This Wee Nuls piece is a commercial piece for Rapyd (tw). The tattoos on the bodies represent local independent businesses Seedhead Arts, Fresh Garbage, the Sunflower bar, PaperxClips, and Bullhouse East.
The middle image shows Wee Nuls being interviewed for a Rapyd short.
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Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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A gallery of faces from KVLR (ig) in Exchange Place, perhaps on their way to Belfast’s first maternity hospital, the Humane Female Society For The Relief Of Lying-In Women (Clifton House). “The Entries are passageways for the comings and goings of rich and poor, sugar and coal, horses and handcarts, porter and print, secrets and songs. Openings and entrances over the centuries. A labyrinth of muck-made Belfast brick at the mouth of the Farset.”
The in-progress shots are from June.
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“Foremost in my tortured mind is the thought that there can never be peace in Ireland until the foreign, oppressive British presence is removed, leaving all the Irish people as a unit to control their own affairs and determine their own destinies as a sovereign people, free in mind and body, separate and distinct physically, culturally and economically.” The quote is from day one of Bobby Sands’s hunger strike diary (March 1st, 1981) and the photograph is a 2007 image of a cell in the H-4 (Irish Times).
“Maghaberry – Portlaoise – Hydebank. Republican prisoners still exist!” IRPWA (web) board on Divis St, Belfast, replacing the Sands & Hughes mural – see Caırde Agus Comrádaıthe.
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A rally against the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy And Reconciliation) Bill takes place later today, congregating at City Hall after marching from three locations around the city (the McGurks Bar memorial in north Belfast), Divis tower in west Belfast, and Cromac Square near the Markets. The Bill passed the House Of Commons in July despite criticism from all sides, including the DUP, Alliance, and the SDLP – Colm Eastwood called it “shameful” and a “whitewash” (Breaking News). One criticism of the bill is that the body it would establish (the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery) must not place at risk the national security of the UK, which is taken to mean protection for UK government officials (Irish Central). It is also thought not to be compliant with the Human Rights Act (ITV
| BelTel).
The rally is organised by the Time For Truth campaign (web).
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These are new IRSP (web) boards along the Falls Road, opposite the leisure centre and below the IRA memorial garden, highlighting two of the organisation’s most pressing concerns: the PSNI and housing.
“The deadly web of corruption: Funding Scams, Sectarianism, MI5 Special Branch, Internment by Remand, Diplock Non-Jury Courts, Political Policing, Public Interest Immunity Certificates, Collusion/Coverups”,” “Defund – disarm – disband”
“Drop the rents – west Belfast demands affordable housing and an end to landlord exploitation.”
“96% of Divis residents do no support the PSNI” was seen previously and “Divis ’81” replaces the 40th anniversary hunger strike board, also seen previously – see For A Socialist Republic.
August 2021 graffiti reserving the spots:
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It’s A Knockout ran from 1966 to 1982 and entertained millions both live and on television, with teams from neighbouring towns playing ridiculous games in over-sized foam-rubber suits (plus jaunty theme music by Herb Alpert). It was based on a French show that was based on an Italian show, and so broad was its appeal that Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Great Britain (and, once, a team from “Northern Ireland”) – took part in an international version, called Jeux Sans Frontières. (Here’s a ‘best of’ compilation.)
The Conservative party leadership election ran for 54 days, with a series of debates and twelve hustings involving candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak (here are summaries of all twelve hustings, including the one in Belfast), ending mercifully on September 5th with party members electing Truss. In Ciaran Gallagher’s (web) repainted mural (see previously, And In The Blue Corner …) Jacob Rees-Mogg declares Truss – in the Union Flag top and England shorts – the winner while Boris Johnson (still nominally the Prime Minister but who took two holidays, to Slovenia and Greece (HuffPo)) counts out the bloody-nosed Sunak, skipping over the No 10.
In the middle of the mural, Larry (the cat) wants to “Bring back Julian Smith!” Smith was NI Secretary 2019-2020. The task has (eventually) fallen to Euro-skeptic Chris Heaton-Harris, Conservative MP for Daventry (web). He replaces Shailesh Vara, who lasted 62 days, the shortest-lasting NI Secretary ever (BBC).
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“We can’t afford … heating … electricity … a home.” “Costs are rising and so must we!” “Cost of living crisis? You mean capitalism.” Lasaır Dhearg (web) seizes the means of propaganda to push for socialism as an alternative to capitalism’s current difficulties.
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Pat Sheehan had been on hunger strike for 55 days when the strike was ended on October 3rd, 1981. He became MLA for Belfast West in 2010. He was the main speaker at the 41st anniversary commemoration in Belfast this past Sunday (video). The boards shown here are in Pim Street, north Belfast, the former Andersonstown RUC station in west Belfast, lower Falls Road, west Belfast.
“Comóradh Náısıúnta in ómós na staılceoırí ocrais. Béal Feırste 21 Lúnasa, 2:00 i.n. Aoıchaınteoır: Pat Sheehan. Páırc Dunvılle a fhad le hUaıgheannaí na Poblachta, Reılıg Bhaile an Mhuıleann. (Ag cruınnıú ag 1:30 ı.n., ag fágáıl ar bhuıle 2:00 i.n.”
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Prokick kickboxing (web) has moved from Dundela to Connswater, a bit closer to town; the new digs will be formally opened on September 12th, the anniversary of founder Billy Murray’s first world championship (Sunday World). The mural in honour of Murray (in Dundela) was designed by Stephen Hackett and painted by Glen Molloy (ig).
https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/east-belfast-murals-aim-promote-21068122
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Here is a final selection of pieces from HTN2022, with work by Kitsune (ig) in Queen St (official title When You Weren’t Looking), Andy Council (ig) in Patterson’s Place, Asbestos (ig), Iota (ig) (who also did a piece in Larne – Shaped By Sea And Stone) and KMG (ig) in North St/Union St, and Sophie Mess (ig) in Linenhall St (official title “Shaping Ideas” (Linen Quarter BID)).
For the other HTN 2022 pieces see:
Union St 
Love, Loss, And Beyond
Union St (e) A Burning World
Kent St Vagabonds Of The Western World | Red Heads
Kent St (e) Evoke
Kent St (n) The Children Of Gear
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Extramural Activity 