Belfast

Are You Sitting Comfortably?

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JJB Sports is still closed (since 2012) and the Weatherspoons never materialised, so Leo Boyd’s (web | ig | Fb) art on the hoarding has expanded into a triptych with pieces on either side of No Signal. In June he added the piece on the right (shown below), and now on the left (shown above, with signature) is one in a series called “Are You Sitting Comfortably?” The Vault’s Christmas market is on this weekend at HQ on the Newtownards Road – tickets can be booked on Fb.

Previously by Leo on Extramural Activity.

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Unionists Protected

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“Federal Ireland – unionists protected – RSF – Éıre Nua”. The “Éıre Nua” plan of the 70s and 80s (which remains policy of Republican Sinn Féin/Sınn Féın Poblachtach (web | tw), which split from Sınn Féın in 1986) calls for four parliaments, one in each of the four provinces, with a capital in Athlone. At the time of creation, this plan would have given Ulster Protestants a slim majority; in the present day, however, only 43% of the Ulster population is Protestant (WP).

The graffiti is at the bottom of St James’s.

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For The Love Of Skulls

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Full title: “For the love of skulls what have I done” by Matthew Knight (ig) in Kent Street, Belfast, for HTN2021.

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The Professional

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Two views of Glen Molloy’s (ig | Fb) homage to the 1994 film Leon: The Professional, painted for HTN21 in Union Street, Belfast.

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We Want A Free Future

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An ad from Big Brother Watch has been playing on Clear Channel advertising displays in malls and shopping centres across the north. The billboards have been criticised by Stewart Dickson and Danny Donnelly of Alliance; Paul Givan of the DUP called the passport programme – which came into effect yesterday – “divisive and rushed” (BBC) after it was approved on the 17th (BBC). A rally was held outside City Hall on the 20th to protest the programme (Belfast Live). Hospitality interest-groups are against the passports (BelTel).

The three panels of the ad are presented here in (what is probably) the reverse of their intended order: They want a checkpoint society – We want a free future – stopvaccinepassports.co.uk.

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Chemical Warfare In Ireland

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This is the third mural (see 2014 The Maze Ablaze and 2018 The Battle Of Long Kesh) on the International Wall on Divis Street about the ‘Battle Of Long Kesh’, when republican prisoners tried to burn down the cages in protest at living conditions in the camp. CR gas had recently been developed by the British MoD at a lab in Porton Down and is alleged to have been “used against Irish POWs”.

Brady & Faul wrote an 80-page report on the conditions at the camp following the event, entitled The Flames Of Long Kesh. “Telegram to International Red Cross: ‘ … Visited Long Kesh today with others … request immediate investigation into use of “CR gas” … sub-human conditions … SOS … come immed[i]ately’ – 20 Oct 1974, Brian Brady & Fr. Denis Faul”.

The photograph which the central part of the mural reproduces is HU 70205 from the Imperial War Museum’s collection.

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About Bloody Time

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The original version of this mural by Dublin artist Wee Nuls (ig | web) was beside Transport House but it was painted over almost immediately (you can see it on Twitter). This new version, at Artcetera (formerly the Red Barn Gallery), is auto-redacted with historical commentary: “You can censor the art … but not the movement”, the movement being for “free period items” in public spaces beyond schools, spearheaded by Homeless Period Belfast. In November, 2020, Scotland became the first country in the world to offer free period products (BBC). In October of this year, Pat Catney (SDLP) in the NI Assembly introduced a ‘period poverty’ bill to expand the availability of menstrual products (BelTel); the ‘Call For Views’ period commenced on Wednesday and ends on December 18th – have your say via NIAssembly.

Wee Nuls also has another piece on this wall: Medusa. The ‘period’ mural is next to Leo Boyd’s ice-cream PSNI land-rover – which started life as Freshly Made For You! (see also Winding Up The Peelers).

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For Noah

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Four files to be presented in the inquest into the death of teenager Noah Donohoe are being assessed for redaction under the principle of ‘Public-interest immunity’ (BelTel | RN), which has added fuel to the speculation that the PSNI is “hiding Noah’s killer”. Noah would have turned 16 today, November 25th. The campaign for answers in his case continues, with a “carcade” tonight down the Antrim Road from the zoo to Carlisle Circus (NBN), and continued graffiti and stencilling, as shown here. The stone (above) is near the Ballysillan end of the Hightown Road; the graffiti is in Turf Lodge; the stencil (bottom) is in the middle Falls.

Previously: This is now our 14th post on Noah.

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The Modern Order Of Hibernians

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A Penal law of 1695 forbade the practice of Catholicism and “dissenter” forms of Protestantism –anything other than Anglicism, forcing people and priests to worship in secret. Although the precise date of the founding of the Ancient Order Of Hibernians is shrouded by the existence of various other Catholic fraternal and defensive organisations such as St Patrick’s Fraternal Society and the Ribbonmen – the AOH history page gives 1838 in Pennsylvania – the order traces its roots back to Penal times and in particular to the Defenders in 1784, which arose to protect Catholics from the (Protestant) Peep-O-Day Boys and in defiance of Penal laws forbidding Catholics to bear arms (WP). The Belfast division (58) of the AOH is in Clonard Street.

For Penal laws, see previously: An Raıbh Tú Ag An gCarraıg? in Glen Bawn | The Mass Rock in Ard Eoın | Penal Days/Laethanta Na Péındlíthe in Andersonstown

For the Belfast AOH, see previously: Stand United Or Hang Alone | The Mainspring.

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