After almost fourteen years the long-standing Rising Sons Flute Band mural off Newtownards Road (at the old Bright Street) has been replaced with a mural to the (modern) YCV, the youth division of the UVF. The vine of flowers in yellow includes the shamrock, thistle, and Tudor rose (but not the daffodil of Wales, which is named along with Scotland, England, and the YCV battalions of east Belfast extending to Newtownards and Bangor) .
Work by Novice (Jess Tobin | web | tw | web | inst) for Culture Night/Hit The North, inspired by a Damon Baker photograph. 2018 was Tobin’s fourth year in Belfast: see also her pieces for 2017 | 2016 | 2015.
The wall at the top of Springhill Avenue was knocked down to great acclaim in 2017 (Guardian) but the impact was merely cosmetic as a wire fence and substantial shrubbery continued to block the way. The removal of the wall also meant the removal of the pro-Palestinian murals painted on it: Palestine Abú | Man Against Machine | Hellfire. In its place has now been put a large board celebrating the history of the area and especially the contribution made by Des Wilson and Noelle Ryan who worked in Springhill House for over forty years. Both Des and Noelle were interviewed by NVTv in 2012. Des turned 93 in July (encomium by Gerry Adams); Noelle died in 2014 (An Phoblacht | BBC-NI).
The left hand side of the mural shows Mother Teresa, who lived and worked in the area with four nuns from 1971 to 1973 before being put out (allegedly) by the Catholic church (TripleVision documentary).
On the right, the old and new Springhills are contrasted, with images taken from the same spot approximately 30 years apart.
“Pill pushers are killing our youth! INLA” in Creggan, Derry. Drugs offences were up 54% in the Derry & Strabane council area (Derry Journal). Previously: RAAD graffiti in Foyle Hill.
Here are two more, smaller, pieces by Alice Pasquini (web | Fb | ig | tw) from Rome, Italy, done while she was in Belfast for CNBX/HTN18. Her main piece was featured in Glide.
“Return of the ancients” was the theme of London-/Derry’s 2018 Halloween celebration (Derry Journal has video of the parade.) For the occasion, UVArts (tw | Fb | web) painted this mural in Bishop Street Within.
Kathrina Rupit (KinMx Fb | tw | web | inst) made the journey up from Dublin for Culture Night/Hit The North. Previously by KinMx for CNB: 2017 | 2016. The official title of the piece is ‘A Dream Of Night’.
For the refurbishment and expansion of the Museum Of Free Derry, artist Locky Morris (web | ig) created in metal a soundwave of marchers on Bloody Sunday (January 30th, 1972) singing the civil rights anthem We Shall Overcome (BBC-NI). The Bloody Sunday Centre and Museum Of Free Derry originally opened in 2006.
Extramural Activity 