“Sam Thompson 1916-1965 Playwright ‘Over The Bridge’ 1960. Born in 2 Montrose Street beside this house.” In addition to his written works, Thompson was a painter for H&W and the Corporation, a trade unionist and Labour candidate (WP).
Montrose Street South, Belfast
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X05329
Here are two details from the ‘Understand The Past’ mural in Mountpottinger Road which is gradually peeling away. For the mural in better days, see Understand The Past.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02295 X02297 children faces dove pencil oglaigh na heireann
Above is a recent mural from the Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association in the Short Strand.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02273 X02293
One of the H&W cranes and the spire of Calvary Baptist church (and a street-light) reach to the heavens over the junction of Dee Street and Severn Street and (as the wider shot, below, shows) a “Connswater Women’s Group” mural.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02270 X02269 joining together the women of our community Nothing of the verticality of the divine, no sign of the hallucinatory presence of upright stone.
At the same time that the new David Ervine board was put in place, the existing board next to it, which dates to 2008, was spruced up. The image above is a wide shot of both boards, while the image below shows the commemorative casting in front. For the original board, see David Ervine; for explanations of the sculpture, including its pipe, prayer-book, ticket, and boots, see Memory Chair.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02324 X02323
“He had the courage to climb out of the traditional trenches, meet the enemy in no man’s land and play ball with him.” David Ervine was a UVF member, arrested in 1974 and served six years in the Maze before turning to politics. He first ran for office in 1985 and represented East Belfast in the NI Assembly from 1998 until his death in 2007. The new board, above, shows Ervine’s silhouette in a wreath of poppies along with pictures of and information about his life; the image below of the lower left-hand side includes a photograph of Ervine with Gusty Spence.
Video of the launch (on 2014-11-01) is available at U.tv
The info plaque on the right describes the Memory Chair sculpture in front of the first Ervine board.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02324 X02325
21st july 1953 8th january 2007 red hand comrades association progressive unionist party of northern ireland
“David Ervine was born in nearby Chamberlain Street, the youngest of five children. A lifelong supporter of Glentoran Football Club he was a true son of East Belfast. David attended Avoniel Primary School and Orangefield Boys High School. Leaving school before his fifteenth birthday he began his working life in an atmosphere of tension and violent confrontation. At nineteen he joined the UF. He was arrested in 1974 and served five years in Long Kesh, a wasteland that he and other prisoners transformed into a place of personal and political growth and development. A founding member of the Progressive Unionist Party and its most articulate spokesperson, he was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum, Belfast City Council and the Northern Ireland Assembly. David Ervine was a truly inspirational leader. With vision and courage he led his community from violence to peace, winning the respect of friend and foe alike. He gave voice to the common man and woman acting always in the interest of peace and his beloved Ulster.”
Home to Ballymacarrett District LOL No. 6, Junior LOL District No 3, RAPC District No 6, RBDC No 4 District, Women’s District LOL No 2.
Seen in 2012 in Flags Flying.
Albertbridge Road, Belfast
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02464
Pastor James McConnell, who denounced Muslims as “satanists” back in May at the Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle, is finally seeking help, attending “Despots Anonymous” in the company of a Muslim, a Jew, and a Sikh. The group meets next door to 1690, home to a football-loving boy from a family of immigrants who are under attack because the housing is for “locals only” – see the final image for just such a graffito in Pine Way. The bottle of Buckfast preaches “Love thy neighbour as thyself”.
This is another part of Ciaran Gallagher’s (web) “Belfast Stripped Bare” piece in the Duke of York/Dark Horse courtyard. The wide shot, below, shows Carl “The Jackal” Frampton in an upstairs window. There’s also, above the piece, an accompanying poem by Alice McCullough, “Belfast You’re Melting My Head”, which you can watch her recite in front of the piece.
Previously: Belfast Stripped Bare | Teenage Dreams
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02219 X02222 X02068
Below the “peace” line, a confederate flag flies alongside the union jack over a new board in Cluan Place reading “Unbowed, Unbroken” and “east Belfast UVF” graffiti.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02085 camlachie royal star flue band welcome to uvf
Carlos Latuff’s cartoon Do Not Disturb – War Criminals Working is reproduced as part of a new mural in the Short Strand – shown in full below. An aproned Benjamin Netanyahu sits in a Gaza trough, filled with the blood of people he butchers with a cleaver in his right hand while gesturing for secrecy with his left. The world watches with some concern, Ban Ki-Moon and the UN look away, and the Arab League is asleep. Barack Obama prevents any intervention with an outstretched arm.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02031 X02032 supports tacaíonn an trá ghearr le gaza palestine flag tricolour
Extramural Activity 