For Those About To March

Here are two details of a large board on the Shankill celebrating the Queen’s diamond jubilee. Still no firm rules for the main Covenant march this coming Saturday … (BBC | Slugger)

For the whole thing, see the Peter Moloney Collection.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00619 X00624 Belfast, Shankill Road the heart of the empire salutes her majesty on 60 glorious years, dirige deus gressus meos, may god guide my steps, je maintiendrai, to commemorate her majesty the queen’s diamond jubilee, elizabeth r, ERII, 1952 2012

We Perish If We Yield

Northern Ireland is anticipating the centenary of the 1912 Ulster Covenant (WP | Slugger) next weekend (September 29th). The board above marks the occasion, featuring, in the middle third, a reproduction of a famous photograph of Edward Carson making the first signature. The full text of the Covenant is included in a mural on Thorndyke St.

This board is on N Howard St, facing the ‘Lest We Forget’ mural (and in summer 2012, the Families Against Supergrass Trials banner) on Spier’s Place. There was a similar board, celebrating the covenant, across the street in the previous decade. This new board takes the place of Rita Duffy’s photography-based piece for International Women’s Day, which has moved to the Cupar Way “peace” line.

The plaque (below) was added after the main picture was taken (perhaps at the same time as a sequence of plaques – see Say It With Guinness): “This mural was dedicated by Alderman Hugh Smyth OBE on Friday the 21st September 2012 to commemorate the centenary of the signing of Ulster’s Solemn League and Covenant”.

X05200 2012 Covenant Hugh Smyth info+

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00622 X05200 100 years of solemn league and covenant, edward carson, saturday 28th september 1912, we will not have home rule, the lions of ulster, 2012

For God And Ulster, For King And Country

A board to slain UVF members John Hanna (died 1991-09-10), Stevie McCrea (1989-02-18) and Sammy Mehaffy (1991-11-13), with poppies and image from WWI, and a shrine below also commemorating the service of the 36th Ulster Division in WWI. Frenchpark Street, Village area, south Belfast.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00608 sammy mehaffy 1972-1991, john hanna 1971-1991, stevie mccrea 1952-1989, remembering our brother’s lost lives and the human cost of conflict, the legacy of lost hopes and dreams. we come not to mourn but to praise their memory. we keep the memory of the brave, the faithful and the few, some lie far off beyond the waves, some sleep in ulster too. all are gone but still live on the names of those who died and true men like you, remember them with pride, 36th ulster division, for they shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old, age shall not weary them nor the years condemn, at the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them,

Free The Shankill Six

Graffiti in lower Shankill: “Free the Lower Shankill Six!! Send our prisoners home.”

According to this blog post, this is not political, but refers instead to six fellas done for stealing pallets. (Which perhaps means we can safely enjoy the old joke about the journalist asking the politician, “And what do you think about the Renault 5?”. To which the politician replied, “I think they should be released immediately.”)

To the right is a C-18 swastika.

Previously the “Play” mural and before that the “Can it change? We believe!” mural.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00599 enda C-18 ?? swastika

Always British

Cluan Place is a single street in east Belfast separated from (nationalist) Short Strand by a “peace” line. For a history of Cluan Place, see Out Of The Ashes. “5 people shot – houses burnt – houses bombed. 20 families intimidated out by Sinn Fein/IRA. Still loyalist. No surrender.”

The mural – to make the point that Northern Ireland is British – features an unusual combination of Union Flag and Ulster Banner.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Her Majesty’s Forces In Afghanistan

This is a recent mural to British forces in Linn Road, Larne. The larger piece of writing on the board above reads, “We wish to pay tribute to the young men and women from this area, who are currently serving or have served with Her Majesty’s Forces in Afghanistan and to those from Northern Ireland who have paid the Surpreme Sacrifice. Lest we forget”.

The smaller one has part of the Ode of Remembrance from Laurence Binyon’s poem For The Fallen: “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old, Age shall not weary them, Nor the years condemn, At the going down of the sun, And in the morning, We will Remember them.”

Replaces the Oliver Cromwell mural on Linn Road, Larne.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Civil And Religious Liberty For All

The ‘Civil and religious liberty for all’ mural in Cambrai street was ‘in progress’ for a long time. These images are from October 20th (first two) and November 7th (last two), 2011. The mural, showing parades, bonfires, and Northern Ireland football, would eventually be completed in 2012 – see M08228.

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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
[X00479] X05159 X05160 X05161 X05162

HM Queen Elizabeth II

“HM Queen Elizabeth II 1952-2012”. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor acceded to the throne of the United Kingdom in 1952 (she was crowned in 1953). 2002 was her golden jubilee year. She is surrounded by the flags of the four constituents of the UK: Northern Ireland, Wales, England, Scotland.

There was previously a “scroll” below the portrait reading “This mural was commissioned by 1st batt A coy South East Antrim UDA UFF UYM.” This has been painted over in black but the UFF and UDA emblems remain.

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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Loyalist Randalstown

“This plaque was presented by the officers and members of the Randalstown Sons Of Ulster flute band on Saturday 17th April 1999 in memory of all the loyalist people of Ulster who have suffered at the hands of the enemies of our land.” All of the plaque, the arch, the ground painting, and the 36th Division board are sponsored by the Randalstown Sons Of Ulster flute band (tw). Neilsbrook Road, Neilsbrook Park, and Blackthorn Way, Randalstown. For more images from the estate, see Loyalist Neilsbrook.

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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X05138 X05137 X00515 [X05139] X00518 X05140 X05142 X05141

Ballybeen UFF

The emblem of the UFF is flanked by Ulster Banner and Union Flag.

Strone Park, Ballybeen.

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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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