Sandy Row says “no” to an Irish Sea border, but “yes” to Israel’s invasion of Gaza. The verbiage along the bottom of the tarp reads, “The battles we refuse to fight today become the hardships our children must endure tomorrow.”
The tarp is on the Rangers “55” hoarding on Sandy Row, and was seen previously in Let Us Shout Joyfully.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2024 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14774 X14775
90% of Meenan Square was bought by Apex Housing for redevelopment with funds from the Executive Office (EO Press Release | Derry Now) in April 2023. 11 million pounds of T:BUC’s 45 million has been put towards the project (Derry Journal). Demolition took place in August, 2021, but it remains a waste-ground. In the meantime, Saoradh (web) and the IRPWA (web) have commandeered the hoarding for two tarps protesting “British Crown forces’ sectarian targeting of republican families” and “sectarian political policing”.
For T:BUC see Belfast Melt.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2024 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
X14697 X14698 X14695 X14696
The Pride Of Ardoyne flute band memorial site was overhauled in November. The silhouetted bandsmen (seen in Pride Of Ardoyne) are gone and the cross and wooden plaque at the top (see Billy Hanna) have been joined by two large boards, naming “J. Bailey, W. Hanna, S. Rockett, B. McClure” and, (on the drum) “Charlie Dunn (1957-2021)”, along with 20 small plaques of these five plus 15 more who are an “absent member”, “absent friend”, and “loyal supporter”.
For Bailey, see On This Day. For Rockett, see Essence And Space. For McClure, see UPI. For Dunn, see the band’s Fb Page.
The image below is of a 50th anniversary Pride Of Ardoyne flag inside the door of Lainey’s craft shop on the Shankill Road.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2024/2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14869 X14870 X11809
“Fight the rich, feed the poor – Éıstıgí” (also “Free Gaza”) along Lecky Road in Derry’s Bogside.
Éıstıgí, or “listen, yous-uns” in Derry/Doıre, is the youth organisation associated with Soaradh (web); it promotes a socialist (and republican) ideology.
From February 2023:
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2024 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
X14686 X14687 X14688 X14685
T02095 courtesy of Paddy Duffy
William was granted the peerage “baron Carrickfergus” as a wedding present in 2011, which made Catherine/Kate baroness (WP). They visited the town in 2022 (BBC). The black-and-white photograph on the left is of Queen Elizabeth visiting in 1961 (youtube).
Replaces the kids mural We Are Friends in Hawthorn Avenue, Carrickfergus.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14367 [X14368]
This Castlemara, Carrickfergus, board is not remarkable so much for what it depicts — the new prince and princess of Wales, “baron & baroness of [sic] Carrickfergus” — but for what it replaces, namely, the Carrickfergus Eddie, which had been in place since (at least) 2000 — see Show No Mercy.
This means that there are no large murals of Eddie remaining; there are only some smaller versions of Eddie of boards or tarps. Eddie has his own Visual History page.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14365
‘Let’s Talk Loyalism’ (Fb | Xitter) is an advocacy group established in May 2021 “to articulate loyalist perspectives” (News Letter). It produced a survey in September 2021 (Slugger) and is currently undertaking more research (BelTel). The tarp is hanging on the fence around the waste-ground at the top of Lanark Way, site of a #BuildShankill tarp.
See previously: No Vote, No Voice graffiti in Forthriver/Ballygomartin in 2014.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14345 [X14346] X14344
This graffiti is on Kennedy Way, in CNR west Belfast, and so “Ireland” includes Northern Ireland.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14312
“Stand against the legacy legislation – state murder is murder! – bill of shame”
The UK parliament adopted the “Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023” on Septetmber 6th and it became law on the 18th, preventing future inquests and civil cases. Twenty challenges have been lodged against the bill and a hearing is due to begin on November 20th with a primary focus on whether or not the bill is compatible with the European Convention On Human Rights (ITv | BBC). In the meantime – prior to the May 1st, 2024 deadline — the Springhill-Westrock inquest continues on Monday (RFJ).
This mural showing Lady Justice gagged but with a raised fist, by Iliana Edwards (ig), is on a wall outside the offices of Relatives For Justice (web).
Update: February 28, 2024: The High Court has ruled against the Act (BBC).
See previously: a call to a rally in September.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14309 X14310 X14308 [X14307]
“Ulster & Israel – brothers in arms”. The Uzi was developed in Israel in the late 1940s and became a general-issue weapon in 1956 (WP). It was used (and copied) by loyalist paramilitaries in Northern Ireland (Balaclava Street has a comprehensive history of loyalist weaponry) and appeared in a both UDA and UVF murals and graffiti: The Elite | Ulster Says No! To The Politicians | Sandy Row 2nd Batt | UFF Uzi.
Here is an article from TheJ.ca interviewing PUL politicians on their support for Israel and an Irish News article revisiting the issue in light of the current conflict. And loyalists have previously (since 2002? Irish Times | OU) flown the flag of Israel — see Gregg & Carson (2011) | View From The North Bank (2012) | The Young Conquerors (2013) | The United Nations (2014) | The Glorious Memory (2014) | Ulster Supports The People Of Israel (2018) | EU Hands Off Ulster (2021). But this is the first time that a symbol of violence has been used as the symbol of solidarity. (In republican muraling, see PLO-IRA (1982) | Women In Armed Struggle (1983).)
Tate’s Avenue, in the Village area of south #Belfast.
The placard in the middle, between Brothers In Arms and “Sir E. Carson K.C., M.P.” was discussed in Stand Firm. The Winning Hand was seen previously in The Red Hand And The Winning Hand.
See also: Godfather Of The Israeli Army.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14476 X14477 X14478 X14479 X14475
Copyright © 2024 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X15251
Extramural Activity 