Do You Own A Giant Building?

The search continues for a new home (or homes!) for the Vault artists (tw). It won’t be long before they have to put their paint buckets on their heads and gather up their briefcases and handbags and head out – the building is to be demolished to make room for housing (BBC).

“News flash! Vault Artist Studios is relocating! Are you a millionaire, property developer or rich benefactor of the arts? Do you own a giant building that could house 100 multidisciplinary artists or do you have a friend that does? If so, Vault Artist Studios is interested in talking with you. As a registered charity, Vault can save you money on building rates! Vault can breathe new life into your disused property and transform this city for the better! If you do own a giant disused building and are interested in working with Vault then email futures@vaultartiststudios for more information. P.S. We are interested in working with all different sizes of building, not just giant ones.”

Also included, below, is a ‘Joy Of Painthead’ paste-up by Leo Boyd (web).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11632
X11633 [T02767 2023 damage]

Costs Are Rising. And So Must We!

“It’s not a cost of living crisis, it’s capitalism – Join the fight for a socialist republic.” Here are images of the Lasaır Dhearg (web) “We Can’t Afford …” campaign in Derry’s Bogside. “We can’t afford … heat, electricity, to eat, a home.” “Ireland: 1.1 million living in poverty, 312,000 of them are children.” “Waiting on a home: 103,218; empty homes: 188,000”

For the same campaign in Belfast, see We Can’t Afford. Free Derry Corner has its own Visual History page.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
X11536 X11537 X11538 X11539 X11540 X11541 X11542 X11543 X11544 X11545

We Can’t Afford

“We can’t afford … heating … electricity … a home.” “Costs are rising and so must we!” “Cost of living crisis? You mean capitalism.” Lasaır Dhearg (web) seizes the means of propaganda to push for socialism as an alternative to capitalism’s current difficulties.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11438 [X11386] X11387 X11383 X11439 X11377 X11376

We Will Never Stop

A rally is planned for 1 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday 13th) at Belfast City Hall in support of the family of Noah Donohoe and in protest at a request by the police to use PII (Public Interest Immunity) certificates to redact portions of three police files. (The primary source is a paywalled article in the Sunday Independent, which both the Irish News and Belfast Telegraph reported on.) Visual reminders of the case are all over the city and many have been featured on this site previously. Today’s post collects those not previously featured. In order, they are from Beechmount; University St; Duncairn Gardens (replacing the board seen in Between The Lines); Rossville St, Derry; the Markets.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X10113 X09045 X10410 X10035 X10393 [X09066] [X09067]

Mıse Éıre

Mıse Éıre (short for ‘Is mıse Éıre’ [I am Ireland]) is a short poem by Patrick Pearse in which Mother Ireland speaks of her glories and sufferings. The un-partitioned Ireland (though with the flags of the four provinces in the corners) is used here by Sınn Féın Poblachtach (web) to call for unification of “the whole people of Ireland … Protestant, Catholic, and Dissenter” [Wolfe Tone, from his autobiography].

The poem also appears in a Derry mural from the 1980s and a current New Lodge GAA mural.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X10834 Falls Rd

Shaped By Sea And Stone

Brussels artist iota (ig) painted a mermaid in Larne, inspired by the local myth of Lí Ban (NI World), who was caught in nets in Larne Lough and baptised by Christian monks (WP). 

With support from the Recovery Revitalisation Programme for town centres, administered here by Mid And East Antrim Borough Council (web) in consultation with Daisy Chain (tw), Seedhead Arts (ig), and FGB (ig).

See also Lí Ban in Bangor: Sea-Born.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X10596 [X10595] X10593 X10594 Point St larne renovation

Soldier Of Ireland

After serving in the IRA in the War Of Independence, Liam Mellows was elected to the First Dáil and as a member of the second Dáil voted against the Treaty in January 1922 (his speech is recorded in Oireachtas.ie under the name “Liam Mellowes”). In the Civil War that followed, he served as IRA quartermaster in the force in the Four Courts that surrendered to Free State forces on June 30th, 1922. He was imprisoned in Mountjoy and executed in December, in reprisal for the killing of Seán Hayes (see Executed). (WP | An Phoblacht) His proposals for government were published posthumously as ‘Mellows Testament’ (NLI) and include state ownership of heavy industry, large estates, the transport system, and the banks. The sticker below quotes from that document: “Ireland, if her industries and banks were controlled by foreign capital, would be at the mercy of every breeze that ruffled the surface of the world’s money-markets.”

Stewart Street, south Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X10392 X10413 erected by the official republican movement

The Glen Memory Wall

The Cregagh Glen – Lisnabreeny walk (National Trust) is home to a memorial marking the site of the (former) Lisnabreeny American Military Cemetery (featured previously). Today’s images feature a smaller and more recent memorial site, to the coronavirus lockdown. The sign asks for colourful items such as locks and ribbons but the picture above also shows a Translink ticket and a doggie poop bag.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X08684 X08683 X08685

Smash Fascism And Capitalism

James Connolly and Lasaır Dhearg (web) calling for revolution – “The day has passed for patching up the capitalist system; it must go” [from Labour, Nationality And Religion]” (seen previously on a sticker in Stop War) – on top of an unknown sticker involving a Union Flag, on top of a ‘Smash Fascism’ stencil, all competing for space, somewhat usually, in the (PUL) Village – but see previously Even Protestants Love Marxism.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X10082

CentenNIal Parade

An Orange parade to celebrate the centennial of Northern Ireland – postponed last year on account of the pandemic – will take place today, with roughly 130 bands marching from Stormont to Belfast city centre (Belfast Live). There is not much indication of the parade in posters or murals, perhaps because the anniversary itself has passed. If we read the community’s concerns from the displays in the window of this Shankill Road shop (just above the old Beresford St and the Mussen Cortège mural), they include the NI centenary and the murder of Lee Rigby (WP) (image above), PTSD (second image), the upcoming platinum jubilee of Queen Elizabeth (third) – we will have more jubilee photos over the coming week, and the centenary of the Ulster Tower WWI memorial (see e.g. Our Heritage In Your Hands).

You can get all your centenary gear and Shankill Protestant Boys merch on-line at Northern Culture.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X09970 X09969 X09968 X09971