Belfast

Chuckle Babies/No Walls

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The story of the lead image is told in the images below. First, Paul Doran and Mark Ervine paint a mural of two “Chuckle Babies” (images 2 and 3 – see also Mark’s baby for Hit The East) between Imagine and the Frederick Douglass mural with its recently Xed out Aung San Suu Kyi and obscured by the recently-painted lower gates of the war wall (a.k.a “peace” line) on Northumberland Street (image 4).

Secondly, the mural is covered in French posters from the 1970s – which visitors were encouraged to sign and leave messages on – as “Act 1” of the No Walls project involving KRM (Cherif and Geza, a couple from France and Germany), Paul Doran, and Londoner John Costi, and which also included an exhibition in the Titanic museum (pdf of the full project).

Some of the posters and writing were ripped off (to be used in Act 2) on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 (video at the Irish News) to reveal again the babies (final image).

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A Taste Of Tradition

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The Whiterock Flute Band was founded in 1962 by the the local Temperance Lodge and drew on areas near the now nationalist areas of New Barnsley, Moyard, Whiterock, and the upper Springfield for its membership. Over the years has seen the route of its annual parade changed “by the authorities or at the whim of nationalists” (band history pages one | two | three).

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Curiosity

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This “Nosey Cat” was painted by David Creative (David McClelland Fb | web | tw)  for Culture Night Belfast/Hit The North 2017.

Previously by David for CNB: Better Than Ice Cream (2016) | Nan With The Pearl Earring (2015) | No Laffin Matter (Stay Puft Marshmallow Man) (2014)

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Courage Is The Foundation Of Integrity

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“With courage and vision you will dare to take risks, have the strength to be compassionate, and the wisdom to be humble. Courage is the foundation of integrity. – Mark Twain.” (The quote does not appear to be from Twain but is widely attributed to Keshavan Nair, who wrote a book on “lessons from the life of Ghandi”.)

This new board above the Red Hand Commando mural in Glenwood Street honours three UVF men who turned to politics and community work: Augustus (Gusty) Spence, who was among the earliest members of the UVF and after release in 1984 joined the PUP and set up the Shankill Activity Centre; David Ervine, also a UVF and PUP leader – see David Ervine and Memory Chair; Plum Smith, a founder member of the RHC and later shop steward and PUP leader – see RIP Plum Smith.

Click here for the full RHC mural.

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Beastie Boys

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Ad-Rock, Mike D, and MCA, the trio who made up US rap group the Beastie Boys until MCA’s (Adam Yauch’s) 2012 death. Street art by Glen Molloy (Fb) for CNB17/HTN17. Much more from Glen Molloy.

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Rot In Hell, Martin

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IRA volunteer and Sınn Féın politician Martin McGuinness died in March 2017 from amyloidosis (Guardian obituary). See also: Your A Scumbag, Martin McGuinness and The Bogside Butcher.

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Keyboard Wizard

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After a break in 2016, Dublin-based South African Marca Mix (web) was back in Belfast for Culture Night/Hit The North. Previously: 2015 | 2014

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Díchoılínıgh D’Intınn

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“Decolonise your mind” and “Give a yell!” (or “Let’s go!) (in Irish “Lıg do Lıú”) on the Falls Road at Waterford Street, west Belfast.

Update: Below, the graffiti in 2018 (with “Brısfıdh mé do phus!” and “Múscaıl do mhısneach”) on top of The Plan For Today

Previous decolonisation: Rebels’ Unrest.

X06201 2018-10-07 Brisfidh Mé+

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Reflection

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Dublin-based street artist Le Bas (Web | Insta) was in Belfast for CNB17/HTN17.

See also the previous work by Le Bas for CNB15 and CNB16.

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Everyone’s Friend

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South Belfast UDA commander Robert Dougan killed by the IRA on February 10th, 1998 while sitting in a car outside Balmoral Textiles in Dunmurry, two months before the Good Friday Agreement was signed. Ed Maloney summed up the situation at the time in a Sunday Tribune article. “A gentleman till the very end, he died as he lived, he was everyone’s friend.”

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X04688 X04687 X04734 lest we forget murdered by the enemies of ulster george best 1946-2005 manchester united IFA irish football association northern ireland