Belfast

25 Years – In Progress

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2013-02-28 MilltownInProg+

Two new murals are going up side-by-side on the International Wall (Divis St.), a bookmark-style one for Marian Price and a large piece commemorating three IRA members killed in Gibraltar on March 6, 1988 (WP), IRA member Kevin McCracken who was killed on March 14th in Belfast, and the three who were killed by Michael Stone at the funerals of the ‘Gibraltar Three’ in Milltown cemetery, Belfast/Béal Feırste, on March 16th (WP).

We’ll have the finished pieces in a few days. Below, a wide shot of the Milltown scene, in progress, and below that, Marty Lyons working from a photograph of the incident, perhaps this second in this set, on which the left side of the mural is based, while the center and right-hand side are based on this one (by Bobby Ingram).

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2013-02-28 MilltownInProgMarty+

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Dilly-Dali-ing

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2013-02-19 DaliGuinness+

Time becomes distorted under the influence of Guinness and Salvador Dali and his Persistence of Memory at the Duke of York, or more precisely, in the archway that leads from Donegall Street to the pub. Dali’s original is only 9.5 x 13 inches. This is the centre part of a larger mural; there are also three images of Dali in the windows above the archway (see T00766). The Spaniard bar in Skipper Street (one block south of the Duke Of York) also featured Dali on its sign.

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Nixon Resigns, Best Quits

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2013-02-18 DukeB&WLeft+

Another George Best reference in another mural at the Dark Horse/Duke of York. George Best quit Manchester United (temporarily) for Spain towards the end of the 1972 season (and quit United for good in 1974). The precise phrase — “Sod this, I’m off to Marbella” — and picture of Best playing keepsy-upsies in the sun come from a John Roberts book about Best. Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974 (WP). The Klondyke Bar was in (PUL) Sandy Row and bombed by the IRA in January, 1976.

This is just the left-most part of a large mural in the Dark Horse courtyard. (For the whole thing, see The Bar Is Called Heaven.) It is almost entirely black-and-white – the Guinness labels and betting slip from Eastwoods are exceptions. If you recognize any of the figures, please leave a comment. The photographer in the top right is Bill Kirk | some pictures at the RBG.

There is a signature of sorts in the top left: “Two cold, hungry muralists for hire. Phone Danny D[evenny] and Marty L[yons].”

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00961 burns laird line glasgow, tom carnduff songs of an out-of-work, nunu talent contest, guinness, eastwoods, belfast telegraph he urges a time of healing ford will take office today moves into whitehouse

Euro-pa

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2013-02-18 DukeOfYorkEuropa+

Local readers will hopefully be able to help identify the people (and the horse, and the crab on a fishing line) staying in the Europa Hotel, as depicted in a new (late 2012) board/construction at the Dark Horse/Duke Of York. Artist Ciaran Gallagher has a collection of pictures of the piece being constructed and installed.

According to WP, the Europa was bombed 28 times during the Troubles (which would explain the damage and the abseiling paramilitary on the left?), and Bill and Hillary Clinton’s entourage took up 110 of the 240 rooms when they stayed at the Europa hotel in 1995. In the foreground, George Best balances a ball bearing the words, “I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.” Is there some particular reason why the “E” is the euro sign?

Previously from the Dark Horse/Duke Of York: Big Brother Is Watching. Below is a wide shot of the whole.

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British And Proud

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2013-02-12 SandyRowBanner+

A “British And Proud” banner currently flies adjacent to the board at the bottom of Sandy Row celebrating the (Dutch) William of Orange (or “King Billy” as he is more commonly referred to) (WP) and his “Danish, English, Dutch, French Huguenots, Prussian, Scots, Irish, Swiss, Polish, Italian, Norwegian” forces. The mural was launched July 2nd, 2016, and was painted by artist Ross Wilson (Tele). A time-lapse video of the painting-over of the previous mural and the installation of the various pieces is available on Youtube.

04739 2017-12-24 King William III plaque+.jpg

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Copyright © 2013/2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00944 X04739 Prince of orange, king william III, king billy’s on the wall, williamite forces,  welcome to sandy row, william III encourages his troops on the morning of july 12th 1690, let ambition fire thy mind, laat amitie brand uw verstand

Hole In The Wall

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2013-02-01 ATMFlyers+

ATMs make a popular spot for posting flyers. The two in white (“End Controlled Movement” and “End Strip Searching”) are recent additions to this Falls Road banklink.

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Copyright © 2013 Extramural Activity
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Banned

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2013-02-12 SRowPostboxFlyerCrop+

A letterbox on Sandy Row bearing a flyer describing rallies protesting the decision not to fly the Union flag every day at Belfast City Hall, which will (apparently) lead to a future where Martin McGuinness, Gerry Adams and a masked paramilitary rule like Queen Victoria (who, as we know, was also Queen of Ireland, Empress of India). For some background info, see The Essentials | And so This is Christmas; and for graffiti on the matter, Let Your Union Flag Fly.

 A previous letterbox: Letters Only.

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00945 Do you want this as your future support our protest in sandy row at boyne bridge every friday night 6pm – 7pm don’t be the generation to fail ulster a shared future for who? then every saturday at kfc, the square meet 12.30 pm for a protest at the city hall from 1pm to 2pm no surrender

All Gave Some

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2013-02-05 LordStLeft+

Here is a close-up of the UFF mural which can be seen in the background of the Feriens Tego post from a few weeks ago, in Lord St. A pair of red hands are in shackles and the fences of the Maze are superimposed on an outline of Northern Ireland. (Very similar to ‘For Peace’ mural on the Shankill in 1995.)

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00932 free our prisoners some gave all all gave some, east belfast, ulster freedom fighters

Out Of The Rubble

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The Covenant and Somme boards originally on the corner of Barrington Gardens before demolition (see July 1st) have been mounted together on a metal frame inside the security gates.

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The Village Songbird

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“Born in Moltke Street, Belfast, on 29 March 1935. A child singer who became one of the most popular stars in the 1950s. Her first single reached the Top 3 in 1954 followed by her No 1 hit ‘Softly, Softly’. In 1955 she had five singles in the Top 20 at the same time, an extraordinary record that lasted until the emergence of Madonna in the 1980s. She had her own television show, starred many times at the London Palladium including a Royal Command Performance. She toured worldwide and was performing up to her death on 17th December, 1996” ‘Softly, softly, come to me/Touch my lips so tenderly/Softly, softly, turn the key/And open up my heart.’ (youtube).

Maldon Street, south Belfast

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