“An staılc ocraıs 1981 hunger strike – 35th anniversary march – Sunday 14th August – Assemble Divis tower 2pm”. With portraits of the deceased 1981 hunger strikers; Frank Stagg and Michael Gaughan are included even though they died in the 1970s.
In the myths of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the Fıan Oısín falls in love with Nıamh from the Land Of Youth, but after three years — which is 300 human years — he yearns to return to Ireland. She gives him a magic horse that will preserve his youth while he remains on it. But he falls from it and dies of old age.
“Cú Chulaınn” is Irish for “Culann’s Hound” after the boy Setanta killed the smith’s hound and promised to take its place until another one was raised. In one version of the legend, Setanta kills the original hound by driving a slıotar (hurley ball) down its throat – hence the hero is shown here holding a camán (hurley stick) rather than a sword. In the original picture on which this mural is based, the hero is not Cú Chulaınn but Jim Fitzpatrick’s vision of Nuada Silverarm and he carries a sword.
On the right hand side, Tuan the hawk/eagle/sea-raven bears witness to all of Irish history.
These images all come from Stanley’s Walk, along with eastern side of Celtic Park, which is home to Derry GAA games and has a capacity of 18,000 spectators.
Above is a pro-Gaelic (Irish-language) mural on the Whiterock Road, with signs in Irish being held by young people protesting cuts to social services (on the left) and (on the right) a short poem: “Tá Fraıncıs ag na Francaıgh/Tá Gréıgıs ann sa Ghréıg/Tá Iodáıl[ı]s ag na hIodálaıgh/Bíodh Gaeılge ag na Gaeıl.” That is: the French have French, the Greeks Greek, the Italians Italian; let there be Irish for the Irish.
The mural has been in this (unfinished?) state since October, 2015. Loading? The third line in fact has initial “L”s rather than “I”, which suggests — if a fada is added over the “o”s and the final “s” removed from “Lodáıls” — “the loaders have loading”
“Realising the Republic”. This is the first of three new murals side-by-side in Andersonstown. It celebrates the centenary (“Céad Blıaın 1916 – 2016”) of the Easter Rising and shows a copy of the proclamation of the republic and an Easter lily.
Some residents of Ballymuprhy Drive have erected their own Irish-language street sign. The council has not erected one because a substantial number of residents did not respond to a survey. The primary resident behind the move, Eileen Reid, contends that the 2/3rds is unreasonable. (Irish Times | Belfast Live | Irish News)
Students from Coláıste Feırste took part in a Forbaırt Feırste (Fb) “pop-up art” project, designing plastic wrap for the installation of blocks at the old entrance to Beechmount leisure centre (see the wide shot immediately below). Taking its lead from a Ciarán Carson poem, the design features “a million wind-blown buttercups”, as well as the front page of Edward O’Reilly’s English-Irish dictionary (image #4, below). The piece was officially opened by Caral Ní Chuılín during Féıle An Phobaıl. Press release from NI Executive. Sponsored by the Arts Council and Feırste Thıar.