Belfast

Belfast – The Pogroms

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2019 was the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Troubles and commemoration events were held in Ardoyne, Clonard, and Divis – the sites that saw the most fierce fighting during the summer. The programme board above is at the entrance to Brompton Park entrance of Ardoyne, next to the remains of Stad An Slad.

For other posts about the riots, see The Pogrom Of 1969 | Clonard Remembers | End Apartheid | Derry, Enniskillen, Aughrim, And Ardoyne.

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Argyle Street, Ulster

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

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Ghosts Of The Supermarket

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Earl Street and Sussex Street used to be sandwiched between wings of the largest tobacco factory in the world, Gallahers, which took up seven acres between York Street and North Queen Street. The factory was partially demolished in 1990 and became Yorkgate shopping centre and the two streets are roughly now the back and front entrances to the Tesco supermarket. These two plaques (both on North Queen Street) are to former residents. William Campbell, a H&W joiner, might have witnessed the construction of Gallahers (in 1897 – Look Again) before dying on Titanic in 1914. Francis Liggett, an IRA volunteer, was shot and killed by British forces during an attempted robbery of the Royal. (He is also remembered in a mural in St James’s near the site of his death and home – see Liggett & Brady.)

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X06907 X06908 “William Campbell, an Apprentic Joiner at Harland & Wolff, lived in Earl Street, a site now occupied by the shopping centre. He was a member of the company’s Guarantee Group for RMS Titanic and lost his life on the voyage.” “Francis died on 18th January 1973 on IRA active service on the grounds of RVH hospital. Francis was shot dead dead by undercover British soldiers after an exchange of gun fire. 27th January 1948 – 18th January 1973. Francis family home was close to this spot.”

Still Support Brexit

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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

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“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

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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

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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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What Does Brexit Mean?

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Brexit means … borders, job losses, medicine shortages, and more. It takes all of the colours of the rainbow to set what Sınn Féın believes its consequences would be. The Sınn Féın candidate in Belfast North is John Finucane, in a close contest with the DUP’s Nigel Dodds: see The Anti-Brexit Candidate.

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Is Féıdır Lınn!

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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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Our Ship Yard

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Harland & Wolff shipyard workers occupied the premises for nine weeks this (2019) summer in response to news that a sale by owners Dolphin Drilling was falling through. The unions called for the yard to re-nationalised, as it was from 1970 to 1989 before being sold into private hands (BBC). The UK government declined to intervene. Ultimately, the yard was sold for 6 million pounds to InfraStrata, an energy company based in London. The deal included continued employment for the remaining 79 employees (BBC). The poster above is in the window of McDowell’s chemists on the Newtownards Road. 

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