Soldier A-Z

“Stop prosecuting Northern Ireland’s veterans to appease terrorists.” Danny Kinahan, former UUP politician and captain in the Blues & Royals, was appointed Veterans’ Commissioner For Northern Ireland by the SoS in August last year (2020). He described his first task as building a database of veterans and alerting each one to the services available (News Letter | BBC | Irish Times) but the position immediately puts him at the centre of the debate over “legacy” issues and a focal point of interest groups such as Veterans & Supporters United (Fb | tw) who are responsible for the banner above. In October Kinahan was quoted as saying that the system is “very lopsided” against veterans (BelTel).

Holywood Road along Belmont Park, Belfast.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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V For Victory

August 15th, 1945, saw the end of the second World War in the Pacific theatre, effectively ending the war as a whole. The 75th anniversary of the event was celebrated on the Shankill by and Up! Culture + Arts. Belfast Councillor (and 2020 High Sheriff) Nicola Verner has video (tw) of the tarp on the float that paraded along the Shankill on the day itself. With sponsorship from the Executive and the Greater Shankill Partnership (tw).

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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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A Blythe Yuletide Tae Yin An Aa

“Glorie tae God, the Messiah’s come noo”. The story of the birth of Jesus is told in Ulstèr-Scotch passages from the Bible and from Alexander Halliday’s song on tarps around the North Belfast Orange Memorial Hall. “A virgin will cairrie a wean … an whan he’s boarn, he’ll be caad Immanuel, mainin “God is wi iz.” (Mattha 1v23)” “When frae the East the wise men cam/The staur in Bethlehem was brightly shinin’/Doon on the place whaur lay the Lamb/And the angels roon’ about were singin’.”

The NHS tarp on the front of the hall was featured in July.

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Praying For A Miracle

Saint Luke’s C of I opened in 1863 in what was then the lower Falls but – because of the “peace” line is now the lower Shankill. It closed in 2006 and the congregation merged with St Stephen’s (in Millfield). The building served as a community centre. In 2015 two pigs’ heads with racist graffiti were left in the doorway in response to rumours that the building might become a mosque (BBC). The property was (later) acquired by Living Faith Global – “a miracle believing and seeing church” – which opened in April 2019.

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Copyright © 2020 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
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Ulster Says Noël

People are turning to Christmas earlier than ever this year as an escape from the ongoing coronavirus restrictions. Work by local artists is being sold at Vault Artists (tw | web) ‘Vault Pop‘ (in the Portview Centre on the Newtownards Road) with work by many artists whose street-art is featured in these pages, including Leo Boyd, FGB, and Esther O’Kelly, and at Born & Bred (web) on Ann Street, including ‘Ulster Says Noel’ cards by James Ashe (tw | web) – who did the ‘Ulster Says Yeoo’ tarp shown above, next to the Ulster Social Club (now just a regular bar) – and mini H&W cranes as a tree ornament (see David & Goliath).

(Extramural Activity is not associated with either shop or any of the artists named.)

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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Sandy Row District

Bannerettes at the top of Sandy Row. On the left, “St Nicholas Church Temperance LOL No 782”. On the right, “Sandy Row RBDC [Royal Black District Chapter] No. 3, Belfast”. The No. 3 chapter was formed in 1885 (Belfast Grand Black Chapter Fb | web). Both groups are based in Sandy Row Orange Hall

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Uniting Our Community

“Uniting our community to support our community. Thank you NHS & essential workers”. The ‘Lower North Belfast Action Group’ was formed in April this year in response to the pandemic. Based on the “Groups/Areas” involved, ‘lower’ means the area along the lough up as far the White City and Loughview.

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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Carrick Hill Supports Fiona

It is 15 weeks since Noah Donohoe left home heading for Cave Hill only to end up dead in a north Belfast storm drain. Support for his mother Fiona and the #RememberMyNoah campaign has been widespread, including this tarp in Carrick Hill.

See previously: #RememberMyNoah | A Hunger For Knowledge | Into The Wide Blue Yonder | A Heart In A Heart | Justice For Noah

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Copyright © 2020 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
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The Wide Blue Yonder

Blue is the colour of the “#Remember My Noah” campaign to get answers in the disappearance of teen Noah Donohoe ten weeks ago. Gael Force Art (Fb) took to Sliabh Dubh and put a message on the mountain, with help from some of the Donohoe relatives from Strabane (video).

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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Political Policing

“Black lives matter”, a campaign against police brutality originating in the US, beneath a 32CSM (web | tw) tarp “Oppose British political policing”. The stencil is sponsored by People Before Profit (web | tw). Divis Street, Belfast.

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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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