It’s back to polls on Thursday for the UK General Election, including 18 Northern Ireland constituencies. The Alliance Party is an “Other” party, neither nationalist nor unionist. Party leader Naomi Long is standing in east Belfast.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04198
The UK general election takes place on Thursday (June 8th), only two years after the previous one. The (British) Conservative party hopes to increase its majority of 17 seats/votes. The NI Conservatives (web) are fielding candidates in 7 of the 18 seats but are not expected to contribute to the overall Conservative tally.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04208
Here’s the left-hand side of the UDA mural in Disraeli Street being launched today (June 3rd, 2017). As can be seen most clearly in the final, sideways-on, image, both pieces are a combination of printed poster and attached boards. Lines from Laurence Binyon’s poem For The Fallen of WWI are used: “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old/Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun/And in the morning we shall remember them.”
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04167 X04166 X04169
Photograph gallery Belfast Exposed dates back to 1983. Here is an interview with one of the founders, Sean McKernan, about its origins. Today’s images are from the back of the Donegall Street offices, in Warehouse Lane.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04154 X04153
Voters go back to the polls for a UK general election on June 8th. Election materials for the Stormont elections are still visible, such as this Gerry Kelly placard in the Sınn Féın offices in Ardoyne, defaced with a Saoradh ‘quislings’ poster, also from the last Stormont election. John Finucane, rather than Kelly, is the Sınn Féın candidate for the general election this time (Irish News).
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04147 X04148
“Stop drug dealers in our area.” “No drug dealers welcome in our area.” These anti-drug-dealing posters from Greater Ardoyne Residents’ Collective (Fb) are all over the area at present. A leaflet was also circulated as part of the campaign.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04144
Another “Lá Dearg” – organised by An Dream Dearg (Fb) (the red group) takes place next Saturday with a march from An Chultúrlann to the city hall. The image above shows graffiti in Divis Street; the image below shows posters for the event on the Lıú Lúnasa mural.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04110 X04109
A variety of posters for marches in Easter week: on the 14th, Saoradh’s call for a counter-protest to the march by former soldiers against prosecutions for deaths during the Troubles (see e.g. Irish News); on the 16th, an Easter Rising commemorative march, somehow associated with the IRA’s D Company; on the 17th (see the final image, below), an Easter Rising commemoration in Derry, organised by Saoradh (and on the 30th – also in the final image below – a commemoration for “Óglach Teddy Campbell”).
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04105 X04108 Falls Rd Cupar St Lower
Another selection of distressed posters, torn to reveal … more posters. The electrical box in the third image was included in last year’s collection: We Had Our Distresses.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03821 X03816 X03815 X03940 fight for 15 QUB socialist society keely mullen the people’s parade unfinished business sábháil roinn na gaeilge
New work (presumably) by TLO in Belfast city centre showing King Billy (and horse!) wearing a gas mask as he rides over a river of tyres piled up for burning on bonfires. (The original painting is in the Royal Museums Greenwich). The practice of burning tyres has been controversial over the last few years as it is thought to cause toxic fumes. A collection of tyres was removed from Connswater in mid-March (Tele).
Previously by TLO: Demonizing Paisley | Three Studies Of Ian Paisley | Ian Jong-un | Wee Angel | Taking The Hump | Derryrhoea | Lost Duppy.
Thanks to Belfast Street Art (@Belfast_Beyond) for the tip.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04075 X04076 X04077 X04078
Extramural Activity 