cultural

What I Have Witnessed In Botanic Gardens

Extramural Activity1 Comment

At 28 acres, Belfast’s Botanic Gardens are large enough to contain a variety of attractions: the Ulster Museum; two glass houses: the Palm House, designed by Charles Lanyon, and the Tropical Ravine, opened in 1889 under head gardener Charles McKimm (Ulster Biography) whose portrait appears at the centre of the image just below; a large rose garden.

The large parklands serve as the site of outdoor events such as music concerts by famous 20th century artists such as U2, Van Morrison, and Bob Dylan (see final image) and before that the final public appearance of tightrope walker Charles Blondin in 1896 – “He went up and down and up again, all the way along the rope he did his different moves: handstands, cartwheels, running. He was just like a circus acrobat. Mssr Blondin was up there with another man on his back. Blondin was just walking about easily, the other man felt terrible” – and the launch of Henry Coxwell’s hot air balloon on July 3rd, 1865 – the balloon was exceedingly large: (“You won’t believe what I have witnessed in Botanic Gardens. A monstrous balloon was being launched into the sky”) and it escaped – “She has gone across the sea, but it is not known whither.” concludes the account by the Sydney Empire.

The statue to Belfast-born Lord Kelvin is at the Stranmillis entrance to the park.

This is the second part (up to WWI) of a 27m-long history of Botanic Gardens by artist Peter Strain and poet Emma Must (BelTel).

X06804 2019-09-09 BotGardens Cloud Van+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06805 X06803 X06804

The Loyal 36th

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Off to France our boys were sent. All gave some, some gave all – In memory of the loyal 36th.” The first phrase might come from the Rangers’ song ‘We’re Coming Down The Road‘. The second phrase dates not to WWI but the Korean War in the 1950s (Reference). Kitchener Drive, the Village.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Extramural Activity
X06729 X06728 kitchener drive

The Northern Crusades

Extramural Activity1 Comment

Crusaders – off to a perfect start of two wins – travel the mile and a half across north Belfast to Solitude to  play Cliftonville at 3 this afternoon in the north Belfast derby. Today’s images are of the mural outside Seaview and the scene from the run-up to the team’s Irish Cup win over Ballinamallard (BBC-NI). In meetings between Crusaders and Cliftonville, Crusaders lead 151 wins to 84 (WP).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06618 X06619

Kingdom Of The Pretani

Extramural Activity1 Comment

“Pretani” is the Brittonic version of the Greek term “Prettanoi”, possibly borrowed from the Gauls (WP), for the inhabitants of the two islands now known as Ireland and Britain, and “Cruthin” the Gaelic term. According to the eponymous web site, Dalaradia was “was a kingdom of the Cruthin in the north-east of Ireland and parts of Scotland in the first millennium” with the Cruthin being (more narrowly than above) a people in Antrim and Down with (in the middle of the mural) “the field of Crewe Hill, with the Ancient Crowning Stone of Ulster Kings” (REACH) in Glenavy (pretani.co.uk).

The WP page on the Cruthin notes, “The name Cruthin survives in the placenames Duncrun (Dún Cruithean, “fort of the Cruthin”) and Drumcroon (Droim Cruithean, “ridge of the Cruthin”) in County Londonderry, and Ballycrune (Bealach Cruithean, “pass of the Cruthin”) and Crown Mound (Áth Cruithean, “ford of the Cruthin”) in County Down. These placenames are believed to mark the edges of Cruthin territory.”

The towers of Rathcoole can be seen underneath the slogan “Respect, heritage, culture.” They also famously appear behind a trio of hooded gunmen in a Rathcoole mural.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06706 [X06707] [X06708] carmeen dr

UVF Band 50th Anniversary

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The UVF Regimental Band (tw) this year celebrates its 50 anniversary with a banner in My Lady’s Road. For the 50th anniversary mural, see They Said We’d Never Last. See previously: 40th anniversary banner at the site of the mural – Belvoir Bar. The view is from Roseberry Road.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06693 X06692

Idols Of The Tribe

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

A holy trinity of Liverpool FC flag, the west Belfast “peace” line, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Finn Square, Belfast.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06645

The Earth And Its Toiling

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Fading away like the stars in the morning/Losing their light in the glorious sun/Thus would we pass from the earth and its tolling/Always remembered for what we have done.//Who’ll sing the anthem and who’ll tell the story/Will the line hold will it scatter and run/Shall we at last be united in glory/And always remembered for what we have done.”

Only Remembered (or: The Everlasting Memorial) is originally a hymn by Horatio Bonar dating back to 1860 at least, but its music and words have been modified many times (Mudcat). All versions, however, give “toiling” instead of “tolling”, and “only” rather than “always”.

English folk singer John Tams added a verse paying tribute to British war dead which is included here along the bottom of the mural (“Who’ll sing the anthem …” etc) (YouTube). The soldiers commemorated here are UVF members William Marchant, Trevor Logan, Douglas Mahood, John McClean, Norman Dunseith, Stevie Wilson, William Mahood, Brian McCallum, Ronnie Marchant, John Alexander McClean. The mural is on the side wall of the memorial to Brian “Herbie” McCallum.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06679

Orange Fest

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

There is a now-annual campaign to discourage excessive drinking and focus on “heritage, tradition, respect, remembrance, culture” during 12th celebrations, rebranded as the more family-friendly “Orange Fest’. Sponsored by the Policing And Community Safety Partnership (web | tw | Fb) Here is 2016’s campaign: Battle Of The Bottle.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06665 [X06666]

Masked Republican Mercenaries

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of Belfast City Council decided on the 8th to remove two east Belfast bonfires built on council-owned land, carparks at the Avoniel leisure centre and in Ashdale Street, after staff arriving for work reported being threatened (BBC), perhaps by bonfire-builders reacting to the removal of tyres in Lismore Street (ITV) (see A Vote For The IRA). In response, builders of the Avoniel pyre removed its tyres, lowered its height, and moved it further away from buildings, but the Council affirmed its decision. A crowd of about 400 gathered to protect the site on Tuesday evening (BBC) and barricaded the site. The graffiti shown above appeared, calling contractors “masked republican mercenaries” and vowing that if they interfered they would “Attack loyalism at your own risk!!!” On Wednesday (1oth) the Council committee again affirmed its decision (Ailerain) but expressed concern over information of possible UVF involvement (Belfast Live) supplied in a letter from the PSNI (Mark Simpson).  (The mural is the background is a UDA one. See Northern Island.) The barricades were removed on Wednesday (as the image below shows). A contractor hired to remove the fire pulled out (BBC) on Wednesday evening. A “cultural celebration” was held throughout the night (BelTel).

The Ashdale Street fire was moved to a different location, near the Oval (BBC) and was set alight last night (BelTel).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06687 X06690

Edenderry Bonfire

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
06669 2019-07-02 Edenderry bonfire w+

Edenderry bonfire standing tall on the site of the former Portadown railway station, with commemorative plaque to the Ulster Volunteers on the left-hand pillar.

Elsewhere in Portadown, local residents were advised by the council to leave their homes ahead of the Corcrain/Redmanville bonfire, to be lit tonight (10th) (BBC).

See previously: The Killicomaine bonfire: Respect.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 squire93@hotmail.com
X06669 [X06668] Watson Street, Portadown