Spirits & Shots

2013-08-02 SpiritsAndShots+

The notice-board outside Bar Berlin on the Shankill Road at Berlin Street announces spirits for 1.50 and happy-hour pints for 2.10.

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01221 everyday music house fri sat sun late bar bud coors carlsberg carling all

Bonfire Flags

Three images of flags on two republican bonfires, built to commemorate the introduction of internment in 1971. According to news reports (e.g. BBC-NI), the ‘Celebrating Our Culture’ banner on this bonfire at the base of Divis tower had been stolen from Linfield Road in south Belfast (it hung to the left of the mural to the left in this image) but was subsequently removed from the bonfire (whether or not it was returned is not reported). The image above is from Thursday (Aug. 8th). (Last year’s bonfire also had stolen PUL banners: see M08775.)

The flag in the second image (an Ulster flag with a tricolour in the corner and the words ‘The Only Ulster’ on the bottom) was on the Divis bonfire during construction on Wednesday but removed by Thursday. The third image is of a bonfire in Beechmount (between Corpus Christi and St. Paul’s schools) flying the flags of various loyalist groups, as well as the Union flag and the Northern Ireland flag.

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Political Policing

2013-08-04 PolitPolicBarracks+

Above is the latest political slogan to appear on Black Mountain, over New Barnsley and Ballymurphy: PSNI-MI5 = Political Policing, referring to the presence of British Military Intelligence in Northern Ireland. The Springfield Road barracks is in the right foreground. A close-up and the view from the other side of the road can be found below.

The lettering went up on August 1st and was down no later than the 7th. A new sign is supposed to go up today (Aug 9th), in support of Leonard Peltier, according to the Gaelforce facebook page.

2013-08-04 PolitPolicClose+

2013-08-04 PolitPolicMassacre+

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Joe McKelvey Society

Poster from the 1916 Societies (Fb), specifically the West Belfast Joe McKelvey Society, named after the anti-treaty IRA commander (WP). (There is also a society named after McKelvey in his home town of Stewartstown, Co Tyrone. (Fb)) The flag (shown below) is in the Republican Museum, Conway Mill.

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No Dogs, No POWs

2013-08-04 No POWs+

“No blacks, no Irish, no dogs, no POWs – sponsored by SDLP/TUV” (Traditional Unionist Voice). The reference of this board in Turf Lodge is a June motion in the NI Assembly to bar anyone convicted of a serious offence from serving as a ministerial adviser (the trigger case being Mary McArdle). Passage of the bill was secured when SDLP members supported the motion.

Report in the News LetterDiscussion at Slugger

For the other side of the ‘H’, see Turf Lodge Remembers.

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Turf Lodge Remembers

2013-08-04 TurfLRemembers+

The eastern side of the H-Block ‘H’ at the top of Monagh Road as it was in May, 2013, with a board in memory of the Gibraltar three (Dan, Mairead, Sean ) and another volunteer killed a few days later (Kevin) (for background, see both 25 Years In Progress | Completed) and announcing an Easter Sunday rally commemorating the 1916 Rising.

For the other (western) side of the ‘H’, see No Dogs, No POWs.

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X01226 assemble at beechmount ave 1pm

Don’t Lose Your Voice

2013-08-02 RegisterToVote+

A flyer/poster in the window (of an unmarked unit, but presumably a community resource centre – next to Sam Glenn’s butchers) exhorting residents of the Shankill area to register to vote, part of the recent trend of sentiments expressing Protestant marginalization. (See previously: Carrickfergus panels one | two)

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Free Stephen Murney

This is an Éırígí (web) stencil in support of their member Stephen Murney, who was arrested in November (2012) and subsequently transferred to Maghaberry on charges of supporting terrorism.

(In March 2014 he would be released.) (Newry Republican)

Hugo Street, Belfast. (First use of this wall.) The plaque above is to Pearse Jordan.

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Prison First, Then President

2013-07-23 Mandela+

“”In my country we go to prison first and then become President” – Madiba, Nelson Mandela, freedom lover, friend of Ireland.”

Above is a new mural on Northumberland Street (not on Divis Street’s international wall) in honour of the ailing Nelson Mandela’s 95th birthday, on July 18th. Painted by Lucas Quigley (you can see a signature and a telephone number in the lower right), the mural features Mandela, the flags of Ireland and South Africa, and the Sinn Féin logo (in contrast with the dissident flyers further up to the left, shown on 2013-07-17). Detail below. The photo reproduced is probably this Getty image.

2013-07-23 MandelaClose+

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You’ll Never Walk Alone

2013-06-12 NeverWalkAlone+

Above is a new (2013-06) mural on Ballymurphy Road painted by a local artist with the assistance of local youths, who suggested the song and insisted on the praying hands (at the extreme right, and in the image below). The mural features a smartphone (and a set of Beats headphones) showing the number for the 24/7 suicide help-line. The song, You’ll Never Walk Alone, is from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Carousel, but is know to people in GB and Ireland as the anthem of Liverpool football fans, who adopted it from the 1963 version by Gerry & The Pacemakers.

You’ll Never Walk Alone
When you walk thru’ a storm, hold your head up high, and don’t be afraid of the dark.
At the end of the storm lies a golden sky and the sweet silver song of a lark.
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart!

2013-06-12 ItsAllGood+

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X01138 X01137 don’t let your friends be alone put these numbers in your phone helpline life line 24/7 08088088000 it’s all good