Belfast west

Hello Future

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Pat Sheehan had been on hunger strike for 55 days when the strike was ended on October 3rd, 1981. He became MLA for Belfast West in 2010. He was the main speaker at the 41st anniversary commemoration in Belfast this past Sunday (video). The boards shown here are in Pim Street, north Belfast, the former Andersonstown RUC station in west Belfast, lower Falls Road, west Belfast.

“Comóradh Náısıúnta in ómós na staılceoırí ocrais. Béal Feırste 21 Lúnasa, 2:00 i.n. Aoıchaınteoır: Pat Sheehan. Páırc Dunvılle a fhad le hUaıgheannaí na Poblachta, Reılıg Bhaile an Mhuıleann. (Ag cruınnıú ag 1:30 ı.n., ag fágáıl ar bhuıle 2:00 i.n.”

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Upward

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The new arch at Denmark Street and Carlisle Circus, next to the Clifton Street Orange Hall, was a year in the planning, both technical and financial (News Letter). There are seven windows and four flag-holders built into the arch. On the Denmark Street side, we see the emblem of the Association Of Loyal Orangewomen Of Ireland, the breaking of the boom (to end the Siege Of Derry), National Memorial (in the arboretum in Staffordshire), Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee (crown and Bible over rose, thistle, shamrock, daffodil, New Zealand silver fern, and Canadian maple leaf), City Of Belfast Loyal Orange Widows Fund, Orange Order symbols. On the Carlisle Circus side, we see the shutting of the gates (to start the Siege Of Derry), William Johnston (WP), the stained-glass window in Schomberg House to murdered OO members, Pietro Annigonni’s 1995 portrait of Queen Elizabeth on garter day (WP), Wehle’s portrait of Martin Luther, and the 36th Division going over the top.

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Incendiary Device

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Irish-language rap group Kneecap (web) played in Falls Park on Friday night, sharing the stage with Imelda May and Damien Dempsey in a concert that Féıle entitled “Irish Voices“, but before that they revealed a mural in Hawthorn Street showing a PSNI land-rover on fire next to the phrase “Níl fáılte roımh an RUC [The RUC is not welcome]”.

Outraged responses to the mural have come from all quarters. The line comes from their song C.E.A.R.T.A. (youtube), about making sure the police don’t find the satirically enormous array of drugs – “cóc, speed, Es, agus moll marıjuana” to name only a few – they hope to take at a party: “Seans ar bıth go bhfaıghıdh sıad mo mhála MD/Mar tá cóısır ann anocht ‘s níl fáılte roımh an RUC”.

The Kneecap party and the middle Falls are the latest in a long line of places where the PSNI is not welcome, not just Ardoyne, Divis, and the Bogside (Derry) but also the Village, the Shankill, Carrickfergus, Millbrook (Larne), the Caw (Londonderry), and Tullyally (Londonderry).

The sticker shows a vintage republican image: see e.g. England Get Out Of Ireland and Stad Maggie Anoıs.

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Fellowship

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“Fuck the IRA” on the wall of Mustardseed Christian Fellowship in Crimea Street, Belfast.

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Mıse Éıre

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Mıse Éıre (short for ‘Is mıse Éıre’ [I am Ireland]) is a short poem by Patrick Pearse in which Mother Ireland speaks of her glories and sufferings. The un-partitioned Ireland (though with the flags of the four provinces in the corners) is used here by Sınn Féın Poblachtach (web) to call for unification of “the whole people of Ireland … Protestant, Catholic, and Dissenter” [Wolfe Tone, from his autobiography].

The poem also appears in a Derry mural from the 1980s and a current New Lodge GAA mural.

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Ban Plastic Bullets Now!

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The United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets organised a march on July 16th, from Divis to the middle Falls, ending in Islandbawn Street with the launch of a new mural commemorating 17 victims of rubber or plastic bullets (Irish News). (Belfast Media has a gallery from the march.) Amnesty International last year released a report on the continued use of Attenuating Energy Projectiles (AEPs).

“Seeking justice for victims of rubber and plastic bullets. Plastic bullets = murder, main & mayhem”

For the previous plastic bullets board in Islandbawn Street, see Plastic Death.

Francis Rowntree, Tobias Molloy, Thomas Friel, Stephen Geddis, Brian Stewart, Michael Donnelly, Stephen McConomy, Paul Whitters, Julie Livingstone, Henry Duffy, Carol Ann Kelly, Norah McCabe, Peter Doherty, Peter McGuinness, John Downes, Keith White, Seamus Duffy.

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Stand By

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There’s no sectarian muraling yet concerning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as distinct from pieces in shared spaces by street artists – see Ukraine Has Suffered Enough by FGB | Take These Seeds by emic | Нет войне! by Leo Boyd.

Previously we featured anti-Russian graffiti in east Belfast, pro-Donetsk graffiti in CNR west Belfast (Ireland Supports The People Of Donetsk, updated in My Enemy’s Enemy) and a mixture of pro-peace and anti-NATO pieces.

Today’s post shows a small sample of pro-Ukraine flags in PUL areas, including the Shankill (above, over the Bayardo Bombing memorial; something similar was seen in Ballycarry) and (below) the Village, and on the CNR side, a Russian and a Soviet flag flying from Divis tower (final image).

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Our Lady Of Perpetual Peace

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A statue of Our Lady Of The Sacred Heart stands in front of the “peace” line on the Divis side of Boundary Street.

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The Human Race

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“Be proud of your race – the human race.” Local school-children from the Divis area worked with artist Fra Maher to produce this anti-racism mural – including quotes from Nelson Mandela (“No one is born hating another person”) and Martin Luther King, Jr (“Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that”) – that was unveiled on St Patrick’s Day at Divis Tower (Belfast Live has a gallery from the launch.)

With support from Belfast City Council and the Divis Youth Project – Frank Gillen Centre.

Replaces the One World mural – see Accomplishments Have No Colour.

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My Enemy’s Enemy

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The Ireland Supports The People Of Donetsk graffiti outside the RVH has been modified, perhaps twice. Most prominent is a the writing by MASH (of TMN krew) – highly unusual appearance by a tagger on a central thoroughfare (and in west Belfast, too).

It is possible is that the “Free Ukraine” in the bottom left was an earlier response to the original graffiti. It is not clear why “Free” has been x-ed out.

Support for either Ukraine or Russia in CNR areas is non-existent, perhaps because of anti-imperial attitude applied – in equal but opposite measure – to both NATO and Russia. At the beginning of the conflict, Sinn Féin deleted thousands of comments critical of the EU’s or NATO’s stance towards Russia from its web site (Indo | Irish Times | journal.ie | see also Irish Examiner).

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