Highlights from Northern Ireland’s (football team) history on the footbridge from Windsor Avenue to Windsor Park (stadium). “N. Ireland v England 1947″,”Michael Hughes v Germany 1992”, and “George Best v Gordon Banks”. By Blaze FX.
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Copyright © 2010 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The summer of 1969 is generally taken to be the beginning of the Troubles in Belfast and the most famous symbol of the August riots is the burning of Bombay Street. The street was (and is) just below the old Cupar Street, where many streets drop down from the Shankill (you can see the distribution of PUL and CNR houses in the Visual History page on the west Belfast “peace” line). This event is commemorated in nationalist murals (see e.g. No Mission) but for a statement from the PUL perspective, see Can It Change?
The mural is based on a Frankie Quinn photograph “Belfast 1984”.
Hopewell Avenue, lower Shankill, west Belfast.
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Copyright © 2009/2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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IRSP mural on Northumberland Street, with the Starry Plough shining over the walls of Long Kesh.
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Copyright © 2009 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“Providing a community transport system for over 40 years.” The West Belfast Taxi Association (WBTA) have had a mural on the International Wall since at least 2006, offering tours of west Belfast and the murals in particular. Martin Meehan was originally OIRA but switched to the Provisionals after the split. He was the first person convicted of membership of the PIRA and spent 18 years in prison during the Troubles (WP). “Codaıl samh a chomradaí.”
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Copyright © 2009 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“Artist Daniela Balmaverde has worked with older members of the local community to reminisce and to appreciate those from North Belfast who have made an impact on our broader society. A multiplicity of initiatives has altered the face and conditions of life in this community with Re-Imaging making a positive contribution to a long-term process. The project was launched by the Lord Mayor on August 2009 This project was funded through the Re-Imaging Communities programme of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and delivered by Belfast City Council with the support of Lower Ormeau Road Resident’s Action Group. This project is supported by the Shared Communities Consortium.”
The figures in the mural include Buck Alec Robinson, Rinty Monaghan, Sam McAughtry, Sir James Galway, Dame Mary Peters, Norman Whiteside, and Wayne McCullough. The mural replaced is the one equating the American Confederates with the Ulster Covenant in Alliance Crescent.
Update: 2022 shot of the blanked wall
Copyright © 2009 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“Councillor Liam MacCarthy, Ireland’s forgotten son. Gael, patriot. Winners of the All-Ireland hurling championship are awarded a trophy named after MacCarthy.
This is an unusual mural in terms of form: it is a mix of mural and board and the knot-work border does not go around the top, so that the hurley players extend the painting and not do not break the frame of the painting.
International wall, Divis St. To the right of the Cuba 50 mural.
(Replaced in 2012 by Never Actually Existed)
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Copyright © 2009 Cathal Woods
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“Askatasuna [freedom]. 700 political prisoners! Political parties banned! Incidents of torture! Civil rights abused! Not Spain, not France. Self-determination for the Basque country.” Also highlighted on the map are Galicia and Catalonia.
Pro-Basque mural on the International Wall. To the left of this Cuba 50 mural.
Another pro-Basque mural went up in Beechmount in 2012.
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Copyright © 2009 Cathal Woods
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“Everyone has the right to live free from sectarian/racist harassment!!! Arkansas ’57 — Ardoyne 2001 — South Belfast ’09”
This is a smaller and cruder version of the classic Ardoyne mural about the Holy Cross dispute, updated now to include the treatment of Romanians in south Belfast – see e.g. Guardian | BelTel.
To the right of the Manchester Martyrs, to the left of the WBTA mural, on the International Wall, Divis Street.
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Copyright © 2009 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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This mural on the International Wall commemorates the Manchester martyrs, Philip Allen, Michael O’Brien, Michael Larkin.
The three were publicly hanged on November ?23rd?, 1867, for the killing of a Manchester policeman, Charles Brett. Brett was inside a prison van carrying two IRB leaders when it was set upon by 30 or more people (depicted in the small insert at the top of the mural). The attendant escort fled, leaving Brett inside; he was killed by a bullet fired into the lock. Five people were convicted, one of whom, O’Meagher Condon, shouted “God save Ireland” during the trial; this was turned into an extremely popular song in memory of the three (Wolfe Tones version). Their graves were discovered in 2003 (Irish Times) and a campaign is being waged to repatriate their corpses (Sınn Féın).
“Bring them back to Irish soil. Three Irishmen, one an American citizen, were falsely accused, convicted and hung on the 24th November 1867 in Manchester where their bodies still lie. God save Ireland.”
To the left of the Arkansas – Ardoyne – South Belfast mural.
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Copyright © 2009 Cathal Woods
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Picasso’s Guernica (WP) was recreated on The International Wall (Divis Street) in 2007 and now (2009) a reference to the deaths in Gaza has been added on the right, in the form of two bombs — one with a swastika and “Guernica ’37” and the other with a Star Of David and “Gaza 2009” — above and below the information plaque (which can be seen in the Peter Moloney Collection).
To the left of the Manchester Martyrs mural. Takes the place of the Bodenstown mural.
The mural was painted by local artists ME, DD, MD, with Conrad Atkinson (middle) and Robert Ballagh (right).
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Copyright © 2009 Cathal Woods
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Extramural Activity 