Ending The Harm is a Department Of Justice (Tackling Paramilitarism Programme) campaign of posters, radio ads, and hard-hitting videos (YouTube) aimed at combatting paramilitary-style violence. This hoarding is on Newtownards Road, in competition with the UVF mural in the Iceland car-park (see Please Pay Here).
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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In this grotesque image, a monk’s head serves as an instrument of the devil – a Reformation criticism of the Catholic church. The woodcut dates to c. 1530. The ogham script in the bottom pair of posters, which reads “Fucc [sic – there is no “k”] the DUP”, is not included in the original (British Museum). The modern reinterpretation is by TLO (ornamentalhermit.org). The ogham on the devil’s arm is unclear; it appears to read “cussfbelung” – comment if you can help.
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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Anti-suicide “messages of hope” were originally posted around the Cavehill in August (ITV) but were removed in September (Belfast Live) before being replaced – as shown in these images. Similar posters on the Foyle Bridge in London-/Derry were last week slated for removal at the end of January, pending a 12-week “public consultation process” (BelTel).
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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Owners of a silver SUV take their quest for justice to the north Belfast streets by plastering ‘reward’ posters all around seeking the return of wallet, iPhone, tools, and cat.
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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The female characters from the Hulu adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale is used again (seen previously in She Is My Spy As I Am Hers) by Leo Boyd, this time to support the abortion referendum in the Republic (see Yes And No).
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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Communism and the Connolly Youth Movement (web | tw | Fb) compete with a Menagerie (front | side | car-park) flyer for the for the attention of young people in Divis Street, Belfast.
In her autobiography, Living My Life, Emma Goldman wrote, “At the dances I was one of the most untiring and gayest. One evening a cousin of Sasha, a young boy, took me aside. With a grave face … he whispered to me that it did not behoove an agitator to dance. Certainly not with such reckless abandon, anyway. It was undignified for one who was on the way to become a force in the anarchist movement. My frivolity would only hurt the Cause. I grew furious at the impudent interference of the boy. … I was tired of having the Cause constantly thrown into my face. I did not believe that a Cause which stood for a beautiful ideal, for anarchism, for release and freedom from convention and prejudice, should demand the denial of life and joy. … If it meant that, I did not want it.” (p. 56)
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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Voters in the Irish Republic go to the polls today (October 26th, 2018) to elect a president. Northerners cannot vote, though a referendum to allow residents of Northern Ireland to vote in presidential elections is expected in 2019 (BelTel). Nonetheless, these posters for Sinn Féın candidate Lıadh Ní Rıada are at the Glen Road/Falls Road roundabout in west Belfast.
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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Leo Boyd (web | previously) resurrected his ‘PSNI ice-cream wagon’ for Culture Night/Hit The North, along with Laura “Lamb” Nelson (profile), and added a trio of winged police land-rovers like wooden ducks ascending along a living-room wallpaper and vintage ice-cream advertising. The piece drew the response shown in the second image, but this was apparently too direct a comment and was quickly painted out.
Both artists are currently members of Vault Artists (web | Fb | ig) (formerly Belfast Bankers).
Update 2018-11 damage and grafitti
Update 2019-01 further damage
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Copyright © 2018/2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Update: replaced by a Clockwork Land-Rover
In response to the protests at the soccer match between Northern Ireland and Israel (described yesterday) the poster above appeared in the Village: an Ulster Banner with the 6-pointed star (for the six counties) turned into a Star Of David.
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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Extramural Activity 