City/Town

Death Behind The Mask

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In Eddie The Trooper murals, the reaper typically follows behind to collect the bodies. But lately he has been stepping into the limelight by himself, accompanied by a poem of terror (similar to the poem in The Reaper Come To Call): “The Provo’s fear the reaper/From the UFF he comes/The loyalist executioner/He brings death with his gun/He strikes when no one expects him to/From behind his hood cold eyes/The reaper brings stiff justice/As another Provo dies/He brought revenge for Teebane/In the Ormeau bookies five/And for the Shankill bombing/Greysteel was his reply/Sometimes his lust is chilling/As he goes about his task/The Provo’s fear the reaper/There’s death behind the mask”

The same poem appears on a fence board in Craigyhill, Larne.

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We Can’t Afford

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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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Ulster Democratic Party

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The mural above commemorates the 30th anniversary of the death of Gary ‘Lofty’ Lynch on August 9th, 1991. Lynch was an election worker for the Ulster Democratic Party, whose Ken Kerr held a seat on Derry City Council from 1989 to 1993, representing the Waterside (WP). Lynch was shot and killed by the IRA outside Foyle Meats where he worked, only a few months after UDA commander and UDP party leader Cecil McKnight was killed (UPI).

The UDP was founded as the UDLP (“L” for “loyalist’) in 1981 and was dissolved in 2001 when the UDA rejected the Belfast Agreement (Guardian | Irish Times). It proposed an independent Northern Ireland within the Commonwealth and Europe.

McKnight is shown (below) in front of an old Londonderry coat-of-arms mural in Bond’s Place. See also: the UDA memorial mural in Lincoln Court.

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RIP GFA

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The Belfast Agreement/Good Friday Agreement is dead, apparently. Perhaps it was killed by the Irish Sea border, or political policing.

Ballyree Drive, Bangor

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IRA Army Council Demands

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“The Parachute Regiment betrayed by the government to satisfy IRA Army Council demands.” The charges of murder and attempted murder against Soldier F were originally lodged (CNN) and pursued in 2019 (Guardian) but in 2021 the PPS decided to drop the charges. Five months ago that decision was quashed (BelTel | Guardian). The charges against Soldier F concerned two specific victims, William McKinney and James Wray, though witness testimony involves F in at least four of the deaths (Irish Central | Village). In response to the original charges, the Movilla UDA added the framed tarp shown here to their ‘hooded gunmen’ board in Georges Street, Newtownards.

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Hello Future

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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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Home Of Champions

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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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Is Ceıst Deacaır É Sın

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Edward Daly is most famous for waving a white handkerchief on Bloody Sunday, as a dying Jackie Duddy was carried away, but his devotion to the city of Derry spans decades: was a curate and then bishop in Derry from 1962 until 1993 (WP). ‘That’s a difficult question’ was his favourite saying (Derry Journal). The stone was erected after his death in 2016 (see The People’s Priest) and has now been incorporated into a garden of reflection.

“This garden of reflection has been dedicated in honour of the late Bishop of Derry (Emeritus) Dr Edward Daly in heartfelt gratitude and thanksgiving for the wonderful work for the people of Derry and beyond. Rest in peace. ‘To love means loving the unlovable; to forgive means forgiving the unforgivable; faith means believing the unbelievable; hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.’ Is ceıst deacaır é sın [that is a difficult question]” “Opened by the Most Reverend Jude Thaddeus Okolo, papal nuncio to Ireland, on 5th February 2018. Also John Hume, Ivan Cooper, Vinny Coyle, Chief Stewart [sic] of Civil Rights march and all those who campaigned for Civil Rights.”

For the mural, see Civil Rights.

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Meetinghouse Of Styles

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Here is a complete set, from bottom to top, of the street art produced during last (2021) October’s jam in Meetinghouse Lane, Newtownards (though the Glen Molloy pre-dates the jam. Work by Annatomix (ig) (the squirrel’s name is Derek), Friz (ig), NRMN (Gerry Norman ig), RAZER (Fb) & NOYS (ig), Rob Hilken (ig), FGB (ig), KVLR (ig), Irony (ig), ?kairos?, Carla Hodgson (ig), Danni Simpson (ig), Matthew Knight (ig), Zippy (ig), Mr Fenz (ig), Kerri Hanna (ig), Emic (ig), Laura Nelson/Szu Szu (ig), Alana McDowell (ig), Glen Molloy (ig).

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Girls Of Great Britain And Ireland

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This mural in Kilcooley estate, Bangor, celebrates Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee, 70 years from 1952-2022. The portrait seems to be a flipped, horizontally-stretched, and colourised version of the first official portrait, taken on February 26th, 1952, with Elizabeth wearing the ‘Queen Mary’s Girls Of Great Britain and Ireland’ tiara (Crown Chronicles).

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X11143 Owenroe Dr