Belfast west

The Dividing Wall Between Us

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Work on the “New Life” (New Life City church – Fb) concrete relief on the Cupar Way “peace” line (war wall) at the North Howard Street gates has been completed – with brightly coloured paints and a pair of plaques below the cross that read “The first 3D cement peace fresco on a Belfast dividing wall. Created by local artist Debbie Hutchings ‘Irish Angel’. The for the amazing help of ECC Builders. Created on behalf of New Life City Church. Dedicated by Pastor Johnny McKee with young people & others from New Life City Church from both sides of the wall. Thursday 14th August 2025. ‘He is our peace who has destroyed the dividing wall between us’ Eph. 2.14.”

The creator is Debbie Hutchings, a member of the New Life City church (Fb) (Belfast Media); the piece is on top of the ‘repent’ version of the New Life mural, and it contains scriptural quotations from John 3:16: “For God so loved the world He gave His only begotton [begotten] son so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” and John 3:8: “The wind blows as it chooses, you can hear it’s [its] sound but you do not know where it came from or where it is going; so it is with the hearts of those born of the spirit”. There is video of Hutchings at work in this Irish News video on Fb and at the BelTel.

Work began at the beginning of April; there are in-progress images below from July 1st and May 1st.

For the board to the left, see Hope Unlocking Friendships.

July 1st:

May 1st:

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Hope Unlocking Friendships

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“Tackle inequality – create opportunities – inspire change”. The large board shown here is in Cupar Way, near the security gates in North Howard Street, which are locked nightly between 8:30 and 6:30 a.m. (DoJ). These and the nearby Northumberland Street gates separate the lower Falls and the middle Shankill, including the young people from the Active Communities Network (web), a cross-community youth group that lobbied for increased opening hours to allow members to return home quickly after meetings (BBC).

The board was originally on Northumberland Street (Belfast Live) in the Arthur Guinness spot but is now in Cupar Way.

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Bi Herri, Borroka Bat

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“Bi herri, borroka bat – ETA [Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, a Basque separatist group]” – “Two peoples, one struggle”, in Basque, on the side of the Falls library in Sevastopol Street.

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Fellowship

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Anti-immigrant graffiti on the wall of Mustardseed Christian Fellowship in Crimea Street, west Belfast

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Seasaımıd Le Lıam Óg

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“We stand with Lıam Óg”, that is Lıam Óg Ó hAnnaıdh (on the left of the image above), a.k.a. Mo Chara, a member of the rap group Kneecap who appeared in court (in London) on Wednesday August 20th on “terrorism” charges and was bailed for a further month while the judge rules on a technical issue about whether the trial can go forward (BBC). (See previously The Magic Within and Seasaımıd Le Kneecap.)

The night before (the 19th) this board featuring images of the band-members and the band in its early days was unveiled on the Whiterock Road. (Video of the launch can be found on the Glór Na Móna instagram account.)

In the background is a Palestinian flag and “Saoırse don Phalaıstín” [Freedom for Palestine] is written along the bottom.

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Centuries Of Resistance

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The United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Ireland was created in 1801, a reaction to the 1798 Rebellion, led by (amongst others) Wolfe Tone and Henry Joy McCracken, the pair also being founding members of the Society Of United Irishmen in 1791 in Belfast.

In this mural, Tone and McCracken on the left gaze across the “centuries of resistance” from 1798 to 1916 Rising revolutionaries Countess Markievicz and James Connolly, and beyond to Troubles-era figures Maıréad Farrell, Bobby Sands, and Máıre Drumm.

Around the same time as this mural was painted, a Féıle exhibition called ‘Vibrant Colours, Violent Past’ included A Panorama Of Republicanism which contains dozens of figures but again chooses 1798/Tone, 1916/Connolly, and the Troubles/Martin McGuinness as the pivotal moments and figures.

“Comóradh Éırí Amach Na Cásca Bhéal Feırste/Belfast Easter Commemoration. This is the traditional place where on Easter Sunday Belfast republicans gather to honour Ireland’s patriot dead on their way to Milltown Cemetery.” “Honour Ireland’s patriot dead – wear an Easter lily.” “Unbowed, unbroken.”

The Beeechmount-Falls Corner has its own Visual History page, as the most-often painted wall in Belfast.

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Defend The Sperrins

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The “defend the Sperrins” “day of resistance” on Saturday August 23rd will include a “family fun day – walk through the land – creative protest – education – eating together – céılí – music – camping on occupied land overnight”.

At issue is a plan to mine for gold from US-backed company Dalradian Mining (web) in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In response to local pressure (see the “No toxic goldmining” placard in the poster), the company has already ditched its plan to use cyanide during the extraction process (BBC | The Planner).

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Free Palestine

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“Victory to Kneecap” and “Free Palestine” on the shutters of the former West Belfast Partnership building on the Falls Road. For background see Seasaımıd Le Lıam Óg.

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Maıreann An Grá Go Deo

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This mural celebrates the Irish-language institutions in west Belfast. From left to right, the buildings by the loch are: Gaeltacht Bhóthar Seoıghe, Bunscoıl Phobal Feırste, Raıdıó Fáılte, An Chultúrlann, Teach Ard Na bhFeá, Coláıste Feırste, and Áras Na bhFál. In a sense they are all ripples from the initial drop that was the Shaw’s Road Gaeltacht, established in 1969 and which led quickly to the bunscoıl in 1971 (WP). The NVTv documentary about the Shaw’s Road gaeltacht borrows its title from the slogan motivating the early efforts, “Ná habaır é, déan é” [Don’t say it, do it] – the bunscoıl was not officially recognised until 1985.

Among the pioneers (“ceannródaıthe”) of those early ventures were the Mac Seáın family, who grew up in a house adjacent to the wall on which the new mural is painted: “Tógadh Séamus Mac Seáın, Seán Mac Seáın, agus Caıtlín Mıstéıl (née Mhıc Sheáın) sa teach seo. Bhí an trıúr seo ı measc na gceannródaıthe a bhunaıgh Gaeltacht Bhóthar Seoıghe.”

The mural was commissioned by Spórtlann Na hÉıreann’s Irish-language heritage project “Gael Staır” (Meon Eıle | Belfast Media), with support from Mary’s Gift (Belfast Media), and painted by Aodán Ó Manacháın (Fb). It was unveiled Sunday 10th.

Rodney Drive, St James’s, west Belfast

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Hands Off Palestine

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Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom are the stripes on an Israeli-flag-coloured snake that has Earth in its coils.

This is an RNU Belfast (Fb) mural in opposition to the Israeli invasion of Gaza.

Glen Road at Ramoan Gardens, west Belfast

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