political

The Sagart

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2013-12-05 AlecReid+

A tribute to Father Alec Reid, who died on November 22nd and buried on the 27th, has been added to the international wall on Divis Street. Reid was a priest in the nearby Clonard monastery and helped negotiate between Sınn Féın and the SDLP and between nationalists and the government of the Republic. He is perhaps best known for attempting to save Corporals Wood and Howe and administering the last rites to them, in 1988 (WP).

This piece takes the place of a ‘Free Marian Price” mural; Price was freed on May 30th, 2013.

The pieces to the left and right have been previously featured: End Internment | Milltown 25

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Sacred Heart Of Ulster

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2013-11-15 SacredHeartSquare+

This cheeky stencil gives Jesus a red hand of Ulster for a heart. At the corner of Royal Avenue and North Street.

Update: February 26th, 2014 “Yes I”.

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2014-02-26 SacredHeartFive+

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We Defy You!

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“If you leave us at liberty we will kill your recruiting, save our poor boys from your slaughter-house, and blast your hopes of Empire. If you strike at, imprison, or kill us, out of our prisons or graves we will still evoke a spirit that will thwart you, and, mayhap, raise a force that will destroy you. We defy you! Do your worst!” – James Connolly, Courtsmartial And Revolution, 1914.

CNR west Belfast, possibly St James’s. Please get in touch if you know the precise location.

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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True Legend

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2013-10-17 ThatcherLegend+

Graffiti on the Forthriver Road, in Glencairn: “RIP Maggie Thatcher. True Legend. The Iron Lady.” Beneath a banner reading “Glencairn demands civil rights for all Protestants now!”

Previously: Various anti-Thatcher graffiti

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PSNI

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2013-10-08 PSNInterests+

Graffiti at the corner of Lawnbrook Avenue and the Shankill Road: Policing Supporting Nationalists Interests (rather than: Police Service of Northern Ireland).

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Ring Of Peace

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2013-10-01 RingPeaceCentre+

Here are three shots of the “Ring Of Peace” mural, a massive, three storey piece in Waring Street, undertaken in 1998 to mark the Good Friday Agreement, by Francisco Letelier (with Jennifer Trouton, Colin McGookin, Marie Thérèse Davis) – here is a shot of the artist working on the piece. The mural shows four double-handed arms clasping each other in a circle against a back-drop of cosmic and nature scenes. In the lower portion, two human figures reach out to each other.

Letelier is a Chilean living in Los Angeles, USA; he flew from LA to paint the mural (LATimes). Here is his blog, and a set of Letelier images on Flickr.

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2013-10-01 RingPeaceWide+

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Shankill Reflections

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2013-08-02 ShankillReflections+

For the Union Flag mural on the other side of the road, see The People’s Army and LPWA, and for the plaque see Big Bill Campbell.

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Occupy

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2013-09-14 OccupyTillICome+

Another image from inside the Clifton Street Orange Order hall: an outline of the island of Ireland under the title (in Old Irish script) Oḋreaċt na [h]Éıreann – The Heritage of Ireland – surrounded by the coats of arms of the cities of Londonderry, Dublin, Cork and Belfast, and with the words “Occupy Till I Come – Luke 19:13” at the bottom.

“Occupy until I come” is the King James translation of Luke 19:13 (Greek: πραγματεύσασθαιἐνᾧἔρχομαι) and is better translated as “conduct business until I come [back]”. It is from the story of the king who gave money to 10 servants to see what they would make with it. The one who does nothing with it says he knows the king is exploitative and harsh (αὐστηρὸς, austere!) and he was afraid (to lessen or lose the money, presumably). To which the king says, roughly, ‘if you knew that I expect to profit from other people, you should have done something with it!’ and has his money taken away; meanwhile, the citizens who spoke against the king in his absence are executed. So the moral of the story for Ireland is … the King has given Ireland to Protestants in order to increase its value, and they better make sure they do, because he expects to collect the profit; and anyone among the natives who protests is to be executed upon his return?

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A Better Future

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2013-08-18 PastFuture+

In this new east Belfast mural, we move from a part of “violence – terrorism – conflict – imprisonment’ to a future of ‘culture – empowerment – human rights – multiculturalism’. The mural is black-and-white on one side and colour on the other. On the left we have watchtowers and paramilitaries in hats and sunglasses; on the right schoolchildren in front of city hall, working on a computer and playing football.

The mural was defaced immediately after it was finished (roughly the end of July), indicating dissatisfaction with the current direction of ‘the future’, but quickly repaired. There is a mural directly above this one, on Lendrick Street, which was featured previously. A wide shot of them both can be found below.

2013-08-18 LendrickStWide+

Update: Spring 2022 – some of the words on the colourful ‘future’ side of the mural have been painted over: “empowerment”, “equality”, “diversity”, “multiculturalism”. There is also a streak of white paint on the arm of a black person in the centre of the mural. See the final two images.

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At The Crossroads

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2013-08-06 CrossPolitcalPolic+

Two images today from the crossroads at the intersection of Crossmaglen-Newry and Newtownhamilton-Dundalk roads (a.k.a. Ford’s Cross, Silverbridge). The first shows a hunger-strikers board from this year over a much older ‘democracy under attack’ board (see D02009). The second shows the plough and the stars flying above the mileage sign. There is also a memorial, with a tricolour flying overhead, at this crossroads

2013-08-06 CrossFlag+

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