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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A crude anatomy of the loyalist brain by TLO, with modules dedicated to Buckfast (tonic wine), flying our flag, The Sash, 1690, killing all taigs, and Saving Ulster From Sodomy. DUP councillor called the poster “a hate crime” (Guardian).
Side-by-side with: Ian Paisley Jr as The Crawler.
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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Adolphe Smith accompanied John Thomson as he travelled around Victorian London in the 1870s, interviewing the subjects in order to provide background for Thomson’s photographs, their combined efforts published as Street Life In London (pdf from LSE). The entry accompanying this image (in unmodified form) is entitled “The Crawlers“; Smith describes them as “old women reduced by vice and poverty to that degree of wretchedness which destroys even the energy to beg”. The DUP’s Ian Paisley Jr. was recently seen in the House Of Commons apologising for failing to disclose two all-expenses-paid holidays for him and his family to Sri Lanka (Irish Times). His colleagues suspended him for 30 days and withdrew his salary for a month for this failure and for acting as a paid advocate for Sri Lanka’s human rights record (Colombo Telegraph). If 7,543 of his constituents sign a recall petition, he will face re-election. The election poster combining the two is (presumably) by TLO.
Update: “That’s not funny!” above a vandalised version of the poster at the end of August.
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Here is another TLO (web) piece commenting on the use of tyres in 11th Night bonfires. King William Of Orange (original here) is shown in a gas mask with a chain of tyres around his neck.
Previously: Tyred Of Your Culture, and from last year, Good Year For A Bonfire.
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“White-line picket in support of Niall Lehd – Saturday 30th June, International Wall, Falls Road [in fact Divis Street] at 2 pm”. For details of his incarceration, see Free Niall Lehd. This IRNC/IRPC poster is in the New Lodge (Join The IRNC | IRPC).
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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Here are two paste-ups in Belfast city centre by FGB (Francois Got Buffed | web | Fb | tw). One is Dangerous Dave enjoying a rollie, one asks people to expand their culinary horizons. For the origin of the artist’s name, and more info, see Belfast Beyond’s interview with FGB from last year.
Previously by FGB: Hi | Together | Dancing In The Streets
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There’s one month to go before 11th night bonfires (and parades on the 12th) and collection of pallets is well under way in loyalist areas. TLO (web) is back this year protesting the use of tyres on bonfires, with King Billy and horse crushed beneath a pile tyres. Under the ‘bonfire management programme’ communities receive funds only if their pyres do not contain tyres. The Irish News reports that 72 groups have signed up this year, down from 95 in 2015. 40% of Belfast fires are in the scheme (BelTel).
Below is one of last year’s posters – still visible – partly covered with a pride sticker (see Good Year For A Bonfire and below that Lost Duppy).
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Extramural Activity 