Five steps to mental health – give, connect, be active, take notice, keep learning – and affirmations to live by – “This is me”, “You’re a superstar”, “I am what I am”, and “Simply the best“. Part of the Shankill SAFE (Safer Areas For Everyone – see the tarp below) project in the Woodvale, with support from Alternatives and the Communities In Transition programme.
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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“The Workers Party – Socialist, Secular, And Anti-Sectarian – For Workers’ Unity and Socialism – Libreté, égalité, fraternité”. The Mental Health Matters mural on Northumberland St was in a space “kindly on loan from the Workers Party”; the lease has apparently expired and in its place is this new Workers’ Party (Fb | web) mural.
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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Homeowners from counties Donegal and Mayo march on government buildings in Dublin tomorrow to campaign for “100% redress” in the repair of their homes that were made with building blocks of high mica content and which are now falling apart. Free Derry Corner (Visual History) has been altered in support of the cause. For more see Derry Journal | BBC | Donegal Daily.
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Copyright © 2021 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
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An appeal for positive graffiti (or non-political murals??) languishing in a builder’s yard on Lanark way, similar to the mural in Castlemara – see Spray-On Culture (and a different tactic from the ‘Spray Is Not The Way’ board in Portadown a decade ago).
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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“NHS – they save lives not bans. Supporting all front line workers.” This tarp outside the Lower Falls social club goes back to last (2020) summer and discontent over Tory efforts to save businesses and banks rather than give nurses a raise beyond what was already in the pipeline (e.g. CNN | Sky News).
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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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During WWII, Tom Moore worked with motorcycles and tanks (rather than aircraft) in India and Burma (Myanmar) and achieved the rank of captain. He became famous during the pandemic for raising about 33 million pounds for NHS Charities during the pandemic. He died in February of this year, aged 100 (WP). He is honoured by this new mural in Tullyally, Londonderry.
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Copyright © 2021 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
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“A long time ago we had empires run by emperors, then we had kingdoms run by kings, and now we have countries …” Run by counts? Commentary on current leadership (in various places?) in Dobbin Street Lane, Armagh.
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Copyright © 2021 squire93@hotmail.com
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Both Clifton Street Orange Hall and the statue of King William pre-date the creation of Northern Ireland in 1921. The building opened in 1885 (ArchSeek | Belfast Media gives 1886) and the statue was unveiled before a crowd of 50,000 on November 11th, 1889 ((Melbourne) Advocate | (Sydney) Protestant Standard).
For the “Thank you NHS” banner, see Pro Tanto Quid Retribuamos.
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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“Handily packed, delicious to eat, Spangles are the fruitiest sweet! Only 3d a packet. Made by Mars.” A 1952 magazine advertisement for Spangles in the window of a vintage shop in Carrickfergus, showing a street party, perhaps in anticipation of the coronation of Elizabeth II, 16 months after she became queen in February 1952. The boiled sweets were a staple of life until 1984 (WP).
Other early ads for Spangles, which were introduced in 1950, note the price is 3d “and only one point”, meaning that customers would have to use one of the 16 points for non-essential goods from their ration books; control of sweets did not end until February, 1953 (WP).
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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Debenhams went into administration on April 9th, 2020 and immediately announced the closure of their stores in the Republic, with the loss of 1,200+ jobs. Workers went on strike for their union-negotiated redundancy, picketing both the front and rear entrances of stores to prevent the removal of stock by liquidators. The strike ended after 406 days when workers voted to accept an (Irish) government re-training scheme of 3m euro (Irish Times); the company was liquidated and all stores closed, including those in the north. The poster shown is on the ILAC centre in central Dublin.
A book on the strike – Tales From The Debenhams Picket Line – is now available.
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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Extramural Activity 