Kids from the Divis youth project at the Frank Gillen Centre were involved in designing the new mental health mural which was unveiled last week in west Belfast. BelfastLive has pictures of the launch on (August 11th).
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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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This year’s Féıle An Phobaıl saw the launch of a new stained glass window in Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fıaıch. It features James Connolly (Séamus Ó Conghaıle 1868-1916) for his support of the Irish language and the support his two daughters Nora and Ina gave to the founding of the Gaelic League (Conradh na Gaeılge) in Belfast. The family is also featured in the centenary mural on Divis Street: Shan Van Vocht and Howth Gun Running. Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund (tw).
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Twenty-five victims of five “Shankill atrocities” – at the Four Step Inn, the Balmoral Furniture Store, Mountainview Bar, Bayardo Bar, and (from the 1990s) Frizzell’s fish shop – are remembered in an updated board in Dundee Street. The central image remains 17-month-old Colin Nichol in the arms of ambulance man Bob Scott. (See the Peter Moloney Collection for the previous version. Before that, there was a painted version on Bellevue Street: Where is our truth?)
“30 years of indiscriminate slaughter by so-called non-sectarian Irish freedom fighters. Provisional Sinn Fein demands “equality/respect/integrity”. No military targets! No economic targets! No legitimate targets! No enquiries! No truth! No justice! Where is the “equality” in justice? Where is the “respect” for Protestants? Where is the “integrity” in murder? We remember the victims of Provisional Sinn Fein genocide.”
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There were riots last night in the Divis and Markets areas of the city, after material for August 9th anti-internment bonfires was removed (Tele). On the lower Falls, the disused Credit Union building on Ross Road was burned down (Belfast Live). Here are three images from last week of graffiti from the Townsend Street side of the Divis Street from the Divis Hoods Liberation Army (DHLA).
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Gerard Gibson, aged 16, was shot dead by members of the Royal Green Jackets (“murdered by British crown forces”) in Lenadoon on 11 July 1972. His case was examined by the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) but the family rejected the findings (BBC). This board show today is in a similar style, and close to, that of Fıan Sean Ó Rıordan, but Gibson is not identified as a youth member of the OIRA (as Sutton identifies him).
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A plaque has been added to the Cupar Way “peace” line memorial to UVF man William “Plum” Smith. “Moved on 8th June 2016 – sadly missed by his family.” For more information on his life, see the previous version.
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Marvel comics’ character The Punisher takes aim at the back of Captain America’s skull. Just above the piece: “The positive side of Belfast Shankill Road peace wall“.
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Tyres for the Conway Street/Cupar Way bonfire were removed from the site in June (Belfast Live | image at Alternatives) but some might have recently been put in the middle (Belfast Media). In any case, there are still plenty of pallets, not to mention Sinn Féin election posters featuring Alex Maskey, John Finucane, and Michelle O’Neill, as well as the flag of ISIS, and IRA and INLA lettering.
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Four people were killed in the course of The Falls Curfew, the 36 hours from July 3rd to 5th in 1970 during which 3,000 houses on the lower Falls were cordoned off after a weapons search of the area devolved into a riot. The curfew ended with a march of women and children from Andersonstown bearing relief (represented in Falls Curfew 1970).
The information in the centre of the board includes an augmented version of the Wikipedia infobox on the event. Erected in the spot previously reserved by “the Official Republican Movement”.
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The Peace Day mural as viewed from the latch-hole in the (recently painted) upper gate on Northumberland Street. The second image shows a more optimistic open gate. The UN International Day Of Peace is September 21st each year.
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Extramural Activity 