“Britain out of Ireland – Ireland out of the EU.” This Saoradh stencil is in Ardoyne, north Belfast. Saoradh does not stand candidates in elections; it also currently lacks a national on-line presence and is banned from Twitter and Facebook (in the wake of the death of Lyra McKee).
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“Gaeıl Feırste CLG. Ba ıad Gaeıl Feırste (1885-1891) an chéad chumann de chuıd Chumann Lúthcleas Gael (CLG) ı mBéal Feırste. Cumann lán-Ghaeılge a bhí ann. Tháınıg deıreadh leıs de bharr scoılte sa CLG a d’eascaır as conspóıd Charles Stewart Parnell. Rınneadh atheagar ar an GLC in Aontroım in 1898 chun an Céadú Blıaın ó Éırí Amach na nÉıreannach Aontaıthe a chomóradh. Ba é Cumann Iomána na Láımhe Deırge, a bunaíodh an aıce leıs seo, i Sráıd Mılford, an chéad chumann nua le theacht ar an tsaol faoın atheagar seo.
Belfast Gaels (1885-1891), an all-Irish-speaking club, was the first GAA club established in Belfast. It ceased to exist following the rift in the GAA caused by the Charles Stewart Parnell controversy. The GAA was re-organised in Antrim in 1898 to mark the 100th anniversary of the United Irishmen’s Rebellion. The Red Hand Hurling Club was the first new club to be established here on the Falls at nearby Milford Street.”
This plaque is on Divis Street at the Northern Bank building; this Antrim GAA history page gives the club’s location as “Stephen’s Street”, probably intending Stephen Street, though this is in Carrick Hill rather than Divis or the Falls
For another Slí Na Gaeltachta plaque, about the Farset river, see H & A. Tours of Slí Na Gaeltachta are available from Forbaırt Feırste.
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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, next to the locally-named Thiepval Street and Passchendaele Court.
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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.”
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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“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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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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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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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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Extramural Activity 