“UVF Land” graffiti in Sandy Row, itself graffitied out.
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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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How The Land Lies
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We Are Friends
Here is another new piece of Carrickfergus community art featuring the castle (and its blacksmith), along with residents of different ethnicities, kids playing sports, and borders of poppies. At the shops on Hawthorn Avenue in the Sunnylands estate. (See previously: Carrickfergus Castle.)
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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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We’re Still Here
The red hand (which we saw in 2013’s WBLY) might be faded but the West Bank Loyalist (Youth) want us to know that they are still here (i.e. The Fountain area of London/-Derry).
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Taughmonagh Family Learning Centre
Three images from the Taughmongh Family Learning Centre (run by Taughmonagh Community Forum) in Finwood Park of children from days gone by: the boys are playing football and girls are playing games in the street, in front of the old bungalows on the estate from the 1940s that were replaced in the 1980s. (For a small gallery of vintage images, see this BBC page.).
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Lest We Forget
Ballyclare UVF memorial mural to volunteers from the 3rd and 1st battalions.
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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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RIP Plum Smith
UVF volunteer William “Plum” Smith entered Long Kesh in 1972 at the age of 18 for his role in the attempted murder of a Catholic. After his release, he became an ITGWU shop steward, a community organizer, and spokesperson for the PUP. Smith died in June of this year (2016); the message in today’s images appears on the Cupar Way “peace” line.
Short bio from BalaclavaStreet | Gareth Mulvenna tweet of Plum’s bio at age 20 from the Orange Cross | Tele account of the funeral.
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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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To France And Flanders
From Gertrude Street to France and Flanders: young men from the local area who fought and died at WWI’s western front are commemorated in a new mural in Martin Street in east Belfast: G McCune, H. Nabney, J. Burns, W. Duff, J. Fagan, A. Leckey, W. Nabney, M. Scott, R. C. Skillen, J. Watson, R. Harvey, S. Wright. Gertrude Street no longer exists; it was on the other side of Newtownards Road, opposite (the current) St Matthew’s church. The mural bears the emblem of the Gertrude Star Flute Band, which was founded there in 1961. CharterNI were also involved in the mural.
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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Ballymac Hits The Books
The recently-refurbished Ballymac Friendship Centre (Fb) was re-opened in August this year, with a new paste-on mural of local schoolchildren with books and backpacks on the front.
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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Over The Top
(British Army) soldiers silhouetted against the sunrise go over the top during World War I.
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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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A Thought Is Not A lot
Complementing the images from Ulster Tower Street, here are images of the new commemorative boards and their blue backgrounds. The main board features Ulster Tower at Thiepval with a list of battles that the 36th (Ulster) Division was involved in.
The smaller board on the side-wall features a poem from local children: “The Great War took a lot of Pray/It’s hard to say w[h]ere all these brave men lay/A lot of souls still waiting to be found/Buried deep below the ground.//In the fields w[h]ere the bright red poppies grow/Stood men so brave of fight and foe/Some men so young they just didn’t know/A journey with friends they all wanted to go.// When they got there what a different tail [tale] they did tell/Many letters home describing it as hell/Young men put to front to fight/We can only imagine the awful sight.//Fighting beside their mate to keep Britain great/And we still remember them till this date/Nearly one hundred years on/A lot of these great men have gone/Forget them we will not as a thought is not a lot.”
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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Extramural Activity 