painted wall

If Needed, We Shall Rise Again

Extramural Activity5 Comments
03228 2015-12-26 1stEA Purple+

The years of operation of the UVF in this new Ballyduff mural are given as 1966-1994. The main loyalist paramilitaries began what was to be a lasting ceasefire on 13th of October, 1994. The ceasefire was announced by Gusty Spence, who was the organisation’s original leader in 1966.

“Present peace now, stills our hand, death no longer stalks our land, our weapons are silent, and shall remain, but if needed, we shall rise again.”

03284 2016-02-15 1stEA Purple w+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03282 X03284 fairview ave

The Garland Of Victory

Extramural Activity1 Comment
03087 2015-08-03 UFF Garland+

The UFF mural shown above – with a red fist on a yellow six-pointed star, surrounded by a garland – is in the Lincoln Court area of Londonderry.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03087

We Must Share The Responsibility

Extramural Activity3 Comments
03247 2015-12-20 Common Sense+

UDA commander John McMichael was also secretary of the New Ulster Political Research Group (NUPRG), a think tank of the UDA/UFF. The group argued for an independent Northern Ireland (based in part on beliefs about a separate Ulster ethnic identity – see the Visual History page on Cú Chulainn) in two documents, 1979’s Beyond the Religious Divide and 1987’s Common Sense (available at CAIN), promoting the philosophy of ‘Ulster nationalism’, depicted here by the free-floating Northern Ireland. McMichael ran unsuccessfully for the Belfast South seat after the murder of Robert Bradford (see To Bathe The Sharp Sword Of My Word In Heaven).

“As John McMichael stated before his untimely death, we must share the responsibility for finding a settlement and share the responsibility of maintaining good government. He left us hope.”

Here’s a link to an image (from @conflictNI) of McMichael at the launch of Common Sense in 1987.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03247 X01585 [X01583] [X01584] [X01586] [X01587] lemberg st

Belfast Calling

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
03196 2015-11-19 Belfast Underground Records+

The mural on the shutters of Belfast Underground Records (Web | Fb) reproduces the cover of the album London Calling by The Clash. Vinyl records, and, since September 2015, a radio station with live streaming from the booth!

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03196 queen st

God Approves Our Undertakings

Extramural Activity1 Comment
03255 2016-01-20 G Skeleton+

The All-Seeing Eye Of Providence joins the Eye Of Horus in a conspiracy-minded mural by Visual Waste at the Muddlers’ Club in Belfast. The eye is familiar from Freemasons and the 1 dollar bill in US currency (and the Illuminati!). Also included – against a background consisting of a secret handshake, a skull, and a floating skeleton – are the Square & Compasses of the Freemasons (with a “G” for “God” or “geometry”) a set of scales weighing money, a crown, the word “FATE” tattooed across the knuckles, a keyhole, a gem, the dollar sign, a drop of water, and the Chi-Rho of Catholic and Coptic faiths.

To the left is another, smaller, piece – see The Wider Conspiracy.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03255 annuit coeptis Warehouse Lane

Boundary Way

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
03116 2015-10-11 Lower Shankill Box+

The north and west sides of the substation at Boundary Way in the Lower Shankill estate have been repainted, restoring the Union flag (M02467) and “UYM” (M02469) lettering in vibrant red, white, and blue.

The other two sides, which previously featured “UFF” (X00249) and a C Coy. mural (M02466) are now blank and walled in.

03124 2015-10-14 Boundary Way w2+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03116 X03124 boundary way

Stardust

Extramural Activity2 Comments
03263 2016-01-20 Bowie VisualWaste+

More David Bowie commemoration in Belfast’s city centre: Visual Waste (Web | Fb) reproduces Bowie as Aladdin Sane, successor to Ziggy Stardust. Here’s an Independent article on the iconic image of Bowie with blue and red lightning bolt across his face. On the make-up artist for both Aladdin Sane and Ziggy Stardust, Pierre LaRoche, see this article.

Previously: Bowie by Boyd – Oh You Pretty Thing

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03263 gresham st

The Glory Theirs And The Duty Ours

Extramural Activity1 Comment
03235 2015-12-30 SEAntrim Brigade Kept Faith+

The new loyalist mural in Ballyduff shows volunteers in sunglasses and scarves standing with flags to either side of a monument which reads “They who kept the faith and fought the fight, the glory theirs and the duty ours. Dedicated to the officers and Volunteers of South East Antrim U.D.A. – U.F.F. Quis separabit.”

Replaces a UDA board, featured previously.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03235 fairview rd glengormley ballyduff 2nd batt ulster young militants uff terrae filius

The Accordion Player

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
02993 Aerosol Accordian+

Jef Aérosol (Jean-François Perroy) is a French stencil-artist who did (at least) three pieces in Belfast. Below is a crossed-legged boy that was in Islandbawn Street and above is an accordion-player in Sevastopol Street; for a third piece, on Northumberland Street, see C02031. When the nearby Bobby Sands mural was extended this past year (2015), the stencil was retained. (See also the Visual History page of the Bobby Sands wall.)

02588 2015-04-16 SandsSide+

00330 AerosolCrossLegged+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2009 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02993 X02588 X00330

They Shall Not Pass

Extramural Activity1 Comment
02962 2015-08-23 RunnerNoPasarancrop+

“No pasarán” is Spanish for “they shall not pass”, a phrase used by the Communists and Republicans as they tried (unsuccessfully) to defend the city of Madrid during the Spanish civil war. The board in front commemorates “those from this area who left Ireland to fight against Fascism during the Spanish Civil War 1936-1938”.

“The Runner” in the background mural (part of The People’s Gallery) is also having trouble holding his ground in the (repainted) famous Bogside Artists’ (web) work intended “to be a cautionary reminder to the young of the dangers inherent in civil conflict”. (CAIN)

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02962 rossville st Manus Deery Charles Love Patrick Walsh Thomas traynor john murphy benjamin frederick murray eamon mcgrotty george gorman jack flynn james donald peadar o’donnell james campbell hugh o’donnell paddy o’daire joseph kelly paddy roe mclaughlin francis william vincent o’donnell brian goold-verschoyle paddy glacken phil boyle hugh bonner herbert pollock charles mcguinness william mcchrystal joe boyd irsp teach na faılte irsp.ie tear gas