In 1992, the Forest Of Belfast project was started, a public-private to preserve old trees and encourage tree-planting. Above is one of the murals painted to publicise the effort, on Hillman Street at the Antrim Road. (Another was painted on the Falls Road.)
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“Lay them away on the hill side/along with the brave and the bold/Inscribe their names on the role [sic] of fame/in letters of purest gold.” The Ulster Tower at Thiepval commemorates the WWI dead of the 36th (Ulster) Division. The words, however, come from a song about James Daly, who was executed by firing squad for taking part in a 1920 mutiny of the Connacht Rangers in India in protest of the activities of the Black and Tans. Above (and below – not shown) are the insignia and names of UVF volunteers from UVF South Belfast 2nd battalion – see Lay Them Away On The Hill Side.
On the side of The Hideout, Pine Street.
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Copyright © 2011 Extramural Activity
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South Belfast MP Robert Bradford was assassinated by the Provisional IRA in Finaghy at a meeting with constituents; the caretaker of the community centre, Ken Campbell, was also killed by the fleeing attackers. In late 1981, with the hunger strikes having ended only a month before, the killing was noted around the world and raised fears of broad civil unrest (BBC | NYTimes).
“Vita, veritas, victoria” [life, truth, victory] is the motto of Londonderry. Here we have “vita, veritas, victa” [life, truth, conquered; perhaps the intended meaning was “conquering” rather than the passive]. The crest is also not quite the crest of the Apprentice Boys, with a ship in the bottom right rather than a skeleton. Get in touch if you can resolve either discrepancy.
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“Over us all is the self same sky”. “A hands across the divide production, 2011”. A heart filled with swallows and a ribbon with the names of the various participants.
Crumlin Road at the Ardoyne shops, north Belfast.
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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South Belfast Ulster Volunteer Force 2nd Battalion “A” Company Donegall Pass, with the flag of England (St. George’s Cross) in one corner and in the other an orange star with “1912” written below, the year the Ulster Volunteers were founded. The colour-scheme is the reverse of the Orange Order’s: its flag has the purple star of the Williamites on an orange field.
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The apocryphal book of the Bible ‘Ecclesiasticus’ reads, “their bodies are buried in peace, but their name liveth for evermore” (44:14). The last clause is here applied to 910,000 “British empire casualties” from the Great War, including the Ulster Volunteers and Young Citizen Volunteers raised by “Sir Edward Carson” (here looking like Al Capone) which became the 36th (Ulster) Division and particularly the Royal Irish Rifles and fought at the Somme 1916.
Apsley Street, Donegall Pass, south Belfast.
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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2011 image of the ITGWU/OBU mural previously seen in 2007. The medallions show portraits of Larkin, Connolly, and Carney.
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The upper end of Conway Street and Conway Mill itself were redeveloped from 2008 to 2012. In 2011, the year these pictures were taken, a piece of the old mural remained. (The part in the second image was the last to go.) For another piece of the mural, see Mill Committee.
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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A large flag of Palestine is painted at the top of the Mountpottinger Road wall in CNR east Belfast.
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“Understand the past – and build a better future, le cheıle, “Catholic, Protestant, and Dissenter” – Wolfe Tone”. The past that is to be understood is the 40th anniversary of the Battle Of St Matthew’s (“Cath Naomh Máıtıú” in the “4” on the left) which took place in June 1970. Two Protestants and a Catholic died; the battle was a founding moment in the history of the Provisional IRA (“Óglaıgh na hÉıreann” in the “0”) (WP). St Matthew’s church is depicted on the right.
In the centre is a Tricolour with a modified version of the ‘raised arms’ illustration of ‘everyone has their part to play’ (e.g. Emancipation Of Women has a paintbrush, hammer, and book in addition to a rifle; one in Derry has paintbrush, spanner, coloured pencils (at the end of a shorter arm), rifle, book, and placard – see The Destructive Talents Of The RUC). Here we have a dove – perhaps in place of the rifle – pencil, and spanner.
For information about the 2010 launch, see Glór Mhıc Aırt.
Mountpottinger Road, east Belfast.
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Extramural Activity 