This paste-up in multiple city centre locations shows a child squatting among (fake) flowers in a tub. Artist unknown.
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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
poster/paste-up/sticker
To The People Of Scotland
Scots and other residents of Scotland go to the polls on September 18th to vote on independence (WP). The Rock Bar uses the image of Mel Gibson in Braveheart to encourage them to vote “Yes’; recent polls show a slight but persistent preference for a “no” response. In the background of the wide shot (below), the Viva Palestine lettering can still (2014-08-26) be seen on Slıabh Dubh/Black Mountain.
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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Changing Hands
An ad for an “All Day Loyalist Party” on the 11th of July is pasted on top of an anti-drugs board showing two pairs of hands making a drug deal. The flags and bunting on Woodvale Road are reflected in the plastic surface.
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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02061 famous the blues crimea street 2014 young conway vol. flute band shankill road ally dunn tommy mckeown ricky dean
Be Still And Know You Are Good
Flyer in Hill Street: A water-colour fish and a modified version of “I will be still and know you are god” – the designer of the flyer omitted the “I will” and someone has inserted an extra “o” by hand, changing “god” to “good”.
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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The Sacred & The Profane
In the window of a house on Beechmount Avenue/Ascaıll Ard Na bhFeá the Blessed Virgin Mary is joined by support for Gaza and Palestine and commemorations of the 1981 hunger strikers, particularly Mickey Devine, who died on August 20th.
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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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French Fancies
SWANK Street Theatre characters Madame Fondant and Mademoiselle Patti Cerie, who graced Festival Of Fools 2014 in May, have been immortalized in a paste-up in Garfield Street (below) and Kent Street (bottom).
Here is video of two other SWANK characters, usherettes Pearl & Deanie.
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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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FreshPolitics
The pro-Union NI21 party was founded in June of last year (2013) and is contesting council and European elections today. Above is an Irish-language hoarding in support of Europe candidate Tina McKenzie who hails from republican west Belfast. “Is é seo #freshpolitics. Vótáıl McKenzie 1 do Eoraıp” – “This is #freshpolitics. Vote McKenzie 1 for Europe.”
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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Death Driving
Poster from the junction of Whiterock and Springfield Roads: “It’s not joyriding, it’s murder. Debbie McComb Aged 15 Killed by car thieves, March 1, 2002.” McComb died of her injuries after being hit by Henry Marley, who was driving a stolen car and drove through a red light. Her death and other deaths led to a substantial campaign against “death drivers” in 2002 (see, for example, An Phoblacht | The (Sunday) People). Marley was sentenced in April of this year for colliding into two other cars (Newsletter).
Previously: A Philosophy Of Liberation (lower Falls joyriding)
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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Harland & Why
The poster above – seen in east and south Belfast – has been called “racist” by the Alliance party. “What happened to local jobs for local people? Why are local skilled workers denied job opportunities? Why is outside labour being used in their place? Why are hundreds of overseas workers employed at present on higher wages? Why are they not paying UK tax? Why are they not paying national insurance?”
The poster concerns the 600 temporary jobs at H&W refurbishing the oil rig ‘Blackford Dolphin‘. According to the BBC (video) only one third of the jobs could be filled from the Northern Irish workforce. A BelTel article from November 2013 specifies that another third came from Britain and the final third from “Poland and Lithuania”.
Below: Some posters with the H&W cranes in the background, just off the Newtownards Road.
See also: Inspiring Belfast.
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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Fluent Together/Líofa Le Chéıle
Protestants and the Irish language (Gaeılge) have been in the news again this week, as UUP councillors walked out of a North Down Council meeting ahead of a presentation on Protestants and Irish on Tuesday (BBC). This follows remarks by a Grand Master of the Orange Order, George Chittick, that Protestants should not learn Irish (video at BBC) prompted by the construction of a floor of the Skainos Centre for Irish-language instruction (BelTel).
The hoarding shown above (this one on the Andersonstown Road) is for a 2011 NI Department of Culture, Arts & Leisure initiative which hopes to make 4,000 people fluent in Irish by 2015. It features three Gaelic words which have passed into English – craıc, smıdıríní (smithereens) and bróg.
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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01738 everybody speaks everyday now share more fragments shoe
Extramural Activity 