Belfast north

Genocidal Hole

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“Israel is still a genocidal hole”. The peace plan for Gaza was signed on October 9th. Since then, 442 Palestinians have been killed, according to Al Jazeera’s tracker. The amount of food aid being allowed into the strip has improved in January, with 100% of the “minimum caloric need” being met for the first time since October 2023 (UN) but the humanitarian crisis remains “extremely serious” (UN).

This graffiti is at Camberwell Terrace just off the Antrim Road, north Belfast.

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Copyright © 2026 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Stand Up To Racism

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Or, in Arabic, “قف ضد العنصرية”. Michelangelo’s ‘The Creation Of Adam‘ is re-imagined as an act of solidarity between Palestinians and Irish people.

Cliftonpark Avenue, north Belfast

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Tiger’s Bay Loyal

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“Welcome to the homeland of Tiger’s Bay Loyal flute band. “He is our God, and we are the people.”” Tiger’s Bay Loyal [Fb] is a new flute band, formed in 2025.

Ten local streets are named around the central tiger: Robina Street, Edlingham Street, Mervue Street, Upper Mervue Street, Hallidays Road, Mackey Street, Cosgrave Heights, North Queen Street, Canning Street, Hogarth Street.

The banner itself is in Mervue Street. The Tiger’s Bay First Flute mural remains.

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Tiger’s Bay Loyal

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This pair of hand-painted (and stencilled) boards is next to the Mount Inn on North Queen Street. Tiger’s Bay is loyal to the memory of “1690” and the service of the 36th Division in WWI in 1916.

Also included below is the nearby “We will remember them” piece, seen previously in North Belfast Friends Of The Somme.

Greenmount Street, Tiger’s Bay, north Belfast

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Inky & Candy

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“25 years from home. In proud and loving memory of Inky & Candy. Gone but not forgotten.”

October 2000 was a violent month in Tiger’s Bay, north Belfast, as the UDA and UVF feuded. David “Candy” Annesley (commonly known as David Greer – BelTel) was shot in Mountcollyer Street on October 28th by the UVF. On the 31st, Bertie Rice, veteran UVF member and canvasser for the PUP, was killed by the UDA at his Canning Street house. Later the same day, Tommy “Inky” English – UDA commander in north Belfast who had previously lived in Tiger’s Bay – was shot death by the UVF at his Ballyduff home. Mark Quail of the UVF was shot in Rathcoole on November 1st. (BBC | BBC | WP) There were fears that the feud would end (An Phoblacht) but it was formally ended on December 15th, with a joint statement by both groups (RTÉ).

This twenty-fifth anniversary tarp is on the multi-use pitch on North Queen Street at Upper Canning Street.

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Feriens Tego

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Stop The Boats has been painted out below the large “Loyalist Tiger’s Bay” and the entire wall painted in solid blue and book-ended by UDA and UFF boards showing silhouetted gunmen in active poses.

The side-wall, home to painted Orange Order symbols since 2017, has been painted black and a board (above) added to E company from Tiger’s Bay. (It’s possible “North Belfast brigade” and “3rd battalion” are the same thing.)

For the KCIII board above, see I Here Present Unto You Your Undoubted King.

Limestone Road and North Queen Street, Tiger’s Bay, north Belfast

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With God As Our Protector

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The Confederate battle flag flies alongside the Union Flag and Ulster Banner at the corner of Northwood Crescent and Skegoneill Avenue, north Belfast.

Here are two previous sightings of the flag – 2016 east Belfast | 2014 east Belfast – and both the flag and the war were celebrated in one of the Pioneers To Presidents murals, in north Belfast.

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Comóradh Blıantúıl Ar An Staılc Ocraıs

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Michael Devine was the last of the 1981 hunger-strikers to die, on August 20th, 1981, and although the strike was not called off until October 3rd, his death now marks the end of the strike for commemorative purposes. The 44th annual national commemoration of the strike will take place this year on the 24th, “assembling at Dunville Park” in west Belfast.

Antrim Rd/New Lodge Rd, north Belfast. For the street art on the electrical box, see Rotten And Corrupt.

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Copyright © 2025 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Recovery

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The UVF mural overlooking the entrance to Mount Vernon has been repainted after Storm Darragh back in December (2024) knocked down part of the wall it was painted on (see Taken By Storm) and the remainder of the wall was subsequently knocked down (see Prepared For Space, Ready For Wall).

There were local voices against the repainting of the mural (Sunday World) but after the wall (which is owned by the Housing Executive) was rebuilt, scaffolding went up at the end of March (BelTel) and painting began in June.

The mural will be officially launched at the Twelfth celebrations. The repainting has been criticised by the father of one UVF victim (BelTel). One (very) small mercy is that neither of the gunmen – from the North Belfast UVF – is directly confronting the viewer (including the drivers coming off the M2 at Fortwilliam.

Images of the completed mural are from June 26th; the in-progress images are as dated below.

March 29th:

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Bik McFarlane

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Brendan “Bik” McFarlane was imprisoned for life for the attack on the Bayardo Bar on the Shankill Road and took over as IRA OC in the Maze when Bobby Sands went on hunger-strike in 1981. He escaped the prison in 1983 and was extradited back to Northern Ireland from the Netherlands in 1986 and eventually paroled in 1997.

McFarlane died in February (2025) (BelTel). He was raised in Ardoyne, north Belfast, and this graffiti is on a hoarding on Ardoyne Avenue.

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