Babes In The Wood

Babies’ bottles and “dummies” (pacifiers) hang from a tree in the middle of Musgrave Park, next to St Brigid’s GAC pitches, perhaps because Brigid is patron saint of babies, children, and midwives (as well as brewers and poultry farmers) (WP).

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Goodbye To Bombs And Bullets

“‘Here’s to better times ahead and saying goodbye to bombs and bullets once and for all’ – Lyra McKee 31st March 1990-18th April 2019”. Journalist Lyra McKee died on April 18th, 2019 while observing a riot in Creggan, Derry. Standing near a PSNI Land Rover, she was struck by a bullet fired towards police by a ‘New IRA’ gunman who has not been apprehended (WP). For the second anniversary of Lyra’s death the ‘Justice 4 Lyra’ campaign (web) has placed these hoardings all around the city; the three shown here are in Glendermott Road, Quayside, and William Street.

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Copyright © 2021 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
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There Is No Union Without NI

“North Belfast will never accept a border in the Irish Sea – there is no union without NI.” The Sun shines on a flag from Shore Road Loyal Rangers Supporters Club (Fb) and a board protesting the NI Protocol – Rangers are triumphant but the union is in peril.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Night Taxi

Free-hand sprayer Dan Kitchener’s (web | tw) latest mural in Belfast (in Enfield Street in the Woodvale) places a black taxi – a mainstay of transportation in West Belfast – in the streets of Tokyo. To our knowledge, this is the first piece of street art in PUL West Belfast other than on the “peace” line; it will be interesting to see how well it survives compared to both sectarian murals and street art in the city centre.

“The title of the piece is ‘You can go Anywhere’ to show that with hard work and determination, you can explore the world. The mural is Sponsored by local Butchers shop Hugh Linton Butchers and R City youth group which are an award-winning organization helping Communities Integrate Through Youth. With the help of Jonathan Hodge local community volunteer. The taxi’s number plate HWL 1970 is a nudge towards the establishment founder Hugh Linton” (Belfast Walking Tours Fb).

Dan released a video of the mural in progress. Previously by Dan for Culture Night: The Dream | Blurry Eyed.

Funded by Communities In Transition with support from Greater Shankill Partnership and youth group R-City (tw) whose ‘footprint’ logo appears in the top left of the first image, above.

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We Are The People

“For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand” (Psalm 95:7). Glasgow Rangers – the team of the chosen people of Northern Ireland – returned to winning ways by securing the League championship for a record 55th time (see We’re Back | F*ck Your Ten In A Row | Respect, Heritage, Culture).

The previous Biblical reference in the apex was Rev 18:4 – see Brits Out! For 2 Chronicles 7:14 see If I Send Pestilence. For the Orange symbols on the left (and Gen 38:28), see Your Kingdom Will Endure Forever.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Londonderry Says “No”

Two more pieces of graffiti from Londonderry against the ‘NI Protocol’ that is part of the Brexit agreement. Above, “Londonderry says no to Irish Sea border” and below, “No Irish Sea border! N[o] S[urrender]”. Previously: And The Cry Was “No Irish Sea Border” | Byrne Out, Foster Out

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Copyright © 2021 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
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Reflections Of Divis

The old streets of Divis, including St Peter’s (which goes back to the 1860s) are reflected in the head and shoulders of wide-collared youth.

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Welcome To The Ulster Rangers

The home of the Ulster Rangers supporters club (Fb) is on the Shankill below Tennent Street. The club has plenty to celebrate this spring, as Rangers are Scottish league champions this year, for the 55th time in club history – see  F*ck Your Ten In A Row | We’re Back | Respect Heritage Culture.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Angels And Faces

Street artist Emic (web | tw) was commissioned by Up! Culture And Arts (and SASH and the Shankill Somme Association) to produce a series of large portraits – based on photographs from the time – of soldiers from the Shankill who fought in WWI, including brothers William and James McKendry, and Richard Mussen, son of the Richard Mussen whose funeral cortège is painted as a mural lower down the Shankill. The portraits were placed in the Shankill and West Kirk graveyards (the West Kirk photographs include poppies). On March 16th, the photographs were lit up and an ‘Angel Of Mons’ was projected onto the Spectrum Centre (Up! Fb).

Video from the Somme Association set to The Bloody Road To The Somme.

Also from the Shankill graveyard: Reflections On The Somme | Somme Memorial; and from the graveyard: Queen Of Ireland, Empress Of India | Interment | The Great War

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It’s Happening!

The Corcrain-Redmanville bonfire in Portadown, that is. The foundational pallets for this year’s bonfire have already been laid (Fb) and the ‘Buck Truck’ is available to collect your donations.

Also in Portadown (previously): the Edenderry bonfire | the Killicomaine bonfire

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