painted wall

Our Brave Defenders

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In memory of the dead from the 36th (Ulster) Division in St Leonard’s Crescent (the old Newcastle Street) in east Belfast. The four main panels show the men of the 36th going over the top on the first day of the Somme (1st July 1916), the “angel of Mons” (WP), Ulster Tower (This tower was dedicated to the glory of God. In grateful memory of the officers, non commissioned officers and men of the 36th (Ulster) Division, and of the sons of Ulster in other forces who laid down their lives in the great war, and of all their comrades in arms who, by divine grace, were spared to testify to their glorious deeds. “Throughout the long years of struggle …. the men of Ulster have proved how nobly they fight and die” – 16th November 1918 King George V), and Thiepval Memorial (Dear men and brothers, going out/to fight for Ulster’s need/we hail you with a mighty shout/brave friends, and true in deed.//Your country holds you in renown/your names will never be dead/and some sweet angel has a crown/for each dear, manly head.)

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Mountainhill Youth Club

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The new mural at Mountainhill Youth Club follows the same format as its predecessor, with the left side being social messages directed at kids and the right being “the village [i.e. Ligoniel] in older times”.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Wolfhill

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Wolfhill is so named because the last wolf in Ireland was supposedly shot there in 1692 (Belfast Hills); this distinction is also claimed by Camlough. The Wolfhill Centre, which is across the Ligoniel Road from this mural, is home to the Ligoniel Improvement Association. On the right of the mural is St Vincent de Paul’s church, which is a little further down the road.

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Copyright © 2010 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Looking Back

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Back in January, Bill Rolston said that there weren’t many murals featuring British royalty. The number has surely seen a large increase in the year of the diamond jubilee and the covenant centenary. This ‘blue queen’ is from the Village area.

Detail below …

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00613 X00612 ER II, this we will maintain

Young Newtown

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Young Newtown (more typically “Young Newton” – see e.g. 1989 and 2005) is the Newtownards Road division of the Ulster Young Militants (UYM) and formerly a Tartan Gang (History Ireland). 

UDA shield in McMaster Street, east Belfast.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The Girl With The Flaxen Hair

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Here’s a mural by Friz (who was featured painting in east Belfast), on the Cupar Way peace line. This mural went up earlier this (2012) summer, but it is already covered in signatures and messages from tourists, who are encouraged to write on (some of?) the pieces on Cupar Way. There’s a “clean” version on Friz’s own blog.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Working On A Building

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Belfast is getting two new pieces of streetart as part of the East Belfast Arts Festival, one by Friz and one by Hicks54. Both are a-political artists from outside Northern Ireland. Friz is now based in Belfast. Hicks is/was a member of the 54 collective, in Southampton, England.

Above is Friz completing her mural in Constance Street, Sept. 8th.

The muraling during the Festival is “in conjunction with the Lower Castlereagh Community Group, East Belfast Partnership, and kindly funded by the Lloyds TSB Foundation”.

Below is (Ed) Hicks54 in front of his project, on the Newtownards Rd … (across from McDonalds) and a wide shot of the whole scaffold …

There’s an even earlier development shot at his flickr account.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00608 X00610 X00611 saving the seeds for our community

Pacifying The Six Counties

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Photo of a Carlos Latuff cartoon drawn on the wall of a downtown cafe (Caıfe Na Croısbhealaí) in King Street. Dated June 19th, 2012. There was a post on Slugger recently relating to this issue. While he was in Belfast, Latuff was a collaborator on this mural.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00598 pacifying the six counties, síothú sna sé contae, media, latuff 2012, belfast 19th june

Hands Across The Yard

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This mural expresses solidarity between Irish republican and Palestinian prisoners of war. It was painted by a local artist in collaboration with Carlos Latuff, a Brazilian political cartoonist. There’s a picture of Latuff and the local artist in front of the mural, as well as his cartoon version, here. (Update – he also drew a cartoon on the wall of a café in Belfast.) He also visited Derry.

Northumberland Street, Belfast.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00586 solidarity pows

Titanic Town

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May 2012 mural celebrating workers at Harland & Wolff and the building of the Titanic (and Olympic) 1908-1911. Gable wall of Allen’s Tours (Allen’s Furniture)

The artist is Ed Reynolds, whose site contains images of him at work on the piece (steadyhanded.com).

Somewhat reminiscent of Magritte’s 1959 Le Mois Des Vendages.

Combermere St. (Donegall Rd. just before Sandy Row).

The left-hand “title” and two details follow below …

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00595 X00600 X00594 X00601 funded by belfast city council titanic workers, this mural was developed under belfast city council’s titanic community engagement project with support from titanic foundation. thanks go to sandy row community forum, local residents and artist Ed Reynolds.