In 2000, during the Second Intifada, Palestinian teenager Faris Odeh was photographed by an AP photographer in the act of throwing a stone at an Israeli tank. He was shot and killed a few days later and the image became a symbol of resistance. (A mural of the photograph was painted in Springhill: see David And Goliath.) The iconic image is updated here for Israel’s current invasion of Gaza, showing a young girl with a soft toy standing in front of a tank that is bedecked with the flags of the European Union, France, the USA, the UK, and Germany.
The F-16 jets and rubble and child with teddy-bear are the same as in the We Stand With Palestine mural in Ardoyne.
The “Put it back, thief” imagery is applied here to Palestine and Israel, except that there is no piece of territory in the Israeli arm, only a grasping hand, and the slogan is “Saoırse don Phalaıstín”.
Here are a few pieces from the so-called “peace” line dividing CNR and PUL west Belfast, featuring, above, ‘Road rage Ruth’ by Kilian (ig). Previously by Kilian on the “peace” line: The Brain Is Wider Than The Sky. See also the works done for HTN23, HTN22, and HTN21.
For wild-style from December (2023) see Bombing The “Peace” Line. For ten or so pieces of street art and wild-style writing on the wall from May 2023, see Ready To Rumble.
The obscured piece by Bust and the “World Wall Stylers” tag can be seen in better condition in New Levels, Same Devils (2022). “Ríoghnach” is an Irish-language name.
Here is an assortment of images concerning boycotts of Israeli goods in response to the invasion of Gaza. Above, “Ban Israeli goods” on the wall of the Alexandra Park Tesco, north Belfast; below, V-for-victory fingers as scissors snipping barbed wire (bdsmovement.net) in a shop window in Andersonstown, west Belfast; “BDS” [Boycott, divestment, sanctions] and “IPSC” [Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which maintains a list of Israeli goods] next to a painted Palestinian flag in the middle Falls, west Belfast; plus an Artists Against Genocide (ig) sticker.
In this new statue in the grounds of Belfast city hall, Mary Ann McCracken is shown handing out abolitionist leaflets with a pleading enslaved woman above the words “Am I not a woman and a sister?” The same supplicant image is on the medallion (perhaps made by Wedgwood for the Society For The Abolition Of The Slave Trade – WP) worn at her throat. See also: The Blots On The Page Are So Black and The World Affords No Enjoyment Equal To That Of Promoting The Happiness Of Others.
“Mary Ann McCracken’s feminist ideals and commitment to the principles of Equality, Liberty, Fraternity applying equally to the Rights of Woman defined her participation in the United Irish Movement.” For McCracken’s connection to the 1798 Rebellion, see These Are Times That Try Men’s Souls.
“Mary Ann McCracken (1770-1866) Abolitionist, educator, social reformer and businesswoman. Sheas Mary Ann an fód ar son na mbocht, na mban, na bpáıstí agus ar son sıúd a bhí faoi dhaoırse. [Mary Ann stood up for the poor, women, children, and for those who were enslaved.]”
The statue was unveiled together with a statue to Winifred Carney on International Women’s Day (March 8th); they were produced by Ralf and Naomi Sander (BCC).
A statue to Winifred Carney was unveiled, along with another to Mary Ann McCracken, in the grounds of Belfast City Hall on Friday, March 8th (BCC). At her left hand is a typewriter. Carney was a qualified secretary and typist, and became secretary of the Irish Textile Workers’ Union in 1912, in which position she met James Connolly, who was secretary of the Belfast branch of the ITGWU. The 1913 manifesto addressed ‘To The Linen Slaves Of Belfast’ (marxists.org), exhorting “our toiling sisters” in the mills to join the organisation, was signed by Carney, Connolly, and Ellen Gordon.
Her uniform, and the amorphous pistol (or holster?) in her right hand, refer to her membership of Cumann Na mBan and participation in the Easter Rising of 1916. Carney was in the GPO when it was taken over and was among those who surrendered at the end; during the occupation she typed up dispatches from the Moore Street headquarters. A News Letter editorial described the statue as smuggling terrorists onto the grounds of city hall.
“Winifred Carney, born in Bangor, was a suffragist and a committed trade unionist. She was an organiser in the Irish Textile Workers’ Union and became James Connolly’s personal secretary, political confidante and friend. In 1913, She and Connolly wrote the Irish Textile Workers’ Union manifesto entitled ‘To the Linen Slaves of Belfast’. It was a time when Belfast workers, mostly women and children, were working long hours in horrific conditions, barefoot and hungry. “D’oıbrıgh Winnie ar son oıbrıthe Bhéal Feırste, go háırıthe ar son na mban agus na bpáıstí a bhíodh ag obaır sna muılte ar fud na cathrach. “Many Belfast mills are slaughterhouses for the women and penitentiaries for the children.” Chomh maıth leıs an obaır a rınne sí ar son na gceardchumann, ba Phoblachtánach í Winnie a bhí ına ball de Chumann na mBan agus d’Arm Cathartha na hÉıreann. As an officer in the Irish Citizen Army, Winnie was present with Connolly in the Dublin General Post Office during the 1916 Easter Rising and has since become known as ‘the typist with the Webley’. Carney stood as a Sınn Féın candidate in the 1918 elections, but in an ‘unwinnable’ seat. She retained her commitment to socialism and in 1924, Winifred joined the Northern Ireland Labour Party. Here she met her future husband, George McBride, like her a committed socialist. George was a Protestant from Shankill Road who fought at The Battle of the Somme with the 36th (Ulster) Division. Tá Winnie curtha ı Reılıg Bhaıle an Mhuılınn ar Bhóthar na bhFál ın ıarthar Bhéal Feırste.”
This face is by Birmingham graffiti artist Fum.Armada (ig), in North Street, Belfast. There is another from Union Street in the Paddy Duffy collection.
Irish politicians are making their annual pilgrimage to the United States for St Patrick’s Day. Taoıseach Leo Varadkar was first in Boston and is now in Washington, DC (gov.ie). Sınn Féın leaders Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill say (Sky News) that during their visit they will raise the issues of Israel’s military attack and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza with US President Joe Biden, changing “Say “No” to Genocide Joe” to “Say “No” to genocide, Joe”. Michelle O’Neill (SF) and Emma Little-Pengelly (DUP) together promoted Northern Irish business opportunities (journal.ie).
SDLP leaders are not in attendance and People Before Profit called for a boycott (see previously: Don’t Look Away).
Meanwhile in Qatar, it is hoped that negotiations between Hamas and Israel will be rejoined (AP).
Samuel Ferguson was born in Belfast in 1810 and after studying law at Trinity College settled in Dublin (WP | paywalled 1886 Memoriam). Some of his poems were based on the pre-Celtic myths, such as ‘Tain Quest‘ on the Táın Bó Cúaılgne, and ‘Congal‘ on the Cath Mhaıgh Rátha. (Ian Adamson later (in 1980) published Ferguson’s Congal as The Battle Of Moira, which featured a cover by Jim Fitzpatrick – see the end of the Visual History page on Fitzpatrick).
Words from Ferguson’s poem ‘Conary‘ (one of the Lays Of The Red Branch) are included at the base of the Dalaradia Window, a free-standing piece of stained glass in the Linen Hall Library (web): “Robed in red mantles and with caps of red/No swords had they, nor bore they spear or shield/But each man on his knee a bagpipe held.”
The image above shows the bó at the centre of the Táın, Donn Cúaılgne (the brown bull of Cooley), at the centre of Window, which is shown complete below; the other elements of the Window are detailed in this Dalaradia publication (pdf). A painted version of the Window can be seen in Kragfargus Cultural Corner.
Two murals have been added to the exterior of Felons’ Club in Andersonstown to show support for Palestine. Above, on the Lake Glen side of the club, a printed board reading “We stand with Palestine – seas leis an Phalaıstín” and including an Emmalene Blake image (ig) on the right (shown in close-up, below) journalist Alatrash Samia and her niece Masa (as photographed by Mahmoud Bassam); further below, a “Stop the genocide in Gaza” tarp above the entrance.
Also included are images of several memorial plaques from the courtyard, to James Smyth, Anraí (Harry) Osborne, and Seosamh Ó Conghaıle (Joseph Connolly); the Roger Casement plaque is on the Kieran Doherty mural in Slemish Way. “County Antrim Memorial: Tógaḋ an leaċt seo mar ċoṁarṫa urraıme, grá agus dílse do na saıġdıúırí uaısle as Contae Aontroma, a martraíoḋ ar son Ṗoblaċt Na hÉıreann. Ṡeas gaċ glúın díoḃ sa ḃearna ḃaoıl, ag troıd go cróga ċun aontaċt agus saoırse a ṫaḃaırt ar aıs do náısıún na nGael. Go spreaga an leaċt cuımhne seo na daoıne feasta ıonas go leana sıad lorg na laoċra dtí go mbéarfar bua uasal na saoırse ar ball. Erected by the Belfast Committee of the National Graves Association with generous co-operation from sub-committees in America and Dublin.”
For a similar style of floral arrangement, see Do You Believe?
Extramural Activity 