr Andrews” is!
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As the plaque in the third images shows, the mural was originally painted in 2006 for the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. The plaque was originally in the plinth below the headstone – see Killed In Action. The side wall was painted last year for the 100th anniversary.
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Young people from the Shankill, Divis, and Newington came together as “Ambassadors For Peace” (Fb) with students from Susquehanna University in the US to paint the two outer sides of the gates in the Northumberland Street “peace” line. Shown today is the Shankill side. (Images of the work in progress can be found on Belfast Live.)
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Holy Cross Girls’ Primary is a Catholic school within the loyalist enclave of Glenbryn in upper Ardoyne. Although it is in the style of the Los Angeles Dodgers (baseball team) “LA” in this case stands for “loyalist Ardoyne”. The school was the site of some extraordinary scenes during 2001 as police and army formed a cordon against local protesters so that children could reach the school. (See It’s Black And White.)
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The gunman on the left of the first mural at Freedom Corner (see previously) has been painted out. The scroll on the right reads “For as long as one hundred of us remain alive we shall never in anyway consent to submit to the Irish for it’s not for glory, honour or riches we fight but for freedom alone which no man loses but with his life – U.D.A./U.F.F”
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Extramural Activity 