“Rangers ICF [Inter City Firm – football ultras] supports our troops, particularly those who might be accused of crimes on “Bloody Sunday 1972”. The flags are hanging outside Bar Berlin, home of the Berlin Loyal RSC (tw).
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Glasgow Celtic stickers on Divis Street, Glasgow Rangers sticker on the Shankill. We can’t really improve upon the WP entry‘s introduction: “the rivalry between [the two teams] has become deeply embedded in Scottish culture. It has reflected, and contributed to, political, social, and religious division and sectarianism in Scotland. As a result, the fixture has had an enduring appeal around the world.” – including Northern Ireland.
See previously: Ultras Celtic | Balance Enquiry
A Matter Of Life And Death | Follow, Follow | The Boys In Blue | We Are The People
Also Gegen Rechts
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“By night and by day, I ever, ever pray/While lonely my life flows on/To see our flag unfurled/And my true love [to] enfold/In the valley of Slievenamon.” The lyrics are the final lines of The Valley Of Slievenamon, written by Charles J Kickham “fenian, IRB, poet, novelist, author” and much loved in Tipperary. The heroic hurler, however, is Cú Chulainn (rather than the midlands’ Fıonn Mac Cumhaıll). Ardoyne Gaelic games club Cıceam Ard Eoın (tw | Fb) was founded in 1907, 25 years after Kickham’s death.
See previously: (2008) Ard Eoın Kickhams | (2015) The Heart Of Our Community one | two. Also Stronger Together.
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Still in the window of Harland House (Templemore Avenue, east Belfast) two years after the World Cup, Union Flag and IFA bunting and a ‘Deutschland’ scarf. NI did not qualify, Germany did not make it to the knock-out stage, and England lost to Croatia in the semis.
It’s not known what the connection to Edward Harland (of Harland & Wolff) – please get in touch.
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East Belfast GAA (tw | Fb) was set up at the end of May, with Linda Ervine as club president (video | Irish Times). The ladies football team recorded the club’s first win, on August 16th, with the hurlers winning on September 3rd, and the camógs on September 19th. The emblem (here shown in somewhat blurred stitching) includes a (black) Ulster hand flanked by shamrock and thistle, over Samson and Goliath (the Harland & Wolff cranes) and “together” as Gaeılge, in English, and in Ulstèr-Scots.
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“Glentoran FC. Pride of Ulster.” Two examples from the Glentoran sticker campaign in the early months of the year, before coronavirus put and end to the season and the players on furlough. See previously Le Coq Sportif.
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Tourists to West Belfast/Feırste Thıar are given a tour of the sights on a black taxi tour: (clockwise from left) the entrance to Milltown Cemetery at the edge of Andersonstown, a trio of murals (the Bobby Sands mural on the side of the Sınn Féın offices; the Easter Rising mural in Beechmount Ave; the Acht Anoıs fáınne on Divis Street (also in Ardoyne)) with a march taking place, Cultúrlann McAdam-Ó Fıaıch, gaelic football and hurling, Divis tower, Conway mill, and the Falls library. This is the third such tourist mural in the area, after one at Divis tower (Gateway To West Belfast) and one on the offices of Fáılte Feırste Thıar (Go West! | Fáılte Feırste Thıar | The Conlan Revolution).
Replaces Willowbank Huts from the centenary mural.
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St Pauli is a Hamburg soccer club with a wide following due to the “gegen Rechts” [against the right] philosophy of its fans. Supporters clubs can be found in places as far-flung as Belfast, Liverpool, Bilbao, Stockholm, San Francisco, and (naturally!) St Paul (Minnesota, USA). This sticker was in a Cultúrlann bathroom in west Belfast. See also: FC Sankt Pauli sticker in 2010.
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“Gaeıl Feırste CLG. Ba ıad Gaeıl Feırste (1885-1891) an chéad chumann de chuıd Chumann Lúthcleas Gael (CLG) ı mBéal Feırste. Cumann lán-Ghaeılge a bhí ann. Tháınıg deıreadh leıs de bharr scoılte sa CLG a d’eascaır as conspóıd Charles Stewart Parnell. Rınneadh atheagar ar an GLC in Aontroım in 1898 chun an Céadú Blıaın ó Éırí Amach na nÉıreannach Aontaıthe a chomóradh. Ba é Cumann Iomána na Láımhe Deırge, a bunaíodh an aıce leıs seo, i Sráıd Mılford, an chéad chumann nua le theacht ar an tsaol faoın atheagar seo.
Belfast Gaels (1885-1891), an all-Irish-speaking club, was the first GAA club established in Belfast. It ceased to exist following the rift in the GAA caused by the Charles Stewart Parnell controversy. The GAA was re-organised in Antrim in 1898 to mark the 100th anniversary of the United Irishmen’s Rebellion. The Red Hand Hurling Club was the first new club to be established here on the Falls at nearby Milford Street.”
This plaque is on Divis Street at the Northern Bank building; this Antrim GAA history page gives the club’s location as “Stephen’s Street”, probably intending Stephen Street, though this is in Carrick Hill rather than Divis or the Falls
For another Slí Na Gaeltachta plaque, about the Farset river, see H & A. Tours of Slí Na Gaeltachta are available from Forbaırt Feırste.
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There have been various ‘give sectarianism the boot’ campaigns over the year. This one is not an appeal to bring players from both sides together using sport but criticism of Belfast City Council’s decision to remove a portacabin from the grounds of East Belfast FC (Fb | tw) due to lack of planning permission, as well as perceived inequality in funding compared to clubs in nationalist communities (Facebook).
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Extramural Activity 