Seamus Heaney was born on this date in 1939 on a farm in County London-/Derry. His first (full) collection was Death Of A Naturalist in 1966 and it included the poem Twice Shy, the concluding lines of which are painted on Stranmillis embankment: Still waters running deep along the embankment walk.
Painted by UUSU students (see also Animals Two By Two).
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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This mural celebrates the 14th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles and the Victoria Cross-winning exploits of two soldiers born in Carrickfergus: James Crichton, who served in the New Zealand forces (WP) and Daniel Cambridge, who served in the Royal Artillery in the Crimean War (WP). Their bravery is described as follows on the side-wall (in the image below):
Rank: Pte. James Crichton. Reg: 2nd Btn Auckland Infantry Reg. Born: Carrickfergus 15th July 1879. Deed: Creveloeur, France 30th Sept. 1918
For most conspicuous bravery & devotion to duty, wounded in the foot, he continued with the advancing troops. After being forced back by a counter attack, he carried a message, which involved swimming a river and crossing an area swept by machine gun fire. He later saved a bridge which had been mined and although under close fire from snipers and machine guns, was able to remove the charges and return with the fuses and detonators.
Rank: Sgt. Daniel Cambridge. Reg: Royal Regiment Of Artillery. Born: Carrickfergus Co. Antrim 1820. Deed: Crimea, 8th Sept. 1855
Having been severely wounded at the assault of Redan, on the same day he went out in front of the advanced trench under heavy fire to bring in a wounded man. In performing this he was severely wounded a second time [having been shot through the jaw]. He was decorated by Queen Victoria at the first V.C. investiture at Hyde Park on 26th June 1857.
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The Somme mural in Glynn, County Antrim has been repainted. The previous version had troops silhouetted against the colours of sunset; the new version has them against a cloudy sky and includes a grave and poppies.
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Here are two shots of a long mural between Mountforde Road and Beechfield Street in east Belfast. It features a tree growing out of a book, a golden teapot, with teabag hanging out the side, and a street scene. “Drugs Out” has been helpfully graffitied at the far end.
There doesn’t seem to be any information at all about this mural on-line. So, if you have any leads, please e-mail or leave a comment.
On the same wall: Geordie Bell
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St Malachy’s (tw | Fb) is a junior (i.e. 2nd division/B-tier) GAA club established 1936 in the Markets area of south Belfast. It is not known who the six portraits are of (there were originally only the four at the corners – see M08137) or who the four players are. Get in touch if you have any information.
With sponsorship from Pulse, Belfast City Council, New Belfast Community Arts Initiative, the Housing Executive, and ?Brighten Belfast?
Shaftesbury Avenue, Belfast
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“End internment by remand. End forced strip searches. End controlled movement.”
Fists are raised in defiance of the police state (both PSNI and Gardaí). Cogús (meaning “conscience”) is the division of the Republican Network for Unity (Fb) concerned with political prisoners. (RNU published a list of prisoners before Christmas.)
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The upper flag on the right-hand side of this mural – purple saltire on a blue background with star and red hand – is the proposed flag of Ulster nationalists. The position was espoused by the UDA of the 1970s, under the guise of the political parties the Ulster Loyalist Democratic Party and the Ulster Democratic Party, and for a time by the Red Hand Commandos under the Ulster Loyalist Central Coordinating Committee.
For the previous (identical) version, see UFF Carrickfergus in the Peter Moloney collection.
Previously: Northern Island. For the obscured mural on the right, see Out Of The Trenches.
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Disney’s The Jungle Book is featured in this new kids mural in New Barnsley/Moyard, with Flunkey the langur (above), with from right to left, Kaa the python, (Dumbo), Shere Khan the Bengal tiger, Buzzie & Dizzie two of the four vultures (based on that other Fab Four, the Beatles (Disney Wiki)), Hathi and Junior the elephants,(Bambi) and the three wolf pups who grow up with Mowgli.
As the wide shot (last image, below) shows, politics is never very far away: there is pro-Hamas graffiti on the pavement. Write-up of the launch.
See previously: a selection of Disney Princesses in Look Behind You! | If The Shoe Fits | Magic Mountain
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Spray painting is an approved type of youth activity in this Glenfield/Castlemara community mural on a low wall on Oakfield Drive. You can see the ‘coat of arms’ (from the wide shot, below) of the Glenfield Community Association more clearly via their Facebook page.
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“This mural was created by Youth Action, occupied Ireland’s Ligoniel Young Men with the help of Blaze FX Art Design.” Previously it read “Northern Ireland”. The mural includes one youth gazing down into the city, the bus coming up to Ligonield, two spray-paint artists painting the mural and (just off to the left) two boys fishing.
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Extramural Activity 