Belfast

McKelvey & Steele

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This tarp, above the office of Sınn Féın Poblachtach and the Happy House on the Falls Road, celebrates two previous generations of IRA leadership. Joe McKelvey was commander of the Belfast Brigade of the IRA in the War Of Independence but against the Treaty; he was executed in December, 1922, for occupying the Four Courts in June (WP). Jimmy Steele was a leader in the Belfast IRA from the 1920s to 1960s and the first editor of Republican News; he died shortly after the split (WP).

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Be My Voice

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Two cases are currently under deliberation concerning the establishment of abortion services in Northern Ireland after the vote in Westminster during the suspension of Stormont. One, heard in May, was taken by the NI Human Rights Commission in support of services (BBC), and the other, heard last week, was brought by SPUC (web) alleges that the NI Secretary lacks the authority to direct Stormont to establish services (BBC).

The pro-life stencil shown here is on the Antrim Road, below the Fortwilliam shops.

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Copyright © 2020 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
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Keys Cut While You Wait

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Here’s one from inside the modern-day Smithfield market, showing people browsing the shops in the old market, including Havelin’s key-cutting and Hall’s book shop – both have gone out of existence.

Two previous paintings: Smithfield Market

See also this street art celebrating the old market: Old Smithfield and Like A Souk In An Hibernian Casablanca

From the new market: My Old Toy Box | Their Only Colour Was Khaki

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Lost In Simulation

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If we were to guess, humans probably spend more time in simulation – imagining the past, the future, other minds, other situations, with and without the aid of books, games, TV/movies, internet – than in experience, and the pandemic has not helped at all. It’s a weird world, represented by Leo Boyd (web | ig | Fb).

Donegall Street, Belfast.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Perverting The Course Of Justice

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Here is another set of images concerned with the on-going search for answers related to the death of teenager Noah Donohoe and to the PSNI inquiry into his death. It is now 67 weeks since Noah’s death and a new Facebook page has been set up to campaign for justice, and a petition to demand the resignation of Chief Constable Simon Byrne. These images are from the upper Falls and New Lodge areas of Belfast.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Serving Their Community Through Transport

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“In memory of all taxi drivers – public and private – who were murdered by loyalists/British crown forces during the conflict serving their community through transport.” This is the side wall to a larger mural to black taxi drivers which has been in place since 2001, was repainted in 2011, and is again looking in rough shape.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Genocide In Ireland

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Photography was still in its infancy in 1850 and would not appear in newspapers until the 1880s (LoC). Instead, newspapers used illustrations to bring their stories to life. This board in Ard An Lao (Ardoyne/Bone) – “An Gorta Mór [The Great Hunger] 1845-1851 – The Great Irish Famine” – combines three of them to serve as a background for other images and information.

On the left is Family Being Evicted From Their Home In Rural Ireland.

At the centre is Searching For Potatoes In A Stubble Field from the Illustrated London News. ILN images are a staple of Belfast muraling on the Great Hunger: they were previously used in 1995 (An tOcras Mór in the New Lodge), 1999 (Ireland’s Holocaust on the Whiterock Rd), 2002 (An Gorta Mór in Ardoyne). (Here is a list, with links, of all of the illustrations of Ireland in ILN from the period 1845-1852.)

On the right is food arriving from the USA in the famine of 1879-1880.

See also The Mass Graves Of Ireland.

See also the Visual History page on the Great Hunger in muraling.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Brains, More Brains!

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“Gums and tongue” is the name of a zine by London artist The Real Dill (ig), famous for his fabulous cranial interiors. This is his piece for HTN21 in Union Street.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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A Miracle Of Deliverance

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An RAF Spitfire sees off a Luftwaffe Ju87 Stukas over the beach at Dunkirk, France, as British troops are evacuated from the Continent. The fighter plane, designed and built by Supermarine Aviation from 1928 to 1948, became iconic during the Battle Of Britain as the faster counterpart to the Hurricane (WP).

The mural, by Glen Molloy, reproduces Mark Postlethwaite’s painting, Spitfires Over Dunkirk. Oddly, the mural is on the wall of the Clarawood substation that is not visible from any of the residences.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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What We Have We Hold

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This Village board celebrates the Covenant, Ulster Volunteers, and the 36th (Ulster) Division, with photographs both vintage and contemporary.

For the photograph of Carson signing the Covenant, and an earlier mural, see Betting Office. For the photograph of the car-mounted gun, and an earlier mural recreating the photo, see UVF 75th Anniversary. For images akin to the contemporary photos, see these BelTel galleries one | two of the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Ulster Volunteers.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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