Summer 2012 saw a number of major events, including Euro2012, the Olympics, Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee, and planning by the Unionist Centenary Committee – all featured on a promotional board over the Cambrai Street courtyard of the Mountainview Tavern.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“Today’s plan is already yesterday’s – the streets that were there are gone”. Euphemistic nonsense on a giant hoarding on Castle Street in the city centre, fronting a building site. In keeping with the theme of easy erasure of the past, the words “love joy peace” have been removed from the original 1955 photograph (Belfast Live | X05827).
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00698 X00699 today’s plan is already yesterday’s – the streets that were there are gone, smithfield ward west electoral area
This long board for “International Peace Day – 21st September” sits between the security gates on Northumberland Street (Visual History) and bridges images of the Shankill (on the left) and images of the Falls (on the right) with sunflowers and a quote from Martin Luther King (and a mosaic of additional photos): “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality [tied in a single garment of destiny]. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly” (Letter From A Birmingham Jail. As always with murals of this type, all of the photographs are of the two areas in yesteryear – no mention of the Troubles. Organised by Springboard Opportunities (web), with support from the Shankill history group, the Gaeltacht Quarter, and the Ireland Funds.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Here, in sequence, are eleven boards in a series celebrating workers and industrialists in Belfast, arrayed along a regeneration plot (a.k.a. waste ground) on the front of the main Shankill Rd, sponsored by many bodies. For more information, see Daniela Balmaverde’s page on the project.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00620 X00816 X00817 X00815 X00814 X00809 X00818 X00819 X00820 X00813 X00621 created as part of belfast city council’s 2012 titanic project by shankill area social history group, greater shankill alternatives, impact training and artist daniela balmaverde. this project would not have been possible without the support and participation of the local community. thomas andrews (1873-1912) originally from ardara, comber, at the time of the tragedy Thomas was domiciled in windsor avenue, off the lisburn road belfast. Managing director of harland & wolff.
This is another piece from the Crimea Street celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s diamond jubilee. This panel with its old-style artwork (a reproduction of a postcard from during the Home Rule debate) is next to the much larger composite board to Queen Elizabeth (featured previously in For Those About To March).
“Ulster to England – Thou mayest find another daughter/With a fairer face than mine/With a gayer voice and sweeter/And a softer eye than mine;/But thou canst not find another/That will love thee half so well!” The CAIN database indicates that this same girl and poem are also on Thorndyke St (photo at CAIN).
Not shown is a collection of flags on the low wall to the left – see M08637.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Here are two details of a large board on the Shankill celebrating the Queen’s diamond jubilee. Still no firm rules for the main Covenant march this coming Saturday … (BBC | Slugger)
For the whole thing, see the Peter Moloney Collection.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00619 X00624 Belfast, Shankill Road the heart of the empire salutes her majesty on 60 glorious years, dirige deus gressus meos, may god guide my steps, je maintiendrai, to commemorate her majesty the queen’s diamond jubilee, elizabeth r, ERII, 1952 2012
Here is a close-up of the first three panels (out of 7.5) of Rita Duffy’s Banquet, (mentioned yesterday as having preceded the 2012 Covenant board in Argyle St.). It was originally produced for International Women’s Day 2011 and was launched on March 11th (Greater Shankill Partnership | Newsletter). There’s an excellent set of pictures, taken by the Shankill Women’s Center, of the boards being erected over a 2002 mural celebrating the Queen’s 50th anniversary, and a video by NVTv.
A wide shot and a close-up of the info board are below … This is a difficult piece to photograph in its new location (Cupar Way): it is long and there’s a tree on the pavement; it is also highly reflective. Unlike other pieces on Cupar Way, it has (so far) largely escaped the plague of locusts that is the signatures of tourists.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00646 X00644 X00642 Banquet by rita duffy, this mural is presented by the shankill women’s centre to celebrate the centenary of international women’s day 2011. it was funded by the arts council of northern ireland. the picture is the artist’s response to research carried out by local women into the women’s suffrage movement in belfast. the campaign to get the vote precipitated a change in the lives of women living in the shankill throughout the 20th century and beyond. banquet celebrates the ongoing process of that change. 1911 international women day 2011, swc, mary-ann mccraken helen crickard caroline mccorin linda walker
Northern Ireland is anticipating the centenary of the 1912 Ulster Covenant (WP | Slugger) next weekend (September 29th). The board above marks the occasion, featuring, in the middle third, a reproduction of a famous photograph of Edward Carson making the first signature. The full text of the Covenant is included in a mural on Thorndyke St.
This board is on N Howard St, facing the ‘Lest We Forget’ mural (and in summer 2012, the Families Against Supergrass Trials banner) on Spier’s Place. There was a similar board, celebrating the covenant, across the street in the previous decade. This new board takes the place of Rita Duffy’s photography-based piece for International Women’s Day, which has moved to the Cupar Way “peace” line.
The plaque (below) was added after the main picture was taken (perhaps at the same time as a sequence of plaques – see Say It With Guinness): “This mural was dedicated by Alderman Hugh Smyth OBE on Friday the 21st September 2012 to commemorate the centenary of the signing of Ulster’s Solemn League and Covenant”.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00622 X05200 100 years of solemn league and covenant, edward carson, saturday 28th september 1912, we will not have home rule, the lions of ulster, 2012
The Fıanna plaque at the top of Berwick Road gets a sunburst background and cut-out portraits of the four Fıanna named on the plaque which dates back to 2009, commemorating “one hundred years of resistance” (1909-2009): Davy McAuley, Josh Campbell, Josie McComiskey, and Bernard Fox, all of whom died in 1972. The vintage Fıan on the left is perhaps Christy Lucey. The medal pictured is the Golden Jubilee medal.
“You may kill the revolutionary, but never the revolution.” “Dedicated by the Republican Network For Unity.” “Strength in our hearts, strength of our limbs, consistency of our tongues.”
For close-up of the plaque, see M06728.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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A board to slain UVF members John Hanna (died 1991-09-10), Stevie McCrea (1989-02-18) and Sammy Mehaffy (1991-11-13), with poppies and image from WWI, and a shrine below also commemorating the service of the 36th Ulster Division in WWI. Frenchpark Street, Village area, south Belfast.
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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X00608 sammy mehaffy 1972-1991, john hanna 1971-1991, stevie mccrea 1952-1989, remembering our brother’s lost lives and the human cost of conflict, the legacy of lost hopes and dreams. we come not to mourn but to praise their memory. we keep the memory of the brave, the faithful and the few, some lie far off beyond the waves, some sleep in ulster too. all are gone but still live on the names of those who died and true men like you, remember them with pride, 36th ulster division, for they shall not grow 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 will remember them,
Extramural Activity 