This is the scene on the Shore Road (north Belfast) at Gray’s Lane. From left to right, “[Tony] Blair/Haine [Peter Hain, NI Secretary] – 2 S/F Toadies”; “And so the sham goes on”; “Johnny Adair – South East Antrim UFF – No Surrender”; and below, the remains of the Tudor Lodge (still present in 2017).
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Copyright © 2005 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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This is the scene as Glenbryn Park was being rebuilt. The “peace” line separates Protestant Glenbryn from Catholic Ardoyne. “Build My Gallows” is a Rangers football song, but the last line here is “Build my gallows, build them high … for I’m not in Eire”.
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Copyright © 2004 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“Faugh-a-ballagh” (from the Irish “Fág an bhealach”, “clear the way”) is the regimental motto of the Royal Irish Regiment. It is said to date back to 1811, when it was used by ensign Edward Keogh of the 87th Prince Of Wales’s Irish regiment. See also: Colonel Tim Collins, commander of the first battalion, who made a famous speech on the eve of the Iraq invasion | Talavera 1809.
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Copyright © 2004 Extramural Activity
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“Who burnt us out? People before profit.” “Fat cats get fatter – puts the kittens out in the cold.” “They burnt us out – don’t let them get away with it.”
On April 17th, 2004, incendiary devices went off at multiple points inside the 1936 Art Deco-style North Street Arcade (BelTel) and more than 20 businesses, including Good Vibrations record store, were burnt out. Suspects were interviewed (Guardian) but no charges were ever brought.
The third image is from October: new shutters have been graffitied with “New shutters wont hide the fact that you burnt out twenty businesses – shame on you.” Google Street View from 2008 shows graffiti reading, “Make my Christmas – jail the arsonists. Shame on you” with an anarchist symbol. In 2010, KVLR, DOC, and Filth sprayed the shutters (web). In 2012, ARNZ (of TMN) wrote on the shutters (Street View).
On the shutters blocking the arcade itself, KVLR and Friz (of SPOOM) jointly painted a piece for the 2011 Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival and repainted it in 2012, again for the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival. (See Visual History 11.)
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Copyright © 2004 Extramural Activity
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More graffiti referencing Johnny Adair: “J-Adair his only crime killed a young handicap Protestant lad”. The “lad” in question was Noel Cardwell, who had a mental age of 12. His crime was to tell the RUC the names of two men who had spiked his drink; they were UDA and friends of Adair. He was beaten and shot in the head (Sunday Mirror). Adair denied involvement and was not charged with the killing when arrested on charges of directing terrorism.
Huss Row, Belfast.
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Copyright © 2004 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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A twofer here, as we get graffiti next to the mural decrying Sinn Féin on Shankill Parade. “J[ohnny] Adair, T[homas] Beresford – the real pimps.” For UDA C Coy pimping, see Free Library, but why Adair and Beresford are the real pimps is unknown. See the Visual History page on the Adair-Era Murals for background on Adair; see this BelTel article for information about the feud.)
Here’s a shot of the wider scene, from the Boundary Street side, with more graffiti about Johnny Adair: “Pimp Adair, bring it on. Jan 05.” “Jan 05” is a reference to Adair’s forthcoming release from prison.
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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
X00047 X00071 this is the sinn fein commitment to the peace process, guns from florida ireland, castlereagh break in, training farc rebels, stormont spy ring, the real pimps, pimp adair, bring it on, jan 5, c coy, est 2nd batt. uff, simply the best
C Company of UFF 2nd battalion was the lower Shankill company headed by Johnny Adair until he was expelled from the UDA in September 2002 and his friends and family fled to Scotland in February 2003.
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Copyright © 2004 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“No peace”, “INLA”, and “KAH” [Kill all Huns/Protestants] but also “KAI” [Kill All Irish] covered over on the right – republican graffiti in a mixed area, the junction of Cavehill Road and North Circular Road in north Belfast.
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Copyright © 2003 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Extramural Activity 