In 2009-2010-2011 the giant rock in Tír Na nÓg (Springhill Park) bore a celtic spiral pattern – see the final image, below. As these images show, it has now been repurposed as a memorial site to two local children.
This is, we believe, the first appearance of TikTok on the site.
Two more from the so-called “White Rose” (see previously: Where Your Fear Begins). To repeat, this is not the anti-Nazi White Rose but a modern-day group of activists fighting the “scamdemic”. Above, the news is fed to us; below, mice refuse a Covid vaccine (because it hasn’t been test on another species?)
“Did you know? The Shankill has over 80 waste sites the size of 62 football pitches with the space to build 3300 homes. #BuildShankill.” Members of the team, as well as representatives from the Housing Executive and the NI Executive, took a bus tour of the sites in June (Alternatives youtube channel).
Housing is also a concern in other areas of Belfast – for CNR west Belfast, see (e.g.) Is This Our City? | in north Belfast see (e.g.) Equality Can’t Wait.
The Community Rescue Service (web | Fb | tw) respond to calls about missing persons on both land and water. They were involved in the search for Noah Donohoe and in distributing PPE during the pandemic.
The old shop-window sign of the Irish experience in England “No blacks, no Irish, [no dogs]” is repurposed and reclaimed positively by the RNU in the Colin area, with the rainbow flag, Irish tricolour, and Nelson Mandela (alongside James Connolly) below the skyline of Belfast. For the original, see previously Oppose Racism | No Dogs, No POWs
Protesters from Donegal were (again) in Dublin on Friday (Journal.ie), pressing their claims for “100% redress – no less” for the cost of repairing houses that were built from faulty concrete blocks that are now cracked and crumbling because of an excessive amount of mica (17% as opposed to the prescribed limit of 1%). Leinster home-owners experiencing similar problems with pyrite were awarded 100% redress but the current scheme for the 5,000+ mica-affected homes in Donegal and Mayo offers only 90% of the cost of repairs (Irish Times) – hence the slogan “parity with pyrite”. Some homes, in Mayo, are currently affected by pyrite (Irish Times).
The stickers shown here are asking for support from Dublin residents. (Previously: support on Free Derry Corner.) They were presumably mounted by Paddy Diver, who is driving traffic to the Mica Action Group.
“‘Here’s to better times ahead and saying goodbye to bombs and bullets once and for all’ – Lyra McKee 31st March 1990-18th April 2019”. Journalist Lyra McKee died on April 18th, 2019 while observing a riot in Creggan, Derry. Standing near a PSNI Land Rover, she was struck by a bullet fired towards police by a ‘New IRA’ gunman who has not been apprehended (WP). For the second anniversary of Lyra’s death the ‘Justice 4 Lyra’ campaign (web) has placed these hoardings all around the city; the three shown here are in Glendermott Road, Quayside, and William Street.
Two posters from Unite: “My rent payments aren’t getting cut – why are my wages?” “Hospitality workers demand respect”. The pandemic’s economic impact is felt most acutely among those in high-contact (and non-frontline) occupations, such as clubs and pubs.
“Stop prosecuting Northern Ireland’s veterans to appease terrorists.” Danny Kinahan, former UUP politician and captain in the Blues & Royals, was appointed Veterans’ Commissioner For Northern Ireland by the SoS in August last year (2020). He described his first task as building a database of veterans and alerting each one to the services available (News Letter | BBC | Irish Times) but the position immediately puts him at the centre of the debate over “legacy” issues and a focal point of interest groups such as Veterans & Supporters United (Fb | tw) who are responsible for the banner above. In October Kinahan was quoted as saying that the system is “very lopsided” against veterans (BelTel).
Extramural Activity 