The cult of the Great Pumpkin seems to be spreading from the US but it’s not clear that in fact the Great Pumpkin loves unconditionally: in the Peanuts universe, Linus believes that on Halloween night the Great Pumpkin rises from the pumpkin patch and delivers toys to good and believing children (Peanuts wiki). Paste-up in Belfast city centre.
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Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The trial has begun, before Londonderry Crown Court, of three men accused of the murder of Eddie Meenan, who was stabbed 40-50 times in November, 2018 (Derry Journal | BBC). The graffiti above is on the electrical box at the bottom of Fahan Street, next to a Lasaır Dhearg (web) ‘Don’t join the PSNI’ poster (shown below), with the Che Guevara Lynch mural visible on the left.
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Copyright © 2021 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
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Four appearances of Jesus in Belfast in 2021: the sacred heart of Jesus on a parking meter; Jesus (previously seen in Glengormley – Nearer My God To Thee – and explained in This Image Is Blessed); and two stickers from the Hightown Road: “In case no one told you today, Jesus loves you” and “Repent – Luke 13:3, Matthew 4:17”.
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Posted in the window of the NI Human Rights Commission (web) in North Street: “Our workers have the right to be treated with dignity and respect at all times. They should be able to their jobs without being physically or verbally abused. Most people respect this. Thank you for being one of them.” The sign pre-dates the pandemic.
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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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In 2009-2010-2011 the giant rock in Tír Na nÓg (Springhill Park) bore a celtic spiral pattern – see the final image, below. As these images show, it has now been repurposed as a memorial site to two local children.
This is, we believe, the first appearance of TikTok as a social media reference.
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The “S”s are “5”s in the Union Bears sticker in the top right corner, to give “5uper Ranger5”, in celebration of Glasgow Rangers’ 55th Scottish League title (see e.g. 55). At home stadium Ibrox, fans “do the bouncy” – which means jumping up and down (youtube) – much like “pogo” dancing or as children do on a “bouncy castle”; hire firm ‘Bouncy Castle Madness’ (Fb) has been advertising heavily in Belfast and their sticker is on the left. The final sticker celebrates the centenary of Northern Ireland, 1921-2021 (see e.g. The Centenary Of Oppression or We Will Take Nothing Less).
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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Two more from the so-called “White Rose” (see previously: Where Your Fear Begins). To repeat, this is not the anti-Nazi White Rose but a modern-day group of activists fighting the “scamdemic”. Above, the news is fed to us; below, mice refuse a Covid vaccine (because it hasn’t been test on another species?)
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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“Restore our place in the United Kingdom – No EU law, No EU court, No EU checks – End the Irish Sea border; nothing less will do.” Sticker in front of the UVF Regimental Band mural (They Said We’d Never Last) from the East Belfast Coalition (Fb), one of several regional “coalitions” formed to protest the NI Protocol.
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“Lovable lefty football fans” and brandishers of beer and spirits TUFAC (web | Fb | tw) were at the Sunflower last Friday and in the days that followed pasted a sticker or two around the city centre. This ‘refugees welcome‘ one shows the iconic ‘fleeing family’ dribbling a soccer ball as they go.
See previously: Gegen Rechts | Good Night, White Pride.
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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Extramural Activity 