The cut-out Orange symbols at the ‘Tiger’s Bay’ corner of the Limestone Road (see Your Kingdom Will Endure Forever) are almost four years old. Here is the Union flag heart in the top left.
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“Gordon ‘Galloper’ Thompson – the headless horseman of North Belfast …. The Gordon ‘Galloper’ Thompson mural has been designed and created by young people from the Tiger’s Bay, New Lodge and York/Shore Rd areas of North Belfast as part of the CIRCA project delivered by Arts for All. … According to local legend, Gordon Thompson claimed that if he died and didn’t get into heaven, he would come back to haunt his ancestral home of Jennymount. An apparition of a man on horseback (with his head tucked under his arm) is rumoured to have been seen around Jennymount Mill where it is believed he was decapitated in an accident while fixing one of the weaving machines. Often parents used this tale to encourage their children to come in before dark. Many people still remember their parents telling them to be in for a certain time or: “Galloper Thompson will get ye.” ” (The text is from Joe Baker’s Haunted Belfast. More info from Walking Tours Belfast.)
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Rangers’ Scottish Premiership League title – the 55th in the long history of the club – is celebrated on York Street by the ‘Terminus Rangers’ supporters club in the Times Bar. See also: We Are The People | Respect Heritage Culture | Welcome To The Ulster Rangers | F*ck Your Ten In A Row
For the other murals in the second image, see Our Wee Country and From The Boyne To Afghanistan.
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A line of red-white-and-blue bollards dividing Edgarstown, Portadown.
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After a break for the funeral of the Duke Of Edinburgh, the Loyalist Communities Council has resumed its protest of Brexit with a banner campaign (Irish News). The banner seems to be offering viewers the choice of one of four affiliations (“Europe – UK – USA – Ireland – choose one or the other! It’s your decision!) but the “correct” answer is at the bottom (and in the faded background of the Covenant): “Ulster is British and this we will always maintain!” even though “Political leaders are not listening!” (including, perhaps, Arlene Foster and the DUP.) The Belfast Agreement (Good Friday Agreement) allows people in Northern Ireland to identify themselves as Irish, British, or both.
Banners have been placed in various PUL areas; this one is along the York Road. The launch of the campaign outside the Irish Secretariat Office in Linenhall St, which the Belfast Telegraph called “tiny” as it involved only the LCC’s David Campbell and David McNary, was interrupted by Gareth McCord (BelTel video) whose brother Raymond was beaten to death by the UVF in 1997, allegedly to cover up drug dealing by the Mount Vernon UVF (Magill).
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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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“‘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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“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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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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“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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Extramural Activity 