Belfast west

Love The Brotherhood

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This entry is an update to 2022’s Upward which showed the new arch in Denmark Street (the north side of the lower Shankill estate). To each side of the arch has since been added a quote from scripture: on the outside, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel – Psalm 41 v. 13”, and on the inside “Love the brotherhood, fear God, and honour the King – [1st] Peter 2 v. 17”

The ‘Platinum Jubilee’ panel has been replaced with the image from the other side of the ‘Faithful Unto Death’ stained glass that is in Schomberg House (see Our Murdered Brethren), and it has been replaced with an image King Charles III.

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England Get Out Of Ireland

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Irish-language rappers and provocateurs Kneecap (web | ig) unveiled another mural in Hawthorn Street yesterday afternoon ahead of their Falls Park gig last night.

The entry on last year’s mural (Níl Fáılte Roımh An RUC), Incendiary Device, included a shot of the sticker that has been turned into this year’s mural. The sticker, in turn, is based on a vintage mural painted in Strabane (England Get Out Of Ireland) and Belfast (Stad Maggie Anoıs). (See also Give It Back, Thief!)

For images from the launch on August 11th, see the Paddy Duffy collection.

Replaces the large GAA board.

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Spread Your Wings

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Active Communities Network (web) is a non-profit in Belfast, Manchester, and London, focused on youth and community development: “Tackle inequality; create opportunities; inspire change”. Passers-by are invited to stand in the middle of the mural and “spread their wings”.

Replaces: Embrace Change Together.

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There Is No Lie Big Enough

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“There is no lie big enough to cover the shame of jailing two innocent men #JFTC2”, in this case Brendan McConville and John Paul Wooton. Their portraits have been appearing on RNU (Fb) walls (and on Sliabh Dubh) since 2013. They are in prison, for 25-year and 18-year minimums, respectively, for the 2009 killing of PSNI Constable Stephen Carroll (BBC).

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Jimmy Steele Will Lead Us

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Over the course of a long career as a Fian, IRA volunteer, and Northern Command adjudtant, Jimmy Steele saw action in the S-Plan (see Joe Malone’s gravestone in Far Dearer The Grave Or The Prison) and the border campaign, went on hunger strike and “strip strike” (blanket), escaped from Crumlin Road gaol, and was the first editor of Republican News. (Treason Felony | WP) This poster (from the Irish Republican Martyrs’ Commemorative Committee – Fb)calls people to a commemoration of Steele on the anniversary of his death, August 9th, 1970.

“Óglach Jimmy Steele Commemoration. Assemble at Milltown Cemetery gates 3:00pm Wednesday 9th August. Irish Republican Martyrs Commemorative Committee wreath laying ceremony 53rd anniversary. All welcome/fáılte roımh chách.” “Jimmy Steele will lead us … Éıre abú. An Phoblacht abú.”

Northumberland Street, Belfast.

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11,000 Days And Counting

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The number is arrived at by aggregating the days served by republican prisoners in Maghaberry, Hydebank, and Portlaoise (IRPWA – page contains images of all the locations in which this board was mounted).

Braemar Street, west Belfast.

“End internment by remand! 11000 days and counting. Bail denied. Seán Farrell, Davy Jordan, Kevin Murphy, Nick Donnelly, Charlie Love, Shea Reynolds, Ciaran Maguire, Gary Hayden, Sean Walsh, Damien McLaughlin, Sharon Jordan, Mandy Duffy.”

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Loyalist Woodvale

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New territorial markings at the top of Cambrai Street, Belfast, next to the “Amy Carmichael” installation.

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Come In Your Working Clothes

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“Come one, come all, to the Welcome Hall, and come in your working clothes.” Amy Carmichael was born in Millisle, Co. Down, in 1867. In 1884 the family moved to Belfast, where Amy started Sunday classes in Rosemary Street Presbyterian for “shawlies” who worked in the mills. These were successful enough that a larger venue was required, and so, in 1887, the Welcome Hall, with seating for 500, opened in Cambrai Street (this subsequently became the Welcome Evangelical Church, where the blue plaque shown below is mounted). Carmichael then went to England (Manchester), Japan, Sri Lanka, and India (Bangalore). (Welcome Church | WP)

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Billy Was Wright

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“Billy was Wright – no Irish Sea border.” Billy Wright broke with the UVF in 1996 over loyalist concessions made during the peace-process that ultimately led to the Agreement in 1998. He soon formed the LVF but was killed in prison in 1997 by members of the INLA, which, like the LVF, had not joined the ceasefire.

These posters are in Cambrai Street and Conway Street; attempts to remove them have proven unsuccessful. The Sunday World reports that a similar banner has appeared in Ballymena (Sunday World) and that the same poster was also spotted in the lower Shankill (Sunday World).

Wright is shown standing in front of a small mural in Old Rectory Park, Portadown – see D01068.

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Copyright © 2021 Pat Dorrian
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Climbing Vine

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This climbing vine joins Blue Tit, Half Human, Not Today, Satan. Not Today, and the much older (2009) Loyalist Or Racist at the Spectrum Centre on the Shankill.

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