Signature piece, and signature, by This Means Nothing (later to become Emic (Fb | Web | Tw)) in Garfield Street, Belfast.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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painted wall
Falls Curfew 1970
This is a 2010 mural of Máıre Drumm and the women of West Belfast breaking the British Army curfew of the lower Falls in 1970 (youtube). Drumm was later shot dead in her bed in the Mater hospital where she was a patient (WP).
The mural was unveiled July 4th on the 40th anniversary of the curfew’s end – see p. 28 of An Phoblacht. This version incorporates two of the ‘Free Marian Price’ (painted) “posters” that have been added to most of the murals – see the Visual History page on the International wall. The original can be seen in M05636. A shot of this mural being painted can be found here.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00597 oppression breeds resistance, resistance brings freedom, falls curfew july 1970, dedicated to all those women who faced up to military aggression, free marian price, i ndil chuimhne william burns 3-7-70 charles o’neill 3-7-70, zbigniew uglik 4-7-70, patrick elliman 11-7-70, murdered by the british army during the falls curfew of july 3-5 1970. the curfew was finally broken by the courage and determination of the women of belfast
Stroud Street
Here is an angled shot of the entire Stroud St. mural, details of which have been featured in one | two | three previous entries. The artist is Ed Reynolds (steadyhanded.com) “assisted by William McKee Strong, June 2012”. The Tele had a write-up of the work: The Singing Butcher.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00588 sandy row 1907, tram workers sandy row at the albion Alex Higgins Joe Hillerby Alanna Audley-Murphy Ruby Murray James Johnston Joe Bambrick
The Elliots – Stroud St #3
Here is a third panel from the new Stroud St. mural (previous panels one | two). This image is based on a photograph by the celebrated Belfast photographer Bill Kirk whose exhibit ‘Sandy Row 1974’ was at the Red Barn Gallery September-October 2011. At 6:50 in the video below one can see the original photograph of the Elliots.
This mural is an example of the ‘re-imaging’ of local areas that is being commissioned/sponsored by public bodies in NI at present. The stated aim of the project is to replace existing murals with ones that are less violent or, as in this case, to create new ones in order to enhance the appearance of an area. This mural contains no images of flags, political or paramilitary personages or emblems. It is ‘non-political’ in that sense, though you might argue that state sponsorship of ‘neutral’ images is in itself a political act.
Many such murals seem to rely on nostalgia, as is evident in this image.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00587 mr & mrs elliot in the back yard of their house boyne sq 1974
Pole Swing In Stroud Street
Here’s the part of the Stroud Street mural (mentioned a few days ago in Just The Ticket) that incorporates the street-light into the mural.
Ed Reynolds is the artist. The mural was commissioned by the Belfast City Council, in consultation with the Sandy Row Community Forum and the Residents’ Association
There are a few seconds of footage of children swinging on a light pole at the 1:25 mark of this youtube video
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Green, White, And Bronze
This is the new Michael Conlan mural, on Violet Street, painted by Marty Lyons. It is notable for how quickly it went up (Conlon (and Barnes) won medals on August 11th), for the sponsorship (by the Beehive and McPeakes), and for the artists’ signatures (below the McPeakes label – click on the image to enlarge).
Boxing is organized on an all-island basis (WP), though at the Olympics boxers can choose to fight for either Ireland or GBNI.
At London 2012, Ireland won four medals in boxing. Conlan, Barnes, Katie Taylor (gold) and John Joe Nevin (silver).
(P.S. The Nevins are travellers (WP) and Mr and Mrs Nevin could not find an establishment in Mullingar where they could watch the fight – they had to go out of town to a pub where they weren’t known. )
Here’s a picture of the mural in progress. (Replaces the Celtic mural.)
Other Olympians: In London, a mural of Usain Bolt. In the U.S., a mural was painted of gymnastic champion Gabby Douglas. Irish/Northern Irish Olympians in Belfast. Anti-corporate Olympics mural.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00584 michael conlon, the beehive, mcpeakes, XXX olympiad london 2012, violet street
Just The Ticket
Part of the long, multi-panel mural in Stroud St by Ed Reynolds – with help from the person pictured, William McKee Strong. For the whole thing, see Stroud St Entire.
The parking-ticket machine is real.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Local History From Local People
“Get the real story – local history from local people – take a black taxi tour – West Belfast Taxi Association – 40 years unbroken service”. The tours of “local” history are of course aimed at non-locals as part of the ‘dark tourism’ or ‘Troubles tourism’ boom.
Here is the Getty Images photo of British Army soldiers on the Falls Road in 1969, on which the mural is based.
International Wall, west Belfast.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Never Actually Existed
The new WARN (West Against Racism Network) mural on the international wall, in the style of Punch and other magazines’ portrayal of the Irish.
On the left, an Irish family in front of a window reading “No Irish need apply” is stereotyped as jagged-toothed, shillelagh-wielding hunch-backs in the style of Punch and other magazines’ portrayal of the Irish. The Punch portrayal is described, and Punch named explicitly, in the song ‘Do Me Justice’ a.k.a. ‘Here I Am From Donegal’. (Lyrics | audio: Frank Harte (full song) | Len Graham (clip).) They also carry a copy of “The Big Begorra” – a play on The Big Issue, a newspaper published on behalf of, and sold by, homeless people. “We’re projections of 19th century anti-Irish prejudice—we’ve never actually existed.”
The treatment of the Irish is used as an anology for the the Roma (WP): “Whereas I, ethnoid steriotypus their creator, have existed since time immemorial. My latest target—the Roma! I hope you’ll swallow all the lies I concoct.”
“Hey—what was the outcome of the harassment of the Roma newspaper sellers?” “The evening edition collapsed!” – this is a reference to the Belfast Telegraph‘s decision to cease printing an evening edition.
This mural does NOT contain a reference to the ‘Free Marian Price’ (WP | FB) campaign, which all of the other murals on the international wall currently (summer 2012) do. In the lower right is the signature of political cartoonist Ian Knox, a.k.a. Blotski (WP) – Marty Lyons and a Short Strand artist were also involved – and date (9 August, 2012 – for Féile 2012 (pictures of the launch).
(Replaces a black-and-red ‘Oppose Racism‘ mural, which replaced the Liam MacCarthy Cup mural.)
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00581 No Irish need apply; we’re projections of 19th century anti-Irish prejudice—we’ve never actually existed;west against racism network’ big begorra issue; whereas I ethnoid steriotypus their creator, have existed since time immemorial; my latest target—the Roma!; I hope you’ll swallow all the lies I concoct; Hey—what was the outcome of the harassment of the Roma newspaper sellers?’ the evening edition collapsed!
Bundoran Banksy
“Copyright is for losers © TM – Banksy”. A “Banksy”, about Banksy, in Bundoran.
The statement on the left appears on the printer’s page inside the cover of Wall And Piece, but is immediately followed by “Against his better judgment, Banksy has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 …”!
For Banksy, see banksy.co.uk, WP.
Related: (the real) Banksy’s Olympics works, Hackney Welcomes the Olympics and Going For Mould.
See also: Belfast Banksy
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Extramural Activity 