In 1955, Ruby Murray — who was born and raised on Donegall Road — had a #1 hit with Softly, Softly (youtube) and it stayed at the top for three weeks. She went on to have six other top-ten hits that year and in one week five of her songs were in the top twenty.

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Here is the final board in the new “St Patrick” set on Tates Avenue (and a wide shot of them all, below). This one explains the composition of the Union flag as a combination of the saltire of Saint Andrew of Scotland, the cross of Saint George of England, and the saltire of Saint Patrick of Ireland. As the text notes, the saltire is much later than the saint: “The association with Saint Patrick dates from the 1780s, when the Order of Saint Patrick adopted it as an emblem. This was a chivalric order established in 1783 by George III. It is often suggested that it derives from the arms of the powerful FitzGerald dynasty [which dates to the 12th century].”

The text ends oddly: “The saltire has occasionally served unofficially to represent Northern Ireland and [has] been considered less contentious than other flags flown there.” Similar language is used on the symbols.com page for the Saltire.

See previously: St Patricks | An Ancient And Powerful Symbol

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Featured today are two (more) of the boards in a set on Tates Avenue. The central board, shown above, shows a young Patrick (without the clerical garb in which he is often portrayed) against the backdrop of Slemish mountain, where Patrick is thought to have tended sheep as a young slave to a local chieftain, c. 401 AD and developed his Christian faith.

The second image is of colourings of the Saint Patrick profile by children from the nearby Donegall Road Primary School.

The boards were unveiled on March 10th, 2016 by first minister Arlene Foster who remarked that the saint had become “very Gaelicised” and this — and the presence of Irish tricolours at parades — deterred unionists from celebrating “the patron saint of everybody in Northern Ireland” (Belfast Telegraph; also contains video of the launch). Anglicanism venerates saints but Presbyterianism does not, generally taking the “communion of saints” to refer to all members of the church.

Previously from this set of boards: An Ancient And Powerful Symbol

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X03324 X03325 Ross Wilson bell latin text staff red hand of ulster cross saltire My name is Patrick. I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers. Patrick was born in Roman Britain in 385 AD. When he was sixteen he was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ulster where he was sold as a slave to Milchu exiled abused exploited turned to Christ little did he know that this would not only transform his life but the lives of the Irish people he escaped captivity after size years and returned to his home. Later in a dream-vision Patrick was called back to Ireland by an Angel who brought the voice of the Irish … “We beg you, holy boy to come and walk among us again”. returned as an evangelist and pastor playing a major role in converting the celts to Christianity known through his personal writings a record of his time and ministry in ireland which lasted for 45 years persuasive powers were astounding within 200 years spiritual change ended slavery and human sacrifice setting in place one of the most profound social and cultural revolutions transcended division and became a living letter written on irish hearts “not with ink but by the spirit of the living god i am a servant of christ to a foreign nation for the unspeakable glory of life everlasting which is in christ our lord” simply went and told others died in 460 aged 75 years This artwork celebrates the life and legacy of Saint Patrick. It also features an inspiring series of local school children’s portraits exploring the identity of their Patron Saint. The project was supported by the Housing Executive and delivered in partnership through the ACT INITIATIVE and Greater Village Regeneration Trust. The artwork was unveiled by The First Minister Arlene Foster on the 10th March 2016.

Here is one of the new boards on Tates Avenue (the others will be featured over the next two days). It shows a ship racing towards shore, superimposed over a 1659 map of Ulster by Blaeu.

“The Red Hand Of Ulster: According to legend Ulster had at one time no rightful heir. It was agree that a boat race should take place and that whoever’s hand first touched the shore would become king. One contended, upon seeing that he was losing the race, cut off his hand and threw it ashore to win. O’Neill is said to have been the chieftain who cut his hand off to become the King of Ulster. The Red Hand is a key emblem of Ulster’s identity, an ancient and powerful symbol that is traditionally shown as a blood red hand.”

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Ronnie Adams was born in Belfast in 1916. He began driving at age 11 and rallying at age 18. He is shown above in a Jaguar Mk. VII, en route to winning the Monte Carlo Rally in 1956, which was also around the time that he took over the family textile business from his deceased father — Adams remained an amateur driver his whole life.

For more on Adams, see Adams’s Telegraph obituary and this article by Steve McKelvie. For information on the Jaguars of the 1950s (and an image of Adams with the five trophies he received for winning the Monte Carlo), see the Irish Jaguar & Daimler club.

For the first in this series of boards on Donegall Road, see previously The RIC At Celtic Park.

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The image above shows three members of the Royal Irish Constabulary outside Belfast’s Celtic Park in 1912. The event is perhaps a visit by Lord Pirrie, Winston Churchill, and John Redmond to speak in favour of the Home Rule bill at a meeting of the Ulster Liberal Association on February 8th. (You can see at ticket for the event at Decade Of Centenaries.) The meeting was originally to be held in the Ulster Hall, but this was blockaded by Unionist protesters (Irish History). According to one site, Churchill was “nearly lynched” by angry Protestants outside the grounds.

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