The flags of the four “home nations” fly above an arch in Tiger’s Bay, with a “Brexit” Union flag. Previously the tarp read “Welcome To North Belfast” (see M05014).
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Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“20,000+ security personnel maintain Britain’s occupation of Ireland.” ‘End imperialism, End the occupation’ is a Lasair Dhearg (web | tw) campaign; the 20,000 includes the PSNI as well as troops in “multiple permanent British Army bases”; the stencil in the image below (from affiliated organisation, Red Section (tw)), from the Monagh Bypass, suggests that there are “700+ MI5 agents in Ireland”. The tarp shown above is on the railings at the Falls Road/Glen Road junction, site of the former RUC barracks; the stencil is on the Andersonstown Road.
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“West Belfast supports the Community Rescue Service (web | Fb | tw) – Thank you for all the work you do for our community.” “West Belfast” in this case means PUL west Belfast, though this tarp is at the very edge of the Shankill, on the railings at the bottom of Lanark Way. A mural to the Service was painted on Northumberland Street (in CNR west Belfast) in November – see Hill Or High Water.
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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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This is an update to the post Legends Never Die, which showed the original tribute to Rangers manager Walter Smith in the form of a tarp below the celebration of Rangers’ 2020-2021 league title. Since then, fans have left wreaths and attached their tops to the railings, with messages written on them in marker: “True Blue”, “Our knight”, “Legend like no other”, “Mr Rangers”.
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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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A message from BUILD Shankill (web): “Did you know? The Shankill has over 80 waste sites the size of 62 football pitches with the space to build 3300 homes. #BuildShankill.” Members of the team, as well as representatives from the Housing Executive and the NI Executive, took a bus tour of the sites in June (Alternatives youtube channel).
Housing is also a concern in other areas of Belfast – for CNR west Belfast, see (e.g.) Is This Our City? | in north Belfast see (e.g.) Equality Can’t Wait.
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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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These images are from two campaigns on the railings of Groves-Reilly Corner (a.k.a. the site of the former Andersonstown RUC barracks, now named after a pair of campaigners against the use of plastic bullets, particularly against children). The focus in the first three is the arrest of children and their prosecution of children in Israeli military courts: Every year 700 Palestinian children are prosecuted in Israeli military courts. The US pages Israel $7 million a day.” (Board borrowed from SeaMAC.) And “9 years old – the age of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons. Is this democracy?” The final image is of a tarp sponsored by the ‘Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign’ (Fb | web) calling for “boycott, divestment sanctions” against “Israeli apartheid”.
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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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On this date twenty years ago (November 11th, 2001 – Remembrance Sunday) sixteen year-old Glen “Spacer” Branagh was killed by the premature blast of a pipe bomb he was carrying during a riot with New Lodge nationalists. He was affiliated with Tiger’s Bay First flute band – which held a memorial parade for him on October 16th (youtube) – and the UDA/UYM – for which see the old “Young Guns” mural on the site of the current Duncairn community garden. Distant relative Kenneth Branagh was also born in Tiger’s Bay (An Phoblacht), before leaving at age nine with his family in 1969 (WP); his film Belfast will be released in the USA tomorrow.
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“Heroes get remembered, legends never die.” Walter Smith passed away on October 26th, after a managerial career spanning 33 years, including two stints at Rangers – winning 21 titles over 11 years – and the Scottish national squad. A tarp in his honour – with poppies around his portrait – has been added to the Shankill Road celebration of Rangers’ 2020-2021 league title.
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Here is another collection of images related to the Noah Donohoe campaign – this is now our twelfth post on the topic. The tarp and painted fencing, below, are from the Antrim Road, in north Belfast; the clothing bin is in bus turn-around just beyond Ligoniel; the sticker is in Dublin.
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First and last images Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
Middle two images Copyright © 2021 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
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This tarp, above the office of Sınn Féın Poblachtach and the Happy House on the Falls Road, celebrates two previous generations of IRA leadership. Joe McKelvey was commander of the Belfast Brigade of the IRA in the War Of Independence but against the Treaty; he was executed in December, 1922, for occupying the Four Courts in June (WP). Jimmy Steele was a leader in the Belfast IRA from the 1920s to 1960s and the first editor of Republican News; he died shortly after the split (WP).
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Extramural Activity 