This Is Our Republic

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Sınn Féın won 73 of 105 seats in the Westminster election of 1918. Instead of taking their seats, they formed an independent Dáıl Éıreann, meeting for the first time on January 21st, 1919, in Dublin. On the same date, Irish Volunteers in Soloheadbeg, Tipperary, ambushed a convoy of gelignite, escorted by two RIC police, both of whom were killed – this attack would mark the opening of the War Of Independence. This new stencil by Lasaır Dhearg (web | tw) aims to promote the Democratic programme of the first Dáıl Éıreann. This is our mandate. This is our Republic.” beginning with the Proclamation of the Easter Rising.

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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Bíodh An Chaınt Agaıbh

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“Have the talk” is a campaign encouraging people to use and learn Irish/Gaeılge from Conradh Na Gaeılge’s PEIG (Pobal – Eolas – Ilmheáın – Gaeılge) multimedia web site (Fb | tw). This advertising hoarding is in Belfast city centre.

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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06436 Clifton st

Britain Remembers

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Although not completely visible in the image below, the ‘Britain remembers’ Remembrance Day flag includes the Ulster Banner, the flag of NI parliament until 1972, rather than the St Patrick’s Saltire. This is also the flag used by the Irish Football Association, the governing body of soccer in NI, to represent its teams, as is shown by the personalised supporter’s plaque in Cosgrave Heights. The organisation’s name derives from the fact that the body pre-dates partition and used to govern the whole island and not just “our wee country”.

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Welfare Reform Destroys Communities

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“Scrap Universal Credit, PIP [Personal Independence Payment] & Bedroom Tax.” The Universal Credit scheme is designed to replace a variety of benefits, such as Jobseeker’s Allowance and Housing Benefit began in 2013 and will take a decade to roll out (WP). (The plan in the North is detailed at NIDirect.) People Before Profit (web | tw | Fb) oppose the programme (and related ones, such as PIP which replaces the Disability Living Allowance, and the Social Sector Size Criteria, a.k.a. Bedroom Tax), as described in this article on their web site.

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Just Because You Feel It, Doesn’t Mean It’s There

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A nightmarish spectacle from Dublin-based artist and illustrator Holly Pereira (web | tw | ig), who was in town for CNBX/HTN18. Comment if you know the inspiration.

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
[X06218] X06431 North St

Weeds Shall Overcome

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According to the All-Ireland Bumble Bee Monitoring Scheme, data collected by 80 citizen scientists shows that a third of the bee species in Ireland is threatened with extinction (Irish Times). The mural above from UV Arts in Rossville Street aims to bring attention to bees and to promote the growth of wild flowers.

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06396 X06397 “This mural was designed and created by participants from Zero Waste North West in collaboration with UV Arts CIC and Grow Wild. The project set out to celebrate our native wildflowers and weeds which bees rely on so heavily. There are many different types of weeds, even the most intrusive gives something back, they green over the dereliction we have created, they grow in the most hostile environments – a bombed city, a crack in a wall – meaning that they insinuate the idea of wild nature into places otherwise shorn of it, but most of all they provide a vital food source for our declining bee population. We want to promote and celebrate the role of the humble weed in our society by encouraging people to grow wild, connect with nature, celebrate diversity, and protect the eco-systems that protect our planet.”

Dinosaurs Under Paisley

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Commentary on the largest loyalist political party, the Democratic Unionists, under the flyover at Nelson Street, Belfast: DUP – dinosaurs under Paisley.

Previously: End The Age Of Dinosaurs.

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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My Life In A Bag

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Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reads “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services.” A new mural in Lower North Street aims to raise awareness of homelessness and encourage resource investment and policy development. The mural was developed by Leonard Cheshire’s Can Do Project (web), Westcourt Centre (web), and Blaze FX graffiti company (Fb), with residents from Rose Mount House (Fb) and young people from Belfast Met. (BBC)

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“148 people registered as homeless in Northern Ireland died while waiting for social housing between Oct 2017/Aug 2018.” “11,877 presenters deemed legally homeless in 2017/2018. At March 31 2018 36,198 households were on the waiting list for social housing…” “Top 3 reasons for homelessness are breakdown/family dispute, accommodation not reasonable, loss of rent accommodation.”

The Rising Of The Moon

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“End British internment: Strip searching, controlled movement, isolation.” This Saoradh/éistigí/IRPWA board in Central Drive, Creggan, Derry, uses the words of Bobby Sands to put current political prisoners in parallel with the blanket protest and hunger strikes. The quote is an English translation from the final day of Sands’s hunger strike diary, March 17th: Mura bhfuıl sıad ın ınmhe an fonn saoırse a scrıosadh, ní bheadh sıad ın ınmhe tú féın a bhrıseadh. Ní bhrısfıdh sıad mé mar tá an fonn saoırse, agus saoırse mhuıntır na hÉıreann, ı mo chroí. Tıocfaıdh lá éıgın nuaır a bheıdh an fonn saoırse seo le taıspeáınt ag daoıne go léır na hÉıreann. Ansın tchífıdh [chífıdh] muıd éırí na gealaí.” = “If they aren’t able to destroy to the desire for freedom, they won’t break you. They won’t break me because the desire for freedom, and the freedom of the Irish people, is is my heart. The day will dawn when all the people of Ireland will have the desire for freedom to show. It is then we’ll see the rising of the moon.” 

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All Men Must Die

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Here is another one of the six pieces by members of the Dublin’s Subset (ig | tw | web) collective, in Donegall Street for CNBX/HTN18. Previously: Valar Marghulis | Faces Of Death.

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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