Electioneering is under way in Northern Ireland, ahead of the local and European parliament elections on May 22nd. Above is a stencil in Hugo Street drumming up support for independent (socialist) Ciarán Mulholland. “Think independently, vote independent. Neamhspleách/Independent candidate for the black mountain ward. The political parties have failed the people of west Belfast. Have your say and change things.”
Like a phoenix. This is part of a new (as yet incomplete) RNU (Republican Network For Unity) mural at the corner of Northumberland Street and Divis Street.
The stained glass window above is in Cultúrlann McAdam – O’Fıaıch (cultural centre, named for two clergymen, Presbyterian Robert McAdam and Catholic Tomás Ó Fıaıch) on the Falls Road and features some of the spaces within the centre: An Ceathrú Póılí: Sıopa Leabhar Gaeılge Bhéal Feırste (Irish-language bookstore), Caıfé Feırste (café), Dánlann Dillon (Dillon Gallery).
Martin O’Neill takes Neil Lennon home after his haircut at Hoops Barbers on the Falls Road. Both are from Northern Ireland – Lennon is originally from Lurgan, O’Neill from Kilrea. O’Neill was manager of Glasgow Celtic when Lennon was a player. O’Neill now manages the Republic of Ireland squad and Lennon is now (since 2010) manager of Celtic.
The Battle of Antrim took place on June 7th, 1798, as part of the Irish Rebellion of that summer. Led in the North by the Protestant Henry Joy McCracken, the rebellion met with initial successes in smaller towns, before failing in Antrim. In the full shot, below, the British soldiers can be seen in the distance.
The board above is in the grounds of The Roddy’s, a social club named after Roddy McCorley, another Protestant member of the United Irishmen, most famous for the song written about his hanging at the bridge of Toome in 1800. (Here’s a version by Tommy Makem.)
Mothering Sunday 2014 was yesterday, Sunday March 30th. On Saturday, when this image was taken, menfolk were out and about tracking down flowers and chocolates. This week also happens to be the one-hundredth anniversary (“céad blıaın”) of the founding of Cumann Na mBan on April 2nd, 1914, and it is being commemorated in various ways, including a new mural on Ascaıll Ard na bhFeá/Beechmount Avenue.
Cumann Na mBan was the women’s division of the Irish Volunteers and is best remembered for its role in the Easter Rising of 1916. Its members were involved in the occupation of many locations. Some, including (non-combatant) Winifred Carney, were in the GPO, while Countess Markievicz, the main figure of the mural, was in St. Stephen’s Green. (Here is an RTÉ gallery of vintage photographs, including one of Markievicz surrendering.)
The letters “Cnamb” on a rifle formed the badge of Cumann Na mBan. The Irish “Ní saoırse go saoırse na mban” means “No freedom until the freedom of women”. Below are an ‘in-progress’ shot from last week; and a close-up of the finished mural. Below these is a plain shot of the full mural.
Three generations of boards at the junction of the Falls and Glen roads: from most recent to least: Pearse Jordan (“Murdered by RUC! Covered up by PSNI”), Gibraltar Three (“I nDıl Chuımhne”; this was later realized on the Divis Street International Wall, see 25 Years), and a (presumably) IRSP board (“If there is to be a revolution, there must be a revolutionary party.” [Mao Zedong]). The oldest of the three appears to be the one in the best shape. The site itself used to be the Andersonstown RUC/Army barracks.
“Says Joe, ‘Those that they forgot to kill went on to organise.'” Words from ‘(The Ballad Of) Joe Hill’ are included in a mural in Conway Street sponsored by the Australian Electrical Trades Union (ETU) in Victoria.
Extramural Activity 