Belfast west

Where Is The World?

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2014-07-19 GazaUt+

Gazans flee ahead of smiling soldiers from homes set ablaze by a tank flying the Israeli flag. This new mural on the international wall associates the current Israeli invasion of Gaza (Operation Protective Edge) with the US/South Vietnamese attack on the village of Trang Bang during the Vietnam war by modelling itself on Nick Út’s 1972 Pulitzer prize-winning photograph for the Associated Press of villagers fleeing a napalm bombing (WP). [Authorship is disputed – it might be by Nguyễn Thành Nghệ – see World Press Photo.]

On the ground in front of the mural are tealights that were lit in memorial and solidarity.

Previously: Hands Across The Yard

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02022 immediate expulsion of all israeli diplomats from éire

Freedom For Öcalan

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2014-06-28 Ocalan+

“Peace is more difficult than war. We were not scared as we resisted; we will not be scared when we make peace.” Turkish-born Kurdistan Workers’ Party founder Abdullah Öcalan has been in prison since 1999, during which time he has changed from advocating violence to advocating a political solution to the Kurdish situation in Turkey. (WP) The conflict has resulted in a minimum of 45,000 deaths. (WP)

The mural was launched on Sunday (2014-07-06); it replaces the Sands Family mural. Below is a shot from January 2017 showing damage to the mural.

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02003 X03995 free revolutionary prisoner solitary confinement since feb 1999 sign the petition http://www.freeocalan.org northumberland

Fallen Comrades

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2014-06-28 INLAFallen+

INLA volunteers Paul McCann, Matt McLarnon, Danny Loughran, and Gino Gallagher are commemorated in a new board unveiled today (2014-06-29) on Northumberland Street. The work shows the four in uniform against a backdrop of Divis flats, St. Peters, and the plough in the stars. Information about the deaths of each of the four can be found via this IRSP page. The IRSP/Teach na Fáilte sponsored the piece, which is by Fra Maher and covers over the centre part of the yellow IRSP mural. Maher also did the anti-fascist/Spanish civil war mural  at the left edge of the image above.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02000 republican socialist ex-prisoners support group seamus costello 1939-1977 i owe my allegiance to the working class

Belfast’s Infamous Prison

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14 05 31 BelfastsInfamousPrison+

Her Majesty’s Prison Belfast, better known as The Crumlin Road Gaol, was visited by the Queen on Tuesday (2014-06-24), probably not at the beckoning of this advertisement on the corner of Divis and Northumberland streets, next to the mural of Kieran Nugent and Brendan Hughes. One of the former residents of the jail, Martin McGuiness, showed the Queen around (which not everyone was happy with – The Guardian).

The jail opened in 1846 (under Queen Victoria, during the Hunger), closed in 1996, was transferred to OFM/dFM in 2003, and opened to the public in 2007 (DSI). Other notable prisoners include seven militant suffragettes (among them Dorothy Evans and Madge Muir, arrested for possession of explosives BBC – includes 6 min. audio | Belfast Suffragettes | WRDA), Eamon De Valera, Bobby Sands, Ian Paisley, and Michael Stone (WP), as well as Tom Mitchell and Phil Clarke, elected to Westminster in 1955 for Sinn Féin while still in prison (An Phoblacht).

Audio tour of the prison from CultureNI | Video footage of the Queen’s visit from The Telegraph.

The (unattributed) photo on which the Kieran Nugent mural is based in included below. See also this BBC video.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01914 the only way they’ll get a prison uniform on me is if they nail it to my back the first blanket man free margaritta d’arcy margaretta (WP) smash h-block wanted for murder and torture irish torchlight march rally margaret thatcher

Ag Tacú Le Seachtaın Na Gaeılge

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Sınn Féın – ag tacú le seachtaın na Gaeılge – Rıth 2014 [Sınn Féın – supporting Irish-language week – Race 2014]”. Youtube video of the launch.

Board at Connolly House on the Andersonstown Road, Belfast.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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More British Troops

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“There are more British troops in Ireland than in Iraq.” Éırígí (web) stencil in Slemish Way, Belfast.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Re-Replaced

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2014-05-30 KevinLynch+

The images below (taken in January 2014) show part of the old Kevin Lynch mural revealed by the removal of the board that was part of the Marian Price mural (featured previously). The new version of the Lynch mural – shown above – is almost identical to the previous one. It shows Lynch’s likeness framed by the red star and yellow background of the IRSP (Irish Republican Socialist Party) – see also the Mickey Devine mural in Mount Pottinger.

For background information on Lynch – INLA member and hunger-striker – see this post featuring a Lynch mural in Dún Geımhın/Dungiven.

2014-01-27 PriceLynch+

2014-01-27 PriceLynchFull+

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The Inaccessible Present

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2014-05-31 AngelouRacism+

A new mural on the International Wall combines two current events. One is the furore surrounding the recent description of Islam as “satanic” by Belfast pastor James McConnell (Tele) and a ‘Rally Against Racism’ that took place on Saturday (31st) (Tele). The middle of the mural reads “Respect and defend our Muslim brothers + sisters – kardeslik azadi”.

The other is the death of Maya Angelou (WP), who died this past Wednesday (May 28th). Angelou is pictured in the top half of the mural with Muhammad Ali along with a quote: “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the past inaccessible.”

In the bottom half appear Padraıg Pearse and James Connolly and a line from the Proclamation of the Irish Republic: “Cherish all the children of the nation equally.”

Takes the place of the Miami Five.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01913 say no to racism

Heart Soar

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2014-05-10 SuicideBalloons+

Here are close-ups, and a final wide-shot, of the “Reaching Out” suicide-prevention mural in Springmadden on the Springfield Road, painted by Lucas Quigley.

Above, a girl is carried away by balloon hearts; below, a fox peeks out from behind giant sunflowers and foliage sporting a ladybird while a butterfly looks on.

Also on this wall is a memorial to the victims of the Ballymurphy Massacre.

Previous suicide-prevention: Reaching Out | Real Heroes | You’ll Never Walk Alone

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Bru Tout Out

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2014-05-07 BruToutOut+

Graffiti in the Highfield estate complaining about/threatening someone allegedly reporting [touting] others to the authorities about unemployment claims [bru, brew; the dole].

According to one source, “bru” is originally a Glaswegian corruption of “bureau” from the 1930s.

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