A lily and written ‘salute’ have been added to the Fıanna Éıreann wall at the top of Berwick Road/Paráıd An Ardghleanna for the centenary of the Easter Rising: “1916 – 2016 – We salute the memory of those who have given their lives in the cause of Irish freedom.”
For the plaque and the tarp to the right (both of which commemorate four local teenagers), see Purity In Our Hearts.
In the left-hand corner is an RNU sunburst in green, white, and orange.
“Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues” — commentary on the “Brexit” vote, coming up on June 23rd, from the Tiger’s Bay community in north Belfast, likening the EU to Babylon — “Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and Abominations of the Earth”, “the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird”, “that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth” — whose destruction is prophesied in the book of Revelation. Hence: “Vote Leave E.U.”.
Tom Clarke is at the head of his fellow signatories as he looks down over a printed tarp reproducing photographs of events surrounding the Easter Rising of 1916, including soldiers from the Irish Citizen Army on a rooftop (see the original in this Spectator article) and members of Cumann Na mBan on parade. For the photo of the building in the top left, see this Irish Times article.
The previous Ardoyne – Bone – Ligoniel mural fell down almost as soon as it was completed, leaving only the portraits of locals killed during the troubles
More “peace” line images today (after yesterday’s repainting of the Cliftonville “peace” line in Blue Sky Thinking): at the end of February work began taking down a section of the 8 foot high wall on the Ardoyne side of the Crumlin Road, separating Ardoyne from the Woodvale area, though the section close to Woodvale and the wall on the Woodvale side remain for now.
The houses on the north side of the road will now be able to see the road and the doors of Holy Cross church (shown above).
The vintage piece of Free Brendan Lillis graffiti shown in the final image survives, just out of picture to the left in the wide shot below.
The Manor Street “peace” line dividing north Belfast’s Lower Oldpark and Cliftonville areas got a facelift in January — the beige was painted over with a sky blue colour. The wide shot, (third image, below,) gives an impression of its height and extent (and this is only the north-south part of the line.) The fourth image is of an old European Union “Urban” mural showing the north Belfast skyline, including Cave Hill (and Napoleon’s Nose) and Belfast Lough. (For more info on Urban II and the mural, see minute 17 onward in this NVTv documentary).
There are large-size photographs of former residents posted on the closed-up doors and windows of Stratheden Street in the New Lodge, as the JCBs move in to begin demolition.
In early August the RNU blacked out an Ard Eoın Kickhams GAA mural in Ardoyne (featured previously) and replaced it with a tarp calling for the RUC/PSNI to be disbanded (see this Belfast Live article for an image). After complaint from the local community, the tarp was removed and the central part of the mural was repainted, showing the celtic cross of Cumann Lúthcleas Gael, a football, sliotars, and hurleys. Members of the RUC were forbidden from GAA membership until “Rule 21” (WP) until 2001; they are now permitted to join and play Gaelic games, even if they not welcome in the area – see the image below.
Extramural Activity 