Belfast north

We Stand With Palestine

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

As the shelling of Gaza continues and the death-toll mounts, there are protests on a daily basis. In Belfast, there were rallies supporting Palestine this week in Poleglass (Xitter), Lenadoon (Xitter), Ardoyne (reddit | Xitter) — home of this new mural showing F-16 jets over Gaza — and more to come in the city centre (Friday) and Dunville Park (Saturday). For more upcoming rallies, see Belfast IPSC (Fb) | Derry IPSC (Fb) | IPSC (Fb).

The final image is from the rally at Queen’s University on November 4th, of a protester with a hand-painted “Saoırse Don Phalaıstín” board.

Murals and graffiti so far:
In Belfast: Stop The Slaughter In Gaza | Palestine And Ireland United In Struggle | Stop Israeli Murder In Gaza | Stop Israeli Terror | Israel Get Out Of Palestine | Free Palestine |
In Derry: Free Palestine | Ireland Supports Palestinian Resistance | Victory To Gaza
And also Ulster & Israel.

Balholm Drive, Ardoyne, north Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14514 X14516 X14515
X13395

Stop Israeli Murder In Gaza

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Stop Israeli murder in Gaza.” “ma” is presumably a false start on “murder”. This is new graffiti at Camberwell Terrace/Limestone Road.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14487 X14488 X14486

The Shroud

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

A poster of ‘the sacred heart of Jesus’ is blackened and scored out in Cliftonville Avenue, north Belfast.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14300

The Skins

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The Inniskilling Fusiliers were recruited from the four Ulster counties of Fermanagh, Tyrone, Derry, and Donegal. In WWI, battalions also served in the 4th, 29th, and 10th Divisions, as well as the 109 Brigade of the 36th Division. In WWII (represented here by the Spitfire in pursuit of the Messerschmitt) the Fusiliers served in France, India, and Italy. (Ciroca | Long Trail | WP)

(For a broader history, from the Williamite campaign to modern Afghanistan, see Inniskilling.)

This Tyndale mural appears to have be painted without fanfare in 2022.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14232 X14231 X14230 X14229 [X14227] X14228

Stand Together

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Is your private or social landlord failing to finish repairs in your home? Don’t stand alone, stand together – join the Tenants’ Union in Ardoyne. CATU Belfast. beflast@catuireland.org”

CATU – “community action tenants’ union” – was formed in 2019 and its slogan – “we only want the earth” – comes from James Connolly’s poem of the same name.

The Belfast branch is on Facebook.

For the mural in the background, see What Is A Free Nation? For the slogan, see also Our Demands Most Moderate Are.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14233

Royal Irish Rifles

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

After WWI, the Royal Irish Rifles became the Royal Ulster Rifles (and later became part of the Royal Irish Rangers). This board prioritises WWI as the Rifles were part of the 36th Division. The hero of WWI portrayed in the central panel is William McFadzean, awarded the VC for falling on two live grenades in the trenches on July 1st, 1916. McFadzean is familiar from many previous murals both individually and in the company of other VC winners; for his family home in Cregagh, see Rubicon.

Alongside McFadzean, the hero of WWII is Blair “Paddy” Mayne, who was only briefly in the Ulster Rifles before making his name in the Parachute Unit (later, and better, known as the SAS). His many medals of honour are shown in an old Newtownards mural though he was denied the VC.

Ballysillan Road, north Belfast.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14137 [X14133] [X14134] X14136 X14135 X14138 X14131 X14132

Changed Priorities

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

In the post of the new Sam Rockett mural in Woodvale – Essence And Space – we said that the “peace” line separating Wyndham Street from the rest of Torrens had been taken down as the area was redeveloped from roughly 2008-2012. As can be seen from this gallery of images, however, some of the infrastructure remains, particularly the school building (former site of Naíscoil Bheann Mhadaigáin (Belfast Media profile)) and the adjacent waste-ground in Torrens Crescent, which remain undeveloped. The alley to Cliftonville is gated at both ends.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14244 X14243 X14245 X14246 X14247 X14248

All Smiles

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The faces of local children are rendered in ceramic tiles by Clare McComish (web), replacing a Sean McCaughey mural in Brompton Park, Ardoyne, as part of the 2009 Re-Imaging Communities project (see Visual History 10).

NVTv has video about the mosaic, starting at 14m 14s.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Extramural Activity
X14237

Glenbryn Remembers

Extramural Activity1 Comment

The first “peace” line along Alliance Avenue was a temporary barried constructed by the British Army in 1971 (Heatley at CAIN); parts of it today are nine metrers high (Belfast Interface Project). The central road in Ardoyne, Berwick Road/Paráıd An Ardghleanna was cut off by the line but in the recent redevelopment no house was built in front of the spot where the road ran through. Instead there are now support beams and a small cross in memory of WWI dead.

The final image is of the same spot on the Ardoyne side of the line.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X12816 X12815 [X12814] [X12817] X12818
X12819 [X12820]


The Army Of Labour

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Áras Uí Chonghaile has a “James Connolly Heritage Trail”, with a series of plaques and panels that interested parties can walk as members of a guided tour, or by themselves with the aid of an app (Android | Apple). One of the stops is in Corporation Street, site of the Belfast offices of the ITGWU from 1911-1941.

The nearby ITGWU board gives Connolly’s report from 1911: “The Branch has rented extensive premises at 122 Corporation Street and intend having a smoking and reading room in connection therewith; we are considering the organisation of a band and have in contemplation also the launching of many other schemes for the moral, social, and financial uplifting of the members. The Irish Transpost and General Workers’ Union is in the vanguard of that Irish branch of the Army of Labour, and we are honoured when we carry its banner.”

It then goes on to describe the arrest of Winnie Carney and the raiding of the Corporation Street offices in 1922.

For the Connolly centre, see previously: Socialism Is Neither Catholic Nor Protestant | Join The Socialists!

For Winnie Carney’s offices, see Naming Our Streets and for a lead post on Carney, see The Typist With The Webley.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X12812 X12811 X12813