The German Luftwaffe blitzed Belfast on four occasions in April and May of 1941, targeting especially the industrial yards of east Belfast, including H&W shipbuilding and Short Brothers. Nearby streets were hit in the attacks (see Belfast Blitz), and some suffered very heavy damage, including Thistle, Tower, and Westbourne streets. This new memorial (City Council planning application) is in the grounds of Westbourne Presbyterian church, which was built in 1877 (Stone Database), was hit during the war, but survived.
“Over 20,000 children killed. That’s more than one child killed every hour. And 42,000 injured by the Israeli murder machine. Their revenge will be the laughter of their children. Andersonstown stands with Palestine. We are all Palestinians.” The figures perhaps come from a Save The Children report from September, 2025.
Christopher “Crip” McWilliams has been added this new version of the INLA memorial on Northumberland Street (Visual History). McWilliams was a long-time member of the IPLO and was present at the Lenadoon shout-out with the RUC in Lenadoon in which Bonanza McCann died. He joined the INLA while in prison for the 1991 killing of a snooker-hall manager (Independent) and in 1987 was the gunman in a team of three that killed the LVF’s Billy Wright in the H-Blocks (IRSN | Cory Report (pdf) | MacLean Report (pdf)).
The info board in the final image was originally mounted in 2014 to accompany the version painted on a board which featured Loughran, McLarnon, McCann, and Gallagher, and updated in 2019 for the printed version which added McElkerney.
Anto “The Apache” Cacace was pictured with two belts – IBF and IBO – in the 2024 mural celebrating his accomplishments. Since then, he has given up the IBF title, defended the IBO title – see The Ringmaster – and added the WBA title by defeating Jazza Dickens in March, 2026.
“The Shamrock supports Kneecap”. At the time this mural was originally painted, in June 2025, Kneecap member Mo Chara (Lıam Óg Ó hAnnaıdh) was facing charges of displaying a flag of a proscribed organisation (Hezbollah). That charge was thrown out on technical grounds and the appeal against that motion was denied in March (BBC).
The Scottish flags are flying over the Shamrock in support of the World Cup soccer team. Scotland is in Group C with Haiti, Morocco, and Brazil.
Cliftonville striker Joe Gormley has been honoured with a new mural in his native Ardoyne. He is Cliftonville’s all-time leading goal-scorer, with more than 300 goals. He has recently signed for the forthcoming (2026-2027) season, which he says will be his last (BBC).
Velsheda Court, Ardoyne/Glenard, north Belfast. There was previously a board to Joe The Goal in Berwick Road.
“Echoes of the Ulster-Scots across the United States Of America”, “The Ulster-Scots … their footprints and songs graced the Appalachian Trails”, “We don’t just inherit, we lead across time and space.”
This is a new Ulster-Scots (Visual History) mural on Ulster-Scots (or, Scotch-Irish) emigration in the 1700s to the British colonies that in time became the United States, painted in North Howard Street and Fifth Street.
Upon arrival at eastern sea-ports, many of the Scotch-Irish headed west across the Allegheny mountains and down into the Appalachians. By 1790, it is estimated, almost 200,000 people, or 6% of the population, of the recently-created United States Of America were of Ulster-Scots heritage (WP).
The remaining panels bring us from the founding of the United States in 1776 to the space age. The portrait is a rendition of John Trumbull’s painting ‘Declaration Of Independence’ (image at WP) along with (below the “250”) the signature of “Cha[rles] Thomson”, who was born in Maghera, served as Secretary of the Continental Congress, designed the Great Seal Of The United States (which appears next to the right), and signed the Declaration (Ulster Scots Agency pdf). The person third from the left is Robert R. Livingston, one of the Committee Of Five that prepared the Declaration; he also negotiated the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 (Discover Ulster Scots).
The flag is a combination of a proposed Ulster Scots flag and the Stars And Stripes of the United States.
“In memory of the lost, 15 April, 1912.” The majority lifeboats on the RMS (not “SS”) Titanic were made of wood, constructed at Harland & Wolff at the same time that Titanic was built. Of the 2,209 people on board the ship at the time of her collision with an iceberg late in the evening of April 14th, 706 people survived in lifeboats that could have carried 1,178 people. (WP)
This tribute to those who died in on a short section of pedestrian railings on the Cupar Way “peace” line (Visual History). In the background are the specially designated spots for tourists to sign the wall (see Collecting Signatures in the Paddy Duffy Collection).
These are images of a tribute wall to eleven year-old Mason Keilhauer, who died after being struck by a car on the evening of March 7th (BBC | News Letter). In addition to the large piece of graffiti, photographs and several Rangers shirts have also been pinned to the constuction hoarding, which also bears the signatures of many friends and neighbours.
Shankill Road, west Belfast, near the spot where the collision occurred, between Dover and North Boundary streets.
Extramural Activity 