A can of spray paint acts as bait in this bear trap meant for street artists and writers.
Previously from Red Ant: Up In Flames | Cat & Mouse | New Graffiti Loading
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Street Artist Trap
New Life
The eagle of Isaiah 40:31 flies outside the New Life church in the no-man’s land between the security gates on Northumberland Street: “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (BibleHub)
The signature and the giant “coins” in front of it are shown below, along with the Síocháın/Peace tower. The (brown) cross in the middle of the area is shown in Cross Of Crosses.
See also: O Ye Gates | Cross & Wire
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02739 X02946 X02947 [X02948] X02536 X02706 artists crawford & mccann
A Small Area
“Ardoyne-Bone boxers have punched well above their weight. As professional we have won … British, Commonwealth, European & W.B.U. titles. As amateurs we have won 3 olympic bronze, European Gold, Commonwealth Gold, World Junior silver, 17 Irish senior titles & an A.B.A senior title. Nor forgetting all our boxing coaches, who put in their time and effort for all our young boxers. Truly amazing for such a small area.” The wide shot below shows the whole of this new Ardoyne/Ard Eoın mural celebrating local boxers; the boxers named are Darren Corbett (WP), John Kelly (FightsRec), Paddy Barnes (WP), Harry McAuley (BoxRec), Anthony Maguire, Hugh Gilhooley (BoxRec), Eamonn McAuley (BoxRec), Freddie Gilroy (WP), Terry Magee (WP), Sean Brown, Noel Magee (WP), Barney Burns, Pat Kelly, Eamonn Magee (WP).
A mural celebrating Paddy Barnes’s 2014 Commonwealth gold medal: Oh, Paddy Boy
Pathé video of John Kelly being knocked out in 1954
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02731 X02730 professionals
The Executive Collapses
The Ulster Workers Council (UWC), formed in 1974 with the backing of the UDA, organized a general strike in opposition to the December 1973 Sunningdale Agreement – signed by the British government – which would have shared power with Nationalists in the north and established a cross-border council involving the Dublin government. The strike went on for two weeks in May 1974 (during which the Dublin-Monaghan bombings took place, killing 33 people in the Republic) and concluded with the collapse of the Northern Ireland Executive and rule reverting to Westminster.
The mural was painted for the 30th anniversary of the strike and is now partially covered with ivy (see below). For the mural in better days see M02610. The photograph reproduced can be seen on the Bel Tel.
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We Few
“For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.” This is a new (July 2014) Red Hand Commando mural in Bangor with RHC Youth and Red Hand Comrades Association insignia against a backdrop of Thiepval Tower and the Somme, with masked gunmen in the foreground and a border of poppies.
The quote is from Shakespeare’s Henry V, act 4, though the lines are reversed (Folger).
Ballyminetragh Gardens, Bangor
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02741 X02740 in memory of our fallen volunteers
We Can Step In Anywhere And Turn Back The Clock
Students from Coláıste Feırste took part in a Forbaırt Feırste (Fb) “pop-up art” project, designing plastic wrap for the installation of blocks at the old entrance to Beechmount leisure centre (see the wide shot immediately below). Taking its lead from a Ciarán Carson poem, the design features “a million wind-blown buttercups”, as well as the front page of Edward O’Reilly’s English-Irish dictionary (image #4, below). The piece was officially opened by Caral Ní Chuılín during Féıle An Phobaıl. Press release from NI Executive. Sponsored by the Arts Council and Feırste Thıar.
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02710 X02712 X02709 X02711 X02707 an irish-english dictionary with copious quotations from the most esteemed ancient and modern writers to elucidate the meaning of obscure words and numerous comparisons of irish words with those of similar orthography sense or sound in the welsh and hebrew languages tá am gan teoraınn bogann sé sıar mar scáth ar an léarscaıl seo ach tríd an chuımhne tıg lınn bheıth ın áıt ar bıth san am atá caıte. tá mé ı bpıctıúrlann chluaın ard arís ag amharc ar the wizard of oz den chéad uaır arís eıle tá an gort os comhaır teach ard na bhfeá lán de na mıllıúın fearán séıdte cıarán carson time is a moving boundary drifting like cloud shadow westwards on this map but through memory we can step in anywhere and turn back the clock i’m in the clonard picture house again seeing the wizard of oz for the first time once more the field in front of beechmount house is trembling with a million wind-blown buttercups i ndíl [ndıl] cuımhne [chuımhne] [ar] ár gcomrádaí clive dutton ar aghaıgh onwards deirdre mackel deirdre robb arthur scott damien rea Robert Shipboy McAdam antiquorian and gaelic scholar 1808-1895 lived in a house on this site éıríonn teanga agus spreagann sí
IRPWA Prisoners
The IRPWA (tw | Fb) placed the names of prisoners currently held in Maghaberry in the barbed wire above the so-called “international” wall. Barbed wire is the symbol of republican prisoners though this barbed wire is used to protect Andrews Flour. Above, you can see the boards for Harkin, Mellon and McGilloway.
The full list, from left to right: Seamus Kearney, Gerard McManus, Nathan Hastings, Mark McGuigan, Sean Kelly, Barry Concannon, Damien Harkin, Thomas Mellon, Martin McGilloway, Jason Ceulemans, Gavin Coney, Liam O’Donnell, Neil Hegarty, Jon Paul Wooton, Martin Kelly, Colin Duffy, Harry Fitzsimons, Christopher O’Kane, Tarlach MacDhomhnaill, Seamus McLaughlin, Gavin Coyle, Brendan McConville, Kevin Barry Nolan.
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Rest Easy Big Man
Former CIRA commander Tommy Crossan’s 2014 murder by former colleagues was unusual in that is was carried out during the daytime (and also because he was abducted just off the Springfield Rd). (BBC-NI news video) The graffiti above declares that vengeance will be won.
Previously: Tommy Crossan
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X02708 RIP Vol Tommy Crossan 18/4/2014 justice will be done
Rose & Thistle
The Pride Of Ballybeen is a recently-formed flute band and they now have a band mural. It features the Union Flag and Ulster Banner flanking the red hand of Ulster on a six-pointed star against an orange field, surrounded by a crown and a garland pinned by a rose; the titular banner, below, is supported by shamrock and thistle.
Video of the band in action on youtube.
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X02729 est 2014 ballybeen community flute band england scotland northern ireland great britain UK
#DerryHappy
This 2015 mural in the Bogside in support of a Twitter campaign shows a brain giving birth to the idea of love, smiley faces giving the ‘V for victory’ salute and other cheery images and colours.
Update: Here’s Sinn Féin’s Martina Anderson being interviewed in August 2016 in front of the mural after a bonfire was erected and set alight at the bottom of the flyover (Derry Journal).
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Extramural Activity 