building/structure

The Depths Of Sectarianism

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03249 2016-01-12 City Cemetery Buried Wall+

Belfast’s City Cemetery opened in 1869 and was originally intended for the interment of both Catholics and Protestants. At the insistence of Catholic clergy who argued that the ground would not be consecrated if shared, the graveyard was created with an underground wall (shown above) nine feet in height. (Republican News) After further disputes, however, Catholics were not routinely buried in the graveyard until 100 years later; they were buried instead in the nearby Milltown Cemetery.

Here is a short video of local expert Tom Hartley at the wall:

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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We Need A Bonfire

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03159 2015-11-06 We Need A Bonfire+

A suggested cure for the winter-time blues, in waste ground off Milner Street: We need a bonfire. The pink plastic Barbie-mobile is not the best fuel.

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X03159 truck child’s toy barbie

Hopewell Razed

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The lower Shankill gable with the infamous UDU mural, with the gunman pointing at the viewer, has been razed. (Irish News article on what it calls the ‘Belfast Mona Lisa’.)

Compare this image with the one in Hopewell Gallery.

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See-Through Sectarianism

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2015-05-31 SeeThroughGates+

In May 2013 the Executive pledged to remove “peace” lines in ten years – by 2023 (Tele). One step in this process is see-through gates, such as those at Workman Avenue in the image above. There is no change, however, to the fence on the Springfield Road – see the image below. See previously: the new gates in Howard Street.

2015-05-31 SeeThroughGatesWide+

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Foreign Arrivals

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2015-04-20 BallycarryChinese+

Chinese, Cantonese, European, and Presbyterian. Three signs outside the Chinese take-away in Ballycarry: the Chinese lettering for the restaurant, a DUP poster supporting Sammy Wilson, and an Ulster-Scots heritage banner: “1613 The Arrival of Edward Brice – The first presbyterian minister in Ireland”.

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X02592 village

Standing Stone

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2015-03-14 TeleBlitz+

“The scars on this stone were caused in the German air raids of the second world war. Despite severe damage to the building, the Belfast Telegraph was published without interruption.” The masonry above forms part of what was the old front door of the offices, at the corner of Royal Avenue and Library Street.

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Laundry Service

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2014-11-21 AllWashedUp+

The Andy Tyrie Interpretive Centre on the Newtownards Road was opened on August 31st, 2012 (FB) and includes UDA/UFF memorabilia from troubles, including the 1974 Ulster Workers’ Council Strike in which the centre’s namesake, then head of the UDA, played a large role (WP).

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02384 feriens tego peace can only be achieved through understanding please feel free to call in loyalist conflict museum onevoice-ni.com common sense bill of rights make it right all washed up the online laundry drycleaning company protestants history volunteers northern ireland community intepretative

Winter In The Tropics

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2014-11-21 BotGardens3+

The tropical ravine in the Botanic Gardens is closed for renovation over the winter. The large plants which could not be moved had to be wrapped up as protection against the cold. (Belfast City Council) The ravine – including the elevated interior walkway shown above – was the brain-child of Charles McKimm (Ulster History Circle) whose blue plaque is shown in the second image. The images in this post were taken on the day before closing.

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X02386 X02387 X02388 1848 – 1907 first general superintendent of belfast parks 1903

The Verticality Of The Divine

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2014-10-09 Connswater2+

One of the H&W cranes and the spire of Calvary Baptist church (and a street-light) reach to the heavens over the junction of Dee Street and Severn Street and (as the wider shot, below, shows) a “Connswater Women’s Group” mural.

2014-10-09 Connswater1+

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X02270 X02269 joining together the women of our community Nothing of the verticality of the divine, no sign of the hallucinatory presence of upright stone.

Partition

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2014-11-19 EndPartitionWide+

“End partition” was the message on the mountain (Black Mountain/Slıabh Dubh) last week, shown here between Clonard Monastery on the left (where the Hume-Adams talks took place in 1988 and 1993) and  the Cupar Way “peace” line on the right.

2014-11-19 BallsPeaceLine+

X06756 2019-08-18 Bombay St Wall+

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