Holding My Breath

03091 2015-10-04 DMC CNB15 Underwater+

Work by DMC (Dermot McConaghy TwitterInstagram) at the harbour, an underwater version of the “Invertigo” piece he did the week before (with JMK (Twitter)) CNB15 in Lisburn.

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03091 harbour promenade

UFF South East Antrim Brigade

03038 2015-09-23 UFF SEAntrim Fist+

 16 towns and town-lands of south-east County Antrim are named in this recent UFF mural: Rathcoole, Rathfern, Monkstown, Shore Road, Whitewell, Glengormley, Greenisland, Carrickfergus, Whitehead, Ballycarry, Ballyclare, Larne, Newtownards, Antrim, Antrim, Ballymena, Braidside.

This mural was painted in late summer, 2015, on a wall that had been blank since at least 2008. In 2006, it bore a UDA mural, for which see M03060 (by Peter Moloney).

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03038 knocknenagh dr red fist star garland cloughfern

The Horse Monster

03099 2015-10-04 CNB15 Seahorses d2+

Sea horses constitute the genus hippocampus, or horse sea-monster, so-called because they appear to be a hybrid of a horse’s upper body with the lower body of an fish or dolphin. The specimens shown in today’s three images are work by Emic (Fb | Web) – who also did We Borrow The Earth From Our Children — on ‘harbour promenade’ next to the Big Fish.

For one of the models (and more stunning sea horses), see #2 in this gallery of seahorses and seadragons.

03093 2015-10-04 CNB15 Seahorses d+

03092 2015-10-04 CNB15 Seahorses+

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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House Pride

03021 2015-09-20 KVLR CNB15 d+

Not exhausted by last year’s monster piece (Home Taping Is Killing Music), here’s another tall, tall, CNB/HTN piece by KVLR (Kev Largey | Tw | Instragram) next to Psychonautes’s Jay Adams Soul Sailor, Hicks’s The Woods Are Lovely Dark And Deep, and Conor Harrington’s The Duel at the Black Box in Hill Street.

03020 2015-09-20 KVLR CNB15+

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03021 X03020 culture night belfast hit the north spiderman fools spray paint can brick bottle ladder graffiti rors born fin maq

Another Sunrise, Another New Beginning

03188 2015-11-12 Fianna banner+

This is the middle wall on the site of the former Andersonstown RUC station, which has undergone three changes in recent months. The longstanding Fıanna sunburst (see X00350) was painted over with IRPWA stencils (Stop strip searches, End Internment, Justice For The Craigavon 2) which in turn were largely covered with writing by DAZE (see the image below). Most recently, a large Fıanna banner, shown above, has been placed over the wall.

03014 2015-09-17 JFTC2 Daze+

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X03188 X03014 Falls Rd Sınn Féın republican youth óıge phoblachtach ógra shınn féın  glaıne ınár gcroí neart ınár ngéaga beart de réır ar mbrıath purity in our hearts strength in our arms truth on our lips irish republican prisoners welfare association

Free As A Bird

03232 2015-12-26 Seasons Greetings Ardoyne+

The mural shows a line of fir trees rather than steel gates but the robins on the spiked rail above give away that we’re on the “peace” line separating loyalist west Belfast from nationalist north Belfast and that the road is still closed. “Seasons Greetings” Belfast-style.

UPDATE Jan 3rd: a similar trompe l’oeil piece by Breandán Clarke could be found at this location previously, showing cars parked on the street (via Old Belfast Photographs/Glenravel History).

“Like a bird on a wire, like a drunk in a midnight choir, I have tried in my way to be free.” – Leonard Cohen Bird On The Wire

03231 2015-12-26 Seasons Greetings Ardoyne d+

03230 2015-12-26 Seasons Greeting Ardoyne w+

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X03232 X03231 X03230 crumlin rd

Brıogáıd Dhoıre

02834 2015-08-25 BriogaidDhoire+

The Provisional IRA emerged from a split in the IRA in the wake of sectarian unrest in 1969. The Derry battalion became the Derry Brigade (An Brıogáıd Dhoıre) in 1972 when the number of people wishing to become volunteers swelled in the aftermath of Bloody Sunday. It is estimated that 1,000 Derry Catholics (2% of the population) were imprisoned for IRA activities in the 70s and 80s. (WP) The image above shows a mural with Cú Chulaınn, an oak leaf with crossed rifles, and a lily. In the centre is a board commemorating volunteers from the 1st battalion — an identical board can be found on Westland Street; see Spirit Of Freedom – and below are a commemorative standing stone and dolmen a short distance away.

02827 2015-08-24 StandingStone+

02812 2015-08-24 Dolmen+

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02834 X02827 X02812 lecky rd irish republican army óglaıgh na héıreann lafferty donaghey keenan starrs mcgillen carr mcdaid moyne heaney coyle harkin duffy quigley english mcsheffrey mcfadden unbowed and unbroken erected in memory of the fallen in ireland about 3000 BC it is believed that they were erected to honour an esteemed chieftain or warrior tógadh an leacht cuımhneacháın ın ónóır agus ı gcuımhne ar chéad chathlán bhrıogáıd dhoıre óglaıgh na héıreann tugtar ómós do mhısneach saoırse poblachta

Partial Eclipse

02838 2015-08-25 FountainBillyCircleStop+

An old mural of King Billy crossing the Boyne, which was covered over first by a mural of President Theodore Roosevelt (see M01532) and then a mural of scenes from the old Fountain area (see Past The Gaol), has re-emerged on the wall in Wapping Lane.

For the original version, see M00939. Before the King Billy mural, there was one to Michael Stone from 1989 – see M00627.

02837 2015-08-25 FountainBillyCircle+

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02838 X02837

In The Meanwhile Community Garden

The Connswater community garden is called “In The Meanwhile” (one of four in east Belfast operated by Groundwork NI to make use of empty ground in the ‘meanwhile’). A field-mouse(?) and a robin share the hedgerow peaceably in the mural that serves as a backdrop. The work is by Friz. The garden has its own Facebook page. For some background see this Irish News article.

Previously: Ed Hicks’s California Dreamin’

02795 2015-08-21 EBelfastCommGarden2+

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02791 X02795 connswater st

Slí Na Gaeltachta

03225 2015-12-18 Slí na Gaeltachta+

Slí Na Gaeltachta (The Gaeltacht Way) is a 2.5-mile trail of twenty-six “art and heritage” stops from the city centre to the Whiterock Road in west Belfast. A gaeltacht is an Irish-speaking region.

See previously: Onwards – memorial mural to Clive Dutton, author of the Dutton Report calling for the regeneration of west Belfast by (in part) developing its Irish-language identity.

02752 2015-07-24 SlíNaGaeltachtaSquaring+

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03225 X02752 brighton st www.forbaırtfeırste.com fáılte go welcome to Ag fíorú ghaeltacht bheo Bhéal Feırste – Driving forward Belfast’s vibrant Gaeltacht.