Same Aim

Lasaır Dhearg (Fb | tw | web) next week (Thursday 30th) will have three speakers on the theme of Political Policing & Oppressive Legislation, starting at 7 in Conway Mill. The sticker above (with Red Section) is on Divis Street, west Belfast. “RUC – PSNI: Different name, same aim”.

Below are two more stickers, the first quoting Patrick Pearse: “Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam”, the second with a call to “End imperialism in Ireland”. The final sticker is from Lasair Dhearg only (not Red Section): Britain Out Of Ireland with Prince Charles in his paratrooper beret.

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It’s All Bad!!

Maser’s It’s All Good piece on Cupar Way gets the TMN treatment with writing by RASER (with Maser’s fellow Dubliner VOMS on top), NOTA, ANCO, and RECK.

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Ireland’s Brexit Solution

“Ireland’s Brexit solution: a united Ireland, a workers republic, a socialist Europe. Spoil your ballot – write Workers Republic! www.socialistdemocracy.org” Although it’s not clear from the poster above, the desired position is for a federal (“United States of”) Europe rather than EU membership in its current form. 

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Gaeıl Feırste/Belfast Gaels

“Gaeıl Feırste CLG. Ba ıad Gaeıl Feırste (1885-1891) an chéad chumann de chuıd Chumann Lúthcleas Gael (CLG) ı mBéal Feırste. Cumann lán-Ghaeılge a bhí ann. Tháınıg deıreadh leıs de bharr scoılte sa CLG a d’eascaır as conspóıd Charles Stewart Parnell. Rınneadh atheagar ar an GLC in Aontroım in 1898 chun an Céadú Blıaın ó Éırí Amach na nÉıreannach Aontaıthe a chomóradh. Ba é Cumann Iomána na Láımhe Deırge, a bunaíodh an aıce leıs seo, i Sráıd Mılford, an chéad chumann nua le theacht ar an tsaol faoın atheagar seo.

Belfast Gaels (1885-1891), an all-Irish-speaking club, was the first GAA club established in Belfast. It ceased to exist following the rift in the GAA caused by the Charles Stewart Parnell controversy. The GAA was re-organised in Antrim in 1898 to mark the 100th anniversary of the United Irishmen’s Rebellion. The Red Hand Hurling Club was the first new club to be established here on the Falls at nearby Milford Street.”

This plaque is on Divis Street at the Northern Bank building; this Antrim GAA history page gives the club’s location as “Stephen’s Street”, probably intending Stephen Street, though this is in Carrick Hill rather than Divis or the Falls

For another Slí Na Gaeltachta plaque, about the Farset river, see H & A. Tours of Slí Na Gaeltachta are available from Forbaırt Feırste.

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Argyle Street, Ulster

Argyle Street, Ulster, next to the locally-named Thiepval Street and Passchendaele Court.

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Still Support Brexit

The lower placard comes from left-wing party People Before Profit (web), attacking Sınn Féın for their vote on welfare reform (in 2015 when the Assembly was still functioning – BBC | Guardian). The upper placard has no fine print asserting its provenance, and PBP has alleged that such placards were put up by Sınn Féın (Irish News). “People Before Profit . .. still supports Brexit”. See previously: Hard Border.

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No Shame

“S[inn] F[éin] IRA – No Shame” in reference to Shankill bomber Sean Kelly (on the right) campaigning for SF Belfast North candidate John Finucane (on the left) on Lanark Way and Cupar Way. See Steeped In Blood for more. Voters go to the polls on Thursday (December 12th).

With “patronising slogans” by tourists from around the world: “Peace for everyone”, “Stop the walls”, “Can’t you all just get along?”, “Share love – help one another”, and “Impeach Trump”.

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The Green Line

When the negotiators for Israel sat down with counterparts from each of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt after the Arab-Israeli war to draw the ceasefire lines between their countries, they did so in a green ink, after which it got the name “the green line”.

The line ran through the town of Baqa and in 2004 (and still part of the border between the West Bank and Israel) Israel built a wall dividing the community. The image above (from Kai Wiedenhöfer’s Confrontier collection of dividing walls and pasted onto Belfast’s own ‘green line’ in Cupar Way) shows a Palestinian back garden butting up against the wall, with a Banksy-style ‘hole-in-the-wall’ view of the other side providing an alternative (also seen previously on Northumberland Street).

For more images of the Wiedenhöfer exhibit on the “peace” line, see Confrontier and Wall On Wall. This piece is in the spot where Kevin Killen’s ‘Face’ was.

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Sinn Fein-IRA’s Golden Boy

We are now a week away from Westminster elections (December 12th). John Finucane is standing for Sınn Féın in Belfast North but this banner is at the top of the Shankill, intended to stir up animosity towards Sınn Féın, and support for DUP candidates, in all constituencies.

The same banner was hung in Tiger’s Bay, York Street, Antrim, and Ballymena, though the Tiger’s Bay one was removed because it was on council property (News Letter).

The banner presents a gallery of Finucane’s relatives John Snr, Dermot, Seamus, and Pat: “The real Finucane family  – human rights abusers – steeped in the blood of our innocents.” The (former) IRA involvement of the three uncles is well documented. Controversially, Sean O’Callaghan (in the Daily Telegraph) alleged that father Pat Finucane was in the IRA, contrary to the findings of the de Silva report into collusion: “Pat Finucane was first and foremost an IRA volunteer, and he exploited his position [as a solicitor with access to prisoners] ruthlessly to wage his war on the state.” The source of the claim that Finucane is the chosen candidate of the PIRA Army Council is unknown. Sınn Féın leader Mary Lou McDonald called the banners “dangerous” (RN). The Belfast Telegraph reported that the Shankill banner was ordered by an alleged planner of Pat Finucane’s assassination, Jim Spence of the UDA (BelTel).

See previously: Steeped In The Blood | The Anti-Brexit Candidate | What Does Brexit Mean? See also: No Fouling.

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Is Féıdır Lınn!

Inspirational female figures inside Coláıste Feırste: Marie Curie – Duaıs Nobel, Emmeline Pankhurst – “Vótaí do mhnaí” [votes for women], Alice Ní Mhaolagáın [Milligan], Mary Anne Nıc Reachtaın [McCracken], Maıréad Ní Fhearaıl [Farrell], Bernadette Ní Dhoıbhılın [Devlin], Angela Davis, Rosa Parks – “Shuıgh sí le go dtıocfadh lınn seasamh” [She sat so that we would stand], Méabh – Banríon Chonnacht [queen of Connacht], Gráınne Mhaol [Grace O’Malley], Marina Ginestà, Wınıfred Ní Chearnaıgh [Carney], Mary Mhıc Gıolla Íosa [McAleese] – Uachtarán na hÉıreann [President of Ireland], mná Bhóthar Seoıghe [women of Shaw’s Road] – scoıl Ghaeılge Bhéal Feırste. Dalta Choláıste Feırste – An tusa an chéad laoch eıle? [Pupil of Coláıste Feırste, are you the next hero?]

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