Belfast south

Open The Bridge

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“Save Sandy Row – open the bridge”. “Sensitive dismantling” of the Boyne Bridge began at the end of November (BBC), as part of the restructuring around the new Grand Central Station despite another protest from locals who allege that the bridge is an essential part of Sandy Row culture (see the entry Battle Of The Boyne Bridge in the Paddy Duffy Collection). (There was an earlier protest on November 5th (BBC); the images below confirm the Irish News‘s estimate of “several dozen”.)

However, the bridge’s demolition has become entangled with the traffic congestion currently dogging the city. Specifically related to the bridge, demolition work paused on the 5th of December because strategies to deal with the disruption to traffic had not been effected (News Letter). And more generally, it is claimed that the closure is contributing to the congestion (News Letter) which is affecting businesses in the city centre (News Letter) and in Sandy Row (BBC). So far, the only concrete step that has been taken to tackle the traffic problem is to allow taxis to use bus lanes (BBC).

For streetart at the new station, see Action At A Distance.

Update Jan 2025: work has halted (BelTel)

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Volunteers, Defenders, Civilians

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Part of the most recent development of the upper streets in the Village was not to rebuild the two rows of houses on Ebor and Nubia/Moltke streets and in their place construct a park – the Village Green, and now officially the “Ruby Murray Village Green” – and playground. The board on the outside railings make the park a “community park of remembrance” for WWI, showing an Ulster Banner with a Union Flag in the canton. (Seen previously in The Village Green Preservation Society.)

There is also a memorial to “loved ones and friends”, “volunteers, defenders & civilians” of the South Belfast UVF (though there is 36th (Ulster) Division emblem in the corner!) who were “cruely taken away from us by republican scum”: Dinah Campbell, Francis Campbell, Alexander Scott, Frankie Smith, Stevie McCrea, John Hanna, Sammy Mehaffy, William Kingsberry, Jackie Campbell, David Poots.

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When We Held On To The Guns

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“Funny how everything was [roses] when we held on to the guns …” The line accompanying this half-Union-Flag in the alley between Ebor and Kilburn streets (in the Village, south Belfast) comes from the Guns N’ Roses song ‘Breakdown’ (youtube).

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Dump Inside

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This is a 2024 revisiting of the waste-ground (an old weaving factory) at the Westlink corner of the Village, south Belfast. Compared to 2023 (see This Area Needs Social Housing), there is some UVF graffiti (some of which has been covered over with heart stickers – see also Smothered In Kisses) and many new flags, including the row overlooking the Westlink (in the tenth image) among which are the flags of Israel and Ukraine.

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Women Carry The People

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Palestinian artist Taqi Spateen’s (web | ig) second piece in Belfast is in Palestine Street in the Holylands of south Belfast, where he worked with Artists Against Genocide (ig) to produce a piece showing the strength of Palestinian women, carrying the land from which Palestinians have been evicted in the Nakba of 1948.

For the first piece, in Kent Street in the city centre, see Anatomy Of Oppression. A third piece was painted in Crocus Street, in west Belfast: see Life Finds A Way in the Paddy Duffy collection.

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The Hardships Our Children Must Endure Tomorrow

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Sandy Row says “no” to an Irish Sea border, but “yes” to Israel’s invasion of Gaza. The verbiage along the bottom of the tarp reads, “The battles we refuse to fight today become the hardships our children must endure tomorrow.”

The tarp is on the Rangers “55” hoarding on Sandy Row, and was seen previously in Let Us Shout Joyfully.

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Lagan Kingfisher

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These are the two sides of the electrical box next to emic’s large wildflowers mural, presumably also by emic (ig). Above is the kingfisher on the Collingwood side and below are the flowers the embankment side. The kingfisher or cruıdín is common throughout Ireland (BirdwatchIreland), including Belfast. Here are two videos of kingfishers on the Lagan: Tom McClean | Tony Dalton.

Here is a Visual History page of electrical boxes in Belfast.

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Belfast Melt

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“Together building a united community” (“T:BUC” for short) is an Executive-Office strategy (pdf) aiming (among other things) at “good relations” for children and young people. The web page details various programmes that fall under this initiative, including youth camps that bring together children from different religious communities.

The piece shown combines wild-style writing with graphics of landmarks (The Big Fish, Albert clock) and “hello” in various languages, including Irish.

With support from South Belfast Alternatives (web) and Flour Power sandwich shop (web) – “home of the Belfast Melt” – both in Donegall Pass.

Between Posnett Street and Chambers Street.

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Ulster & Israel

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“Ulster & Israel – brothers in arms”. The Uzi was developed in Israel in the late 1940s and became a general-issue weapon in 1956 (WP). It was used (and copied) by loyalist paramilitaries in Northern Ireland (Balaclava Street has a comprehensive history of loyalist weaponry) and appeared in a both UDA and UVF murals and graffiti: The Elite | Ulster Says No! To The Politicians | Sandy Row 2nd Batt | UFF Uzi.

Here is an article from TheJ.ca interviewing PUL politicians on their support for Israel and an Irish News article revisiting the issue in light of the current conflict. And loyalists have previously (since 2002? Irish Times | OU) flown the flag of Israel — see Gregg & Carson (2011) | View From The North Bank (2012) | The Young Conquerors (2013) | The United Nations (2014) | The Glorious Memory (2014) | Ulster Supports The People Of Israel (2018) | EU Hands Off Ulster (2021). But this is the first time that a symbol of violence has been used as the symbol of solidarity. (In republican muraling, see PLO-IRA (1982) | Women In Armed Struggle (1983).)

Tate’s Avenue, in the Village area of south .

The placard in the middle, between Brothers In Arms and “Sir E. Carson K.C., M.P.” was discussed in Stand Firm. The Winning Hand was seen previously in The Red Hand And The Winning Hand.

See also: Godfather Of The Israeli Army.

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This Area Needs Social Housing

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According to Housing Executive figures, only 405 social houses were built in 2022-2023, compared to a projected a need of more than 24,000 homes (ITV). Belfast City Council’s ‘Local Development Plan’ has set a quota of 20% social and affordable housing for developers (Inside Housing).

There have been calls for more housing in various areas of Belfast; see previously: Every Generation Needs Regeneration | Is This Our City? | Homes!!! | Build Homes Now.

These images are from Sandy Row – on the former site of Gilpin’s – and Donegall Road – on waste ground at Monarch Street – both in south Belfast.

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