UVF Scottish Brigade Volunteer Scott “Boab” Kerr, from the Govan area of Glasgow and Sons Of The Somme FB (Fb), died in 2015 and is remembered with a plaque on the corner of Beechfield Street in east Belfast.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X08319 [X08318]
The Castlereagh (4th battalion) UDA memorial garden behind the Bunch Of Grapes has changed over the years from painted murals (M | X) to spray-painted boards (We Forget Them Not) and now again to tarps within red frames. As far as content is concerned, the UFF, LPA (“We forget them not – past and present”) and UYM (“They shall not grow old etc”) remain but Tim Collins – a product of re-imaging – is out (see On That Journey) and Eddie The Trooper is in. The side wall of the pub has also been employed for the first time, with more hooded gunmen (see the third image, below). Two small plaques have been added to the outsides of the memorial wall.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X08272 X08273 X08274 X08271
Flags and bunting are strung from house to house across Cluan Place while leftover pallets and furniture sit at the entrance.
Concerning “Justice For East Belfast” and “John 15v13 Ian Ogle”, see Justice For Ian Ogle.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
[X08309] X08310 [X08311] X08312
Lord Street in east Belfast celebrates the Twelfth, 2021, with bunting and flags hung from houses and lamp-posts.
For images of the Giants mural around the time of its creation and launch, see In The Land Of Giants.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X08314 X08313
Hallion is back with more exhortations to the people of east Belfast to exercise caution during the pandemic.
Last year’s Covid pandemic warnings from Hallion: Wash Your Hawnds | It Hasn’t Gone Away
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X08550 Newtownards Rd
Keeping an eye on the courtyard of Vault HQ (web | tw | ig) in Tower Street, a majestic tiger by Friz (web | tw | ig). The tiger is in the third spot. FGB’s raspberry man is in the first spot. Cherries by unknown artist in the fourth; the fifth spot is “25 Tower Street” by Ed Reynolds. The wide shot shows the five panels plus Show Some Love and FGB’s Build Communities. “Yes Big Lad” and the flower tribute to Ash are on the other side of the carpark, near the road.
Click image to enlarge
X07511 X07512 X07513 X07514 Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07195 Copyright © 2020 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
X07522 X07523 Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
“Stop prosecuting Northern Ireland’s veterans to appease terrorists.” Danny Kinahan, former UUP politician and captain in the Blues & Royals, was appointed Veterans’ Commissioner For Northern Ireland by the SoS in August last year (2020). He described his first task as building a database of veterans and alerting each one to the services available (News Letter | BBC | Irish Times) but the position immediately puts him at the centre of the debate over “legacy” issues and a focal point of interest groups such as Veterans & Supporters United (Fb | tw) who are responsible for the banner above. In October Kinahan was quoted as saying that the system is “very lopsided” against veterans (BelTel).
Holywood Road along Belmont Park, Belfast.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07897
Claire Curran of Survivors Of Suicide (Fb) in Tamar Street, east Belfast, reports that there has been in increase in people reaching out to the organisation during the pandemic (NewsLetter). This Blaze FX (Fb) mural is at Connswater.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07845 X07844
“Clark Groves was born on the 14th May 1889. A naval officer, in WW1, he fought at the Battle of Jutland. After the war he worked as a fitter in Harland & Wolff before using his de-mob money to establish a bookmaking business here in 14 Manderson Street (since demolished), at the back of the Old Clock Bar. The bookie’s ‘Pitch’ was very like the ones seen in the TV series ‘Peaky Blinders!’ At this time, running a betting business was illegal. Clark, and a number of other bookmakers, founded the Turf Guardians Association and led a successful campaign to have their businesses legalised. Years later, a local bookie told Clark’s grandson that he and his colleagues owed their livelihoods to ‘Old Godfathers’ like Clark. Clark was a generous, popular man. He helped out many local people over the years, lending money for funerals, weddings and education costs. It’s said that he ‘married and buried them on the Newtownards Road!’ He died on 28th May 1957, just two weeks after his 68th birthday. His funeral was the biggest seen before or since in the area. The trolley buses to Dundonald Cemetery were full of people and those who couldn’t get on walked the length of Newtownards Road to be there. A measure of the man for sure. Clark Groves was the annual summer football tournament that was played at ‘The Hen Run,’ the home of Dundela FC. It was known as the Clark Groves Cup. – Stephen Beggs”
Connswater Street, east Belfast
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07829 X07830 heritage fund unsung people who built community in east belfast eastside partnership
Brexit has happened and people, particularly hauliers and smaller retailers, are having trouble adjusting to the fact that Northern Ireland remains within the EU customs union and single market for goods, which means additional paperwork for goods moving between NI and Britain (BBC | Belfast Live). The current disruptions will likely be overcome in due course but the presence of a border is symbolically powerful. This east Belfast graffitist is unhappy with the outcome: “No Irish sea border – [DUP leader] Arlene [Foster] must go.” George Osborne, former UK chancellor and now editor at the London Evening Standard, called the DUP’s decision to reject Theresa May’s deal “stupid” (BelTel) and the FT called the DUP nationalism’s “secret weapon” (ft.com). The Tele wonders if Gavin Robinson is angling for a crack at the leadership (BelTel).
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
X07836 Belmont Rd
Extramural Activity 