Muraling gets meta, just off the Cliftonville Road. A mural is such a familiar mode of expression in Belfast that one is expected on every wall, and even more so in the post-Agreement years when the state enters as a third source of murals. The pixelated hourglass and font of the text hearken back to computers of the 1990s.
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Here are eight images of the long (very long!) mural on the wall between Divis and the motorway, with scenes of life in Divis from yesteryear: kids swinging on lampposts, people praying in St Peter’s, women having a pint in the pub. Also notable is the hut made out of SDLP electoral signs. For a larger (in progress) set, see C01256.
[Partial ordering From left to right: shop + drinking + van | 3 women (above) + Belfast Celtic + boxer | pub house + 3 girls washing feet | trike + lamppost swing | praying | …]
[… | paperboy + pair on bike + communion pair | boy with ball + solo older man | 3 women in pub + street | …]
[… | man in profile + youths]
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00447 [=X13987] [X00443] [X13984] [X13985] [X13997]
X13964 [X13990] [X13998] [X13962] [X13964] [X13965]
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X13974 [X00444] [X13957] [X13970] [X13976] [X13995]
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X13975 [X13963] [X13986]
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A new Fáılte Feırste Thıar mural is being painted below Divis tower that will serve as a transition from the city centre to (CNR) west Belfast.
Below, an even earlier shot of the work in progress from 2011-05-27.
For the completed mural, see the entry at Peter Moloney Collection – Murals.
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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In 1992, the Forest Of Belfast project was started, a public-private to preserve old trees and encourage tree-planting. Above is one of the murals painted to publicise the effort, on Hillman Street at the Antrim Road. (Another was painted on the Falls Road.)
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00431
“Over us all is the self same sky”. “A hands across the divide production, 2011”. A heart filled with swallows and a ribbon with the names of the various participants.
Crumlin Road at the Ardoyne shops, north Belfast.
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The upper end of Conway Street and Conway Mill itself were redeveloped from 2008 to 2012. In 2011, the year these pictures were taken, a piece of the old mural remained. (The part in the second image was the last to go.) For another piece of the mural, see Mill Committee.
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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A large flag of Palestine is painted at the top of the Mountpottinger Road wall in CNR east Belfast.
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“Understand the past – and build a better future, le cheıle, “Catholic, Protestant, and Dissenter” – Wolfe Tone”. The past that is to be understood is the 40th anniversary of the Battle Of St Matthew’s (“Cath Naomh Máıtıú” in the “4” on the left) which took place in June 1970. Two Protestants and a Catholic died; the battle was a founding moment in the history of the Provisional IRA (“Óglaıgh na hÉıreann” in the “0”) (WP). St Matthew’s church is depicted on the right.
In the centre is a Tricolour with a modified version of the ‘raised arms’ illustration of ‘everyone has their part to play’ (e.g. Emancipation Of Women has a paintbrush, hammer, and book in addition to a rifle; one in Derry has paintbrush, spanner, coloured pencils (at the end of a shorter arm), rifle, book, and placard – see The Destructive Talents Of The RUC). Here we have a dove – perhaps in place of the rifle – pencil, and spanner.
For information about the 2010 launch, see Glór Mhıc Aırt.
Mountpottinger Road, east Belfast.
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“Dublin, Belfast, Cork And Donegal” was a Sınn Féın media slogan in 2011, borrowing a line from (the song) On The One Road (here’s a Wolfe Tones rendition) and touting the fact that its candidates stand for election in both the Republic and Northern Ireland.
Mountpottinger Road, Short Strand, east Belfast.
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Sınn Féın candidate and Short Strand local Nıall Ó Donnghaıle was elected to Belfast City Council in the 2011 elections and served as Belfast’s youngest Lord Mayor (aged 25) from 2011 to 2012.
Mountpottinger Road, Short Strand, east Belfast.
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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Extramural Activity 