community

A Place Called Old Ardoyne

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Going by the streets and places mentioned in these plaques – see the list below – “old Ardoyne” would not have included Balholm Drive, where this gable wall is; Brompton Park and the streets above it – built c. 1935 are renamed c. 1939 (after a 1937 rent strike) – were known as Glenard. (See also Belfast Forum one | two.)

According to an entry on Belfast Forum, Skinny Lizzy’s real name was Elizabeth Gilmore. According to another, Greast Nellie’s chip shop and the Crumlin Star was opposite one another.

These memories from emigrants to Austalia mention Davidson’s shop and Andy’s shop, Skinny Lizzy, The League, Toby’s Hall, and Beltex Mill.

left side: Crumlin Star, Peter Toal’s hard wear shop, Beltax [Beltex] mill, Cassidy’s shop, Holy Cross Boys school

top row: Chatham Street Skinny Lizzy shop, Elmfield Street Reid’s shop, Brookfield Street McCafferty shop, Flax Street Greasy Nelly’s, Granny Byer’s shop

second: Oakfield Street, Kerrera Street Skillen’s shop, Hocker Street Rock’s shop, Butler Street Tom’s shop, Top Of The Pad, Dan The Man’s Rockiet[?]

third: The Millie Dam, Crumlin Street Billy O’Hara’s, Herbert Street Davidson’s shop, Fairfield Street Black’s shop, Paddy’s barber shop, McNab’s Chippy, Raynardo’s chippy

fourth: The GAA Tin Hut, The Gap Andy’s shop, Hole In The Knickers, The Unity Club

fifth: Rose Bank mill, Flax Street mill, Toby’s Hall, The Hibbs [Hibs] Club [in Herbert St], Bloody Mary’s Arch

sixth: Brookfield mill, The League AWMC [Ardoyne Working Men’s Club (Fb)], Roy Kane’s shop

Balholm Drive, Ardoyne, north Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14517

The Way I See It

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Des Wilson and Noelle Ryan served the Springhill community for over forty years (see Inspire, Uphold, And Make Happy). Noelle died in 2014 (An Phoblacht) and Des in November 2019. They are remembered by this stained glass window in Conway Mill (by Mill resident Alice McGuinness (Fb)): “In memory of Father Des Wilson 1925-2019”, “Dedicated to Noelle Ryan 1932-2014”

“The Way I See It” is the title of Father Des Wilson’s autobiography (and the title of NVTv’s documentary about Des).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14249 X14250 X14251 X14252 X14253 [X14254]

Castle

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is Carrickfergus castle by Dan Kitcherner (ig), painted on a wall in the town centre that had a piece of “RIP GFA protocol” graffiti on it (Street View). The mural is based on the actual scene, though the shopfront marked “castle” is actually Mayur Indian restaurant.

Funded by the International Fund for Ireland’s Peace Impact Programme (BelTel).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14257 X14256 X14258 X14255

Pride Of Glencolin

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Glencolin estate was built next to Moyard House (which in 1984 became home to the Roddy’s (web), shown in the image directly below) on the Glen Road in 1979 (Belfast Forums). For the fortieth anniversary of “eastát Ghleann Collaınn” the mural at the entrance to the estate was (belatedly) repainted. The composition of the mural remains as in the previous version, with the Roddy’s and Oliver Plunkett church in the shadow of Dubhaıs and Slıabh Dubh; they are now joined by images of Gaelic games. The Bobby Sands quote has been removed.

The 2018 side-wall shows boxer Brendan Irvine — “the wee rooster” — who represented Ireland in the Tokyo (2020) and Rio (2016) Olympics at flyweight (Olympics).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14124 [T01499]
[X14125] X14126 X14127 XX14128
X14103 [X14104]

Life In The Entries

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here are two of Ruth Crothers’s (“Ruth Prints” on ig) pieces on the theme of the Belfast entries in years gone by, teeming with life.

They were produced for the first wave of the Belfast Entries project – see the project’s Visual History page.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14066 X14065

The Little Drummer Boy

Extramural Activity1 Comment

Members of Bannside Drumming Club (Fb) and Shankill Road Defenders (Fb) were on hand for the official launch of the Drummer Boy mural at the entrance to the Shankill on Peter’s Hill.

Stacey Graham from Alternatives (Fb) introduced DUP councillor (for Court) Ian McLaughlin, who said that the mural — painted by Glen Molloy (ig, pictured below) — would create “a welcoming, positive atmosphere here at the gateway to the Shankill area”.

For images of the mural in progress, see Shankill Drummer.

Click images to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14159 [X14164]
X14162 [X14160] [X14161] [X14167] [X14168]
X14166 [X14165]
X14163

Shankill Drummer

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Tomorrow (August 30th, at 12:30) there will be a family fun-day and the launch of a new mural of a colourful drummer boy. The mural is on Peter’s Hill; it takes the place of the “Original Belfast” murals (2009 and 2020) and before that a UDA emblem (M02480).

Painted by Glen Molloy (ig) with support from SAFE Shankill (see Woodvale OK), Alternatives (web), Executive Office, Communities In Transition.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X12705 X12706 [X12707]
X12752 [X12753] [X12754] [X12755]
X12827 [X12826]
X14048 [X14047]

Linenopolis

Extramural Activity4 Comments

A celebration and exploration of Belfast’s most famous textile, the “linen biennale”, runs until October (web). The Linen Hall library also runs a tour of the “linen quarter” on Thursdays.

Visual Waste’s (ig) Great Victoria Street mural includes various linen quarter buildings: the Grand Opera House, the Europa hotel, and Inst., alongside the H&W cranes and the Titanic museum.

Nomad Clan’s mural in east Belfast also went by the same name.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X12973 X12972

Shawlies

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

A shawlie is a working-class woman wearing a shawl to serve as a coat and hat. In Belfast they are particularly associated with the workers in the linen mills, such as the Brookfield Mill on the Crumlin Road. This statue, designed by Ross Wilson, was inspired by William Conor’s painting of mill workers (and pehaps specifically “Going to the mills, Crumlin Road, 1914” which is included in the info board, below) and installed at the top of Cambrai Street in 2010 (BelTel | BBC).

See also: the trio of boards in tribute to missionary Amy Carmichael, who set up Sunday worship for shawlies at the nearby Welcome Hall.

“The Mill Worker. Belfast was one of the fastest growing urban centres in Europe in the nineteenth-century, with the linen industry a major driver. The city’s status as the world’s biggest linen producer came about partly as a result of the cotton shortages in the 1860s caused by the American Civil War.
In 1896, 96,000 people worked in linen in Belfast, making it the city’s biggest employer. The profits enabled other industries to grow, including engineering, shipbuilding, tobacco, whiskey and rope-making. Belfast became a world leader in all of these industries.
The recession between the world wars led to a dramatic reduction in the demand for linen, reinforced by changes in fashion, so the industry went into almost terminal decline and nearly disappeared.
Today, however, the supreme quality of linen is valued once again – not least on the Milan, Paris and London catwalks.”

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X12980 X12981

Come In Your Working Clothes

Extramural Activity1 Comment

“Come one, come all, to the Welcome Hall, and come in your working clothes.” Amy Carmichael was born in Millisle, Co. Down, in 1867. In 1884 the family moved to Belfast, where Amy started Sunday classes in Rosemary Street Presbyterian for “shawlies” who worked in the mills. These were successful enough that a larger venue was required, and so, in 1887, the Welcome Hall, with seating for 500, opened in Cambrai Street (this subsequently became the Welcome Evangelical Church, where the blue plaque shown below is mounted). Carmichael then went to England (Manchester), Japan, Sri Lanka, and India (Bangalore). (Welcome Church | WP)

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X12838 [X12866] X12865 X12867
X12864