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The North Down and East Belfast branches of the UVF come within a stone’s throw at the top end of the Bowtown (Newtownards) estate. Above and immediately below, North Down signage; below that, three of the East Belfast installation on the fence across the Movilla Road.

Both portraits on the fence are of Dennis Hutchings, the former British Army soldier who died this year while on trial for the killing of John Pat Cunningham in 1974 (BBC).

The tarp is against the ‘Irish Sea border’, in the style seen in the image at the top of this Irish Times article about checks at ports.

The “erosion of our identity” board on the right can also be seen in east Belfast.

For another pair inside the estate, see previously: Bowtown UVF, and on either side of Abbot Drive, compare Our Cause Will Always Remain The Same with North Down UVF.

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Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11291 X11292 X11293 X11295 X11294 the battles we refuse to fight today become the hardships our children must endure tomorrow The prevention of the erosion of our identity is now our priority

The Enemies Of Ulster

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Mark Quail, of the UVF, was “murdered by the enemies of Ulster” – that is, shot by the UDA – at his Rathcoole home on November 1st, 2000. His was the fourth death in four days (after David Greer, Bertie Rice, Tommy English) (Irish Times) as the UVF-UDA feud that began in the Shankill with the infamous “loyalist day of culture” in August 2000 spread to north Belfast and Newtownabbey (though the BBC says they are unrelated). There were also attacks in east Belfast (BelTel) before the feud ended in mid-December (BBC | Guardian).

See also Jackie Coulter (and Bobby Mahood) and Sam Rockett “Murdered By Cowards”.

This is a repainted mural; for the previous version see Marky Quail.

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Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11787 X11785 X11788 [X11789] [X11790] X11786 innis park 3rd belfast battalion

Shared Space

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More “turf” markings, at the entrance to the Glen estate, Newtownards; above and directly below, a North Down UVF and graffiti, while directly above it (final image) two UDA hooded gunmen take aim at the viewer on the pavement.

Also in Glen: a UVF hooded gunman at the bottom of the estate – Neighbourhood Watch – and UDA gunmen at the top of the estate – Hope That It Will Get Better.

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X11210 X11209 [X11208] X11211 glenbrook rd

Hope That It Will Get Better

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Hooded gunmen from the UYM (North Down battalion) look down over the Glen estate over a variety of other organisations’ boards: Lifeline, Samaritans, Glen Community Church, suicide awareness group, ‘Beyond The Battlefield‘ – a programme from the Veterans Foundation – and an inspirational quote: “At the end of the day, all you need is hope and strength … hope that it will get better and strength to hold on until it does.”

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X11213 X11212 Glenburn Rd tomorrow belongs to us

Fallen Not Forgotten

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What’s most unusual here is the tree cross-section (or “tree disk”) (on the left) that has been decorated with a hooded gunman and the insignia of the (east Belfast) UVF and YCV – the final image shows a close-up.

“The uniform may have changed but the cause remains the same. Ulster Volunteer Force. Fallen, not forgotten.” There is a very close variant of this wording on a mural in Bowtown (Newtownards).

For the Tom Moore mural to the side, see You’ll Never Walk Alone.

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Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11730 X11728 [X11729] X11732 X11731 tullyard way

Neighbourhood Watch

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A hooded UVF volunteer has been added to the shops at the bottom of the Glen estate in Newtownards (compare with 2018). It’s unclear (to us) who such a threatening image is directed at: the residents of the estate (in both a controlling and defending function), and/or the UDA at the top of the estate, and/or the East Belfast UVF, and/or outside observers.

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X11219 X11218 Glenard Rd

Bowtown UVF

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The “east Belfast” board shown above is on the east side of Bowtown while the two pieces of fresh “north Down” graffiti are on the west side, perhaps indicating that the tension between the two UVF factions – persists. The east Belfast faction was suspected in the bus burning in response to the Protocol in 2021 (BBC | Tele).

See previously in various Newtownards estates: Always A Little Further (Whitehill) | East East Belfast (Westwinds & Bowtown) | EB UVF (Westwinds). For the UDA factions in the Glen estate, see Ulster Defence Unions.

The phrase on the board is also used in an east Belfast mural: “We seek nothing but the elementary right implanted in every man … the right, if you are attacked, to defend yourself …”

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Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11282 X11279 X11280 Bowtown Cr

50th Anniversary

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Three months after it was initially whitewashed (mid June, 2022), the repaint of so-called “Freedom Corner” is now complete, with a new mural on each of the 11 panels that make it up. This entry is a gallery of fifteen images from the new wall. The main gables reproduce photographs of the UDA (and more specifically the East Belfast brigade) during the 1970s. The side walls celebrate the formation of the UDA/LPA/UFF/UYM in 1971-1974 and the role of women in supporting prisoners.

By Blaze FX (Fb | ig) on the Newtownards Road. Here is a small gallery of in-progress images: Waiting For The Wall. The ‘five flags’ also appear in An Act Of Betrayal.

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Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
1-2 X11567 [X11568] [X11569] [X11570] X11571 [X11572] [X11573] X11574
3 X11575 [X11576]
4-5 X11577 [X11578] X11579 [X11580] [X11581] X11314
6 [X11582] X11315
7 [X11583] X11316 X11584 [X11585]
wide right X11586 [X11592]
10-11 X11587 [X11588] [X11589] X11590 [X11591]
wide X11565 X11566
[X11407] [X11408] [X11409] [X11410]

Neighbourhood Watch

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Here is a selection of UVF boards on the fronts of houses in Whitehill (Bangor). Two flute bands are mentioned: Pride Of Whitehill (Fb) and Bangor Protestant Boys (Fb). In the final image, the date of the formation of the Ulster Volunteers is given in Roman numerals: MCMXII.

For David Gordon Dalzell, see Pride Of Whitehill. For the relationship between the East Belfast and North Down battalions, see East East Belfast and Always A Little Further.

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Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11169 X11168
X11160 X11161 X11162
X11163
X11164 [X11165] [X11166]
X11167
X11170 [X11171] [X11172]
[X11174] X11175 [X11176]
X11191

The Pride Of Whitehill

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This UVF hooded gunman board (above the Pride Of Whitehill flute band (Fb) mural) was previously a memorial to the 36th (Ulster) Division (see They Sleep Side-By-Side) but has now become part of the East Belfast battalion’s markings in Bangor (see Always A Little Further).

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Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11181 X11182 X11180 Skipperstone Rd