Belfast

The Bone

Extramural Activity1 Comment

The place-name “Machaıre Bhotháın” perhaps gave rise to the name “The Marrow Bone”, the area around where the Park Inn was, between Ardoyne and Oldpark. (Machaıre – a plain, level land; botháın – hut, shed, cabin. Perhaps a reference to cattle grazing in summer pasture).

The three figures at the top are from left to right – Seán Mac Dıarmada (who was from Leitrim but was a boarder for a time in Butler Street), Pól DeLéıgh, Seán McCaughey; the mini-bus driver is Brendan Bradley. The green-and-yellow uniforms are from Coláıste Feırste. Signed “M Doc 2011” (Mıcheál Dochartaıgh).

With support from Glór [An Tuascırt] and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Great Hunger was previously on this wall (hence the plough). Ardoyne Avenue.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
[X00526] X00633 Staır na gaeılge in ard eoın & machaıre botháın, glór an tuaıscaırt, teach de leıgh, heritage lottery fund, comhıonanas don gaeılge, club óıge, flax cabs tacsaıthe lín, sıopaí, glasraí, baınne, nuachtán, tobac, fáılte

The Mark Of Zorro

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is Visual Waste’s piece from Belfast Culture Night 2012 – Zorro the fox, so cunning and free, about to spray some art on the street.

Lower North Street. (See also Praise’s completed work from the same night.)

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00653

Dot Dot … Dot

Extramural Activity1 Comment

Above is the finished piece by Praise (from Belfast Culture Night 2012), which turned out really well. Lower North Street.

Constructivist? Suprematist?

You really should Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00656

Big Willie

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This is the new plaque to “William Morgan (Big Willie). Will always be remembered and sadly missed by all his mates in Tiger’s Bay. Murdered by cowards 11th July 2002. You will never be forgotten ‘big man’.”

Morgan was struck by a hit-and-run car on July 6th, 2002 and died in hospital five days later. The car is reported to have deliberately mounted the kerb where he was walking on North Queen Street and the attack was thought to have been sectarian, as the alleged driver and passenger were republicans and the car was found burned out in the New Lodge (NewsLetter | IndyMedia).

For the old plaque, see William Morgan.

N Queen Street, north Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X05195

RIP Alan Ryan

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Real IRA member Alan Ryan was killed in north Dublin on September 3rd and graffiti has appeared mourning his death, supposedly at the hands of “drug dealing scum”. For background, see Irish Times | An Sıonnach Fıonn.

These two pieces are both on walls around the tower blocks in the New Lodge.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00834 X00823

White Star Worker

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Another detail (and wide shot below) from the new Titanic mural at Coláıste Feırste, also featured previously.

Wide shot of the whole …

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Extramural Activity
X00660 X00661

Titanic Lifeboat

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Part of a colourful new mural about the Titanic, on Beechview Park, outside Coláıste Feırste. It was launched together with a mural depicting 19 Irish/Northern Irish Olympians. The Olympian mural starts of the gate of Coláıste Feırste, runs up a slight slope, and at the corner the Titanic mural continues. (BBC report on the launch.)

According to the Belfast City Council, the murals “which were funded by Belfast City Council, the Department for Social Development and the PSNI, have been developed in partnership with Beechview Residents’ Association, Coláıste Feırste and the Upper Springfield Community Safety Forum.”

Click here for other Titanic-related posts.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00659

Memory Chair

Extramural Activity1 Comment

The chair and shoes in the foreground of the David Ervine board are a bronze sculpture, shown above. There are a number of (sculpted) items on the seat of the chair: a ticket for the Titanic, a little (prayer?) book with a poppy on the cover, and a pipe.

According to the Belfast Telegraph, the whole is meant to symbolize the industrial and cultural heritage of the area and the pipe is David Ervine’s pipe. The pipe would also tie him to Gusty Spence (cited in this republican mural about collusion), who also smoked a pipe. The prayer book would be for Protestantism, the poppy for loyalism and service in WWI, and the ticket for the shipyard. As for the boots, they appear to be of a modern design, but are perhaps meant to symbolize the working class, today and yesterday.

Both the sculpture and the board are by Ross Wilson.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00614

Flags Flying

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

A view of the outside of the Orange Hall on Albertbridge Road (from three weeks ago), with flags and banners of the Queen and today’s Covenant celebrations. Here’s a piece from the Tele on Covenant celebrations in 1962, at the 50 year mark.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00617 ulster unionist party, east belfast advice centre, junior l.o.l. queen elizabeth diamond jubilee, 1952-2012 sponsored by royal arch purple district chapter no. 6, east belfast celebrates ulster covenant 100th anniversary, 28th september 1912-2012, sonia copeland, w.d.m., w.l.o.l. district no. 2

A Dead End

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here’s a full-size version of a recent Republican mural at the north end of Springhill Ave. The tower beyond is the Springfield Rd. police station. The “August 2010 Agreement” is an agreement reached between prisoners and authorities about treatment in Roe House, an exclusively republican wing.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00631 implement the aug 2010 agreement h-block 1981 maghaberry 2012 end forced strip searches end controlled movement, stop the torture of irish political prisoners