Seymour Hill In The Wars

The Seymour Hill WWII mural will be 14 years old this coming July (2023) but it is hanging on fairly well. It is quite faded – especially the parachutes at the top – but there is no graffiti on the wall itself, only on the wall below it. For the mural when new and information about the US camp and portrait of Colditz prisoner William Harbinson, see M04776.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11913 X11906 [X11907] [X11908] X11909 X11910 X11911 X11914 [X11912]

The Global Order

There are Orange Order lodges in Ghana and Togo and there were previously lodges in South Africa and Nigeria (History Ireland | WP). A photo of the Ghanaian representative in the mural – Dennis Tette Tay – is included in this BBC article. The Canadian representative is perhaps from “Mohawk Loyal Orange Lodge No. 99” on the Mohawk Reservation at Desoronto, Ontario, Canada (Fb).

Vandalised with “KAH” and “UDA scum!” graffiti.

The Fountain, Londonderry

Update: The cleaned-up board in February of 2023 can be seen in the Paddy Duffy collection.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11059 [X11058] X11061 [X11060] [X11062] in god our trust faith hope charity

Belfast Busker

Enniskillen singer John Garrity (ig | Fb) is a familiar face in Belfast city centre, often seen busking in Castle Place and Cornmarket. He drew criticism in September 2021 for singing the ballad ‘Grace’ – about the hours-long bride of James Plunkett, executed after the 1916 Rising – while an Orange Order parade passed by. Garrity claims he was already singing the song when the parade happened to come by (Belfast Live). (Here is a rendition from another occasion – youtube.) He then gained a persistent heckler (Irish News). Now he is the subject of a mural by Glen Molloy (ig) in Donegall Street, Belfast, on the wall of the long-ago burned-out North Street Arcade, where Matt Sewell’s Carnival Of The Animals was.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X12271

Together We Can

Elephants walk in single file and young elephants often hold the tail of an adult. This pair by South African artist Falko One (ig | Fb) is on the exterior wall of the Alliance Party’s east Belfast constituency office. (Chris Lyttle is no longer in the office – he took up a job with the IFA in July – BelTel).

Three other Falko elephants in east Belfast and one in the city centre

Grampian Avenue, Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X08972 X08971 [X08973] X08970

We Are What We Think We Are

Like “You’re never too old to set another goal or dream another dream” in east Belfast, “We are what we believe we are” appears to be another of those inspirational quotes attributed to – but not actually by – CS Lewis. The quote appears alongside Belfast landmarks the Titanic centre, Aslan, the Big Fish/Salmon of Knowledge, an unidentified cupola. Part of a piece by Faigy (ig) in Wilson’s Entry, Belfast.

Click and click again to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14064

Thousands Are Sailing

Shane O’Malley’s (web) piece for the “Famine Street Art Trail” (youtube) in Derry was inspired by the tune The Coffin Ships (score | youtube) by Tommy Peoples (web). The other piece in the “trail” is Omin’s Stars, Look Down/A Réaltaí, Féachaíg’ Anuas.

Great James Street, Derry

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11109 UVArts

Political Leaders Are Not Listening

Here is a second set of images showing the “peace or protocol” poster that has appeared in PUL areas in the city, three in east Belfast – along the Newtownards Road. Two others in north Belfast were seen previously in A Return To Violence, which also explains the poster.

For the murals along “Freedom Corner” see 50th Anniversary; for the black-and-white mural, see Please Pay Here. See also Choose One Or The Other.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11932 X11933 X11934 X11936 X11951 X11938

Communities In Transition

The young people of Sunnylands (Carrickfergus) are encouraged to “follow your dreams”. On the left, a young man dreams of being a film-maker; on the right, a young woman dreams of being a cosmetician. There is also a lot of soccer: Leeds United, The Northern Ireland team, Glasgow Rangers (“55“), and Carrickfergus Rangers are all included. Follow the example of Scooby Doo, who “don’t doo drugs” and celebrate the centenary of Northern Ireland by “chill”ing in your Orange Order sash on the bonfire (seen previously in Stop Sign).

With support from Communities In Transition and Intercomm (Fb).

Unveiled August 22, 2021 (tw | Fb)

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X10647 X10646 Bridewell Drive

Bokefast

“Think before you drink” – broken bottles, broken loves, and broken lives in Seymour Hill. Help can be sought from the organisations on the adjacent board: FRANK, ASCERT, Community Addiction Team, FASA, and Daisy.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11897 X11896 X11898 X11895 Elm Corner

Peace If Possible, Truth At All Costs

“Londonderry west bank loyalists” are “still under siege”, at first from two decades of “Republican violence” – “Between 1971 and 1991 the Protestant population of the Cityside declined by 83.4% as a result of Republican violence (Shirlow et al. 2005)” – hence the boarded- and dressed-up windows – and now from the “PSNI”.

(The words “as a result of Republican violence” are not included in the Shirlow article).

Fountain Street and Hawkin Street, in the Fountain, Londonderry.

Update: the wall was returned to its plain appearance by 2023-02-14 – see the final image, below

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
martin luther no surrender NI100 northern ireland centenary
X11084
X11080 [X11081]
X11083
X11086 [X11085]
X11088 [X11087]