cultural

Conflict Tourism

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03257 2016-01-20 DarkHorse Taxi Mural Tour+

Black taxi tours of the murals from both sides of the political divide in west Belfast are a well-established part of the tourist industry. (There are also tours of east Belfast.) The various gates in the “peace” line — shown here as closing nightly at 19:69 — are generally open during daylight hours.

Previous ‘gates’ news: See-Through Sectarianism | Belfast Lock-Up.

Bonus image below: benches from the courtyard.

02790 2015-08-20 Benches+

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02790 dark horse courtyard

The Men From Ballyclare & District

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03642 2016-07-06 Ballyclare Somme main+

Garlands of poppies, one for each of 38 local men “who gave their lives during the Battle of the Somme 1st July 1916 – 18th Nov 1916”, form a circle around a photograph of “Ballyclare Main Streeet 18th September 1914” as the men go off to war. For information about 17 of the men, see this Love Ballyclare page.

03641 2016-07-06 Ballyclare Somme+

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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03642 X03641 charles drive lest we forget south east antrim brigade UDA UFF Eddie Beck and Graeme Baird

Game Of Throats

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03256 2016-01-20 DarkHorseThrones Studio+

The HBO show Game Of Thrones wrapped up its sixth season recently in its customary fashion, which is to say, with intrigue and murder.

Interior scenes for the show are shot at the old Harland & Wolff ‘Paint Hall’ in the Titanic Quarter. The filming is parodied in the image above — the boom operator is wearing a Northern Ireland football top and has a tattoo saying “Is grá liom uisce” (“I love water”) on his bicep.

The popularity of the show has proven a bonanza for tourism: Wilderness Ireland provides a list of filming locations and Discover Northern Ireland has a page listing many tours. The most famous is the Dark Hedges near Ballymoney.

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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03256 dark horse courtyard

Stuff We Don’t Need

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03539 2016-06-14 Stuff We Don't Need+

The image below is from a Twelfth bonfire collection point in Belvoir in April, threatening a fifty pound fine for anyone caught dumping unwanted material. The image above of a collection point near Sandy Row articulates what is unwanted: ironing boards, chairs, washing machines, sofas, sinks, fridges, wheels, comfy chairs, toilets, beds, stoves. This Belfast Telegraph article includes a good image of the pallets gathered in the car-park.

03416 2016-04-26 No Fly Tipping+

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X03539 X03416 wellwood st milltown rd

In Answer To The Echo Of Alarm

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03575 2016-06-15 Somme 2016+

One hundred years ago today, on July 1st, 1916, the Battle of Albert began, the first of many battles in what is known collectively as the Battle of the Somme. Soldiers from the 36th (Ulster) Brigade went “over the top” at 7:28 a.m. By the end of the day, more than nineteen thousand British soldiers were dead, five thousand from the 36th.

The line “We gathered from our towns, our villages and farms, in answer to the echo of alarm” comes from the song “Armagh Brigade”; the alarm is more specifically “Carson’s loud alarm”. Below the main panel, which shows combat at close quarters, are the words of Wilfrid Spender: “I am not an Ulsterman but yesterday, the 1st. July, as I followed their amazing attack, I felt that I would rather be an Ulsterman than anything else in the world … the Ulster Volunteer Force, from which the Division was made, has won a name that equals any in history.”

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Copyright © 2016 squire93@hotmail.com
X03575 union st portadown uvf for god and ulster

Pride Passion Belief

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03545 2016-06-20 Our Wee Country d+

Northern Ireland take on Wales in the Euro 2016 football championship after qualifying for the knockout stage with a 2-0 win over Ukraine, with goals by Gareth McAuley (featured in the mural) and Niall McGinn.

03544 2016-06-20 Our Wee Country+

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X03545 X03544 our wee country norn iron uefa france irish football association arc de triomphe

Glór Na Móna

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03402 2016-04-21 Whiterock Gaelic+

Various Irish-language institutions are represented in a new mural on the Whiterock Road: Coláıste Feırste, Gaelscoıl Na Móna, Glór Na Móna, Bunscoıl an tSléıbhe Dhuıbh.

For the right-hand mural, see New Language Loading.

03404 2016-04-21 Whiterock Gaeilge w+

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Pro Tanto Quid Retribuamus

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03357 2016-04-02 What If+

A mural of HMS Belfast “Built in Belfast” being launched on March 17, 1938, next to a fake storefront for “B&M Electricals”, with a Billy Graham hoarding above: “What if you got everything you wanted and it wasn’t enough?”, echoing the mural’s Latin inscription, the motto of Belfast city: What shall we give in return for so much?

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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03357 psalm 116:12

Mussen Cortège

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03451 2016-05-10 Mussen d+

“Richard Mussen joined the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (27th foot) at the age of 15. At the outbreak of the Zulu wars he volunteered for active service and was transferred to the Second Battalion The South Wales Borderers (24th foot). At the outbreak of the Great War he joined the 9th Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles and with him went his 4 sons and 2 sons-in-law. His son Richard (junior) was killed at the Somme on Thursday 21st March, 1918 and is remembered at Pozieres Memorial. Richard Mussen was buried from 22 Dundee Street [which was just above Agnes Street] on 29/12/1936 and was accorded full Military Honours. He was laid to rest in Belfast City Cemetery.” (From the plaque shown in image #3, below.)

Here is a short NVTv documentary about Mussen, including (at 12m25s) the image on which the mural shown here is based. The mural was done with spray paint by artist Sam Bates a.k.a. SMUG. It was unveiled on June 24th, 2011.

03447 2016-05-10 Mussen l+

03450 2016-05-10 Mussen plaque+

03449 2016-05-10 Mussen w+

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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03450 X03449 X03447 [X03448] X03351 beresford st

Is Gael Mıse

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03339 2016-03-16 LFalls Residents left+

Coláıste Feırste, Cumann Áıtrıtheoırí Na bhFál [Falls Resisdents’ Association], Cumman Cluaın Ard mural in Divis, west Belfast.

03340 2016-03-16 LFalls Residents wl+

03341 2016-03-16 LFalls Residents wr+

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X03339 X03340 X03341 servia st ná habaır é, dean é