“This world isn’t worth your soul”. Religious graffiti on Cupar Way, based on Mark 8:36.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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You Are Not Of This World
Belfast west
Confrontier
Friday (September 27th) saw the launch of Kai Wiedenhöfer’s ‘Wall On Wall’ exhibition, mounted to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Cupar Way “peace” line and the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. On the wall there are 36 images of walls from ten sites across the planet, taken between 1989 and 2018: Baghdad, Korea, Cyprus, USA-Mexico, Spain & Morocco, Israel-Palestine, France-UK, Greece-North Macedonia, Berlin. (His latest book is called Confrontier – the web site includes 53 images.)
See previously, the trial run image of Al Bayya in Baghdad in Wall On Wall.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06826 [X06823] [X06824] X06825 X06830 [X06829] X06828 X06827 churchill first we shape our buildings and then the buildings start to shape us walls have made a big renaissance a barrier is the proof of human weakness and errors the inability of human beings to communicate with each other the trappings of globalization are deceptive the gap between rich and poor is deepening Irish News
Protective Sequestration
Here are two images of the “peace” line at the middle and eastern end of Bombay Street. If you want more such images, Frankie Quinn’s exhibition of images of the “peace” lines – Cordon Sanitaire – continues at Belfast Exposed in Donegall Street until October 5th.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The Brain Is Wider Than The Sky
Two pieces by Kilian (ig) on the Cupar Way “peace” line.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Robbed Of His Life’s Blood
Garlands of flowers rest at the base of the (upper) mural to UVF volunteer Brian Robinson on the thirtieth anniversary of his death, on September 2nd, 1989, by a British Army undercover unit, moments after he had shot and killed a Catholic civilian named Patrick McKenna on the Crumlin Road (WP).
The other (lower) mural to Robinson in Disraeli Street is shown in the image below (and previously in Shankill Star). “1st batt, B coy, Vol Brian Robinson killed in action 2nd Sept 1989. For his country and people he took up the gun, a volunteer to the end, and a true Ulster son. Robbed of his life’s blood in Sept. 89, but the name Brian Robinson will live for all time.”
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Something In The Air
Clonard monastery (and church of the Holy Redeemer) date back to 1897, built on the grounds of Clonard House (1843) and including 3.5 acres to provide spiritual services to the burgeoning Catholic population of west Belfast, about 30,000 in number (Ita | Rafferty). On the night of August 15th, 1969, the complex came perilously close to destruction, like the houses in the streets around it, but became of focal point of locals’ attempts to defend the area (Murray).
For other posts about the 50th anniversary of the August riots, see The Pogrom Of 1969 | Clonard Remembers | End Apartheid | Derry, Enniskillen, Aughrim, And Ardoyne.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The First Outbreak Of The Troubles
The plaque shown above sits in a memorial garden at the northern end of Disraeli Street, which in 1969 ran out onto the Crumlin Road between Hooker and Brookfield streets on the nationalist side, which saw intense rioting in August 1969 (see 90 Years Of Resistance; also Can It Change? for the lower Shankill). The UVF was founded in 1966 in response to the Civil Rights campaign and an IRA attack on Nelson’s statue in Dublin, and the WDA in June 1970 in response to escalating tensions along the upper Crumlin.
“The officers and volunteers “B” company Ulster Volunteer Force and the officers and volunteers “B” company Woodvale Defence Association remember with pride the people of the Woodvale area killed during the conflict. This plaque stands in the area which bore witness to the first outbreak of the troubles and is a symbol of the solidarity shown by the people of this community.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Ulster And Scotland Did Answer The Call
The Battle Of Assaye (India) took place on September 23rd, 1803, and the 74th regiment of the Royal Highland Fusiliers became known as the Assaye regiment in recognition of their performance (WP). By the time of WWI, the regiment had been merged into the Highland Light Infantry, whose 2nd battalion fought at the Somme in 1916 alongside the 36th (Ulster) Division (WP). The Highlanders’ emblem (which still includes the word “Assaye”) is on the right, the Ulster Volunteers’ on the left. In the apex are the flags of the UVF and YCV (14th battalion Royal Irish Rifles). This new mural commemorates the UVF volunteers of both WWI and the Scottish brigade: J. Rankin, Br. Creer, B. Wilson, B. Creer, A. Steele.
“Ulster and Scotland did answer the call/Together in battle they bled and fall/Shoulder to shoulder their lives they did give/It’s to them we give thanks/For the lives that we live.”
“We are the dead. Short days ago/We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow/Loved and were loved/And now we lie/In Flanders Fields.”
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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And The Cry Was “Keine Kapitulation”
The third (and surely not the final?) season of the popular UK drama Brexit is keeping people guessing. This week, it looks like Boris might betray the ever-loyal Arlene and agree a Northern Ireland-only backstop with EU before time runs out on October 31st. In Belfast, lower Shankill residents are not amused by this potential turn of events and have invoked the classic “No surrender!” catch-phrase from 1688’s Siege Of Derry, painted on the wall between the security gates dividing Catholic and Protestant west Belfast. (Just kidding, of course; this is serious stuff. But the twists and turns are worthy of a telenovela. As Belfasters have always said, “If you’re not confused, you don’t know what’s going on.”)
Other recent messages below the Imagine mural: Victory To Isreal | Your Wall, Your Border
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Break Free, Belfast
New graffiti art – artist unknown – at the bottom of loyalist Conway Street, next to the Cupar Way “peace” line.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Extramural Activity 