Ed Reynolds has completed a set of more than 20 panels at the switchback steps and ramps that lift pedestrians from North Queen Street into the New Lodge estate. As described on his web site, many of the panels are based on old photographs of the area and its residents. The work was officially unveiled on Wednesday (June 18th) and was sponsored by New Lodge Arts and Belfast City Council.
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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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A dachshund looks quizzically at a bottle of buckie (Buckfast tonic wine – fortified to 15% alcohol) left on the wall. Street art by Verz (Fb | Web), officially entitled “Sausage”, on the wall outside the Crescent Arts Centre, just off University Road.
Another of Verz’s ‘Dogs On The Street’ series: Psychedelic Dog
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The waste-ground at the corner of Templemore Avenue and Newtownards Road (where the flyers featured in Harland & Why were posted) was given a face-lift with images of east Belfast heroes Van Morrison and George Best and the words “East Side – Inspiring Belfast”. The red-white-and-blue is supplied by the phone-boxes and the passer-by.
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The corner of College Court and College Street is something of a contested space, as whatever street art appears is painted over in short order. First there was The Sun Will Make You Blind which was followed by Ballex and now there is “graffiti image loading …” with a progress bar – the third piece in under a year.
Along the same lines, see New Mural Loading.
The Red Ant visible in the wide shot, below, also appears in Cat & Mouse.
Andrew reports that a version of this piece also appeared at The Menagerie in 2010.
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The Medjugorje [here, Medugorje] mural on Berwick Road in Ard Eoın/Ardoyne has been touched up. The mural shows an apparition of “Our Lady Of Medjugorje, The Queen Of Peace” and St. James Church in the countryside “between the mountains” in (what is now) Herzegovina. The town became famous after two apparitions in 1981 and since then has been a destination for pilgrims (WP).
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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Reality takes many forms when you participate in Belfast’s Red Pill Spoken Word Showcase. In this David McClelland (a.k.a. Tweet, davidcreative) piece in Garfield Street, the speaker tells a tale of a luchador (Mexican wrestler).
For another luchador, see this piece by Friz: Free For All
Replaces Make Art Not Bombs which replaced Tynee Bear which replaced Not Criminals Just Thugz
Here’s a terrific time-lapse video of the piece being created.
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Cliftonville FC are 2013-2014 NI Premiership and League Cup champions thanks in part to player of the year Joe Gormley who scored 37 goals during the season – a club record. He is shown here breaking an LP record.
Previously: The Red Army | Just Can’t Get Enough (Cliftonville – Celtic) | Welcome To Our Park
Unveiled 2014-05-17. Replaces a “Say No 2 Drug Dealers” board
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“Weavers To Winners” – Linfield Football And Athletic Club was founded in 1886 by workers at the Ulster Spinning Company’s Linfield mill and they became Irish League champions in the 1890-1891 season. The names of the players in the photograph are given in the shot of the information plaque, below. The work was designed by Ross Wilson.
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X03004 X03005 Audaces fortuna juvat 50 league titles trevor whip whittley 7-7-1960 24.2.2011 missed by all his friends in sandy row william gordon tom gordon n. mckeown dr. dunn robert gibson esq (president) bob milne rab torrans william arnott david foy treasurer billy dalton george gaffikin robert hill sam torrans john pedan john torrans secretary john rab and sam torrans were three brothers who shared a dream they were ulster weavers who with others practiced their football skills on the meadow and linen field within the local mill in 1886 their dreams became a reality and the first linfield team was born within four short years they had become irish league and cup champions and had now woven themselves into history 125 years later players still dream and press on towards the goal they still make the hearts and mind of fans everywhere beat louder when they take to the field still sharing the aspirations of the brothers and countless others who have worn the true blue colours today we must still encourage the dreams of young people within sandy row and other communities to help awaken inspire and engage young minds and hearts in the reality of every day life to help create new and better goals to move forward in the hope of great things to come field of dreams
“There’s a nice wee place in Belfast, they call it Sandy Row. On a Saturday night, that’s where we used to go. A bucket on the stove, boiling all the whites, the big tin bath on Saturday nights.”
Here are the first two (of four) boards at the blind end of Blythe Street which together illustrate a short poem about Sandy Row in days gone by. The first, above, shows dancing and bingo (which took place in the Sandy Row Orange Lodge? – The Row You Know: Memories Of Old Sandy Row (ISBN 0953053504) by Donna McCann and published by Nicholson & Bass contains an image with the caption “Saturday night dance at the Orange Hall – Hector McMillan about to break into song”.)
The second, below, shows scenes from home: clothes in front of the fire, a child in a tin bath, a wireless radio, and a grandmother dandling a child.
Sponsored by the Sandy Row Womans Group
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“What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life. To be with each other in silent unspeakable memories. This is the true harvest of love.” Here are two boards from the Donegall Road bridge celebrating family and long-lasting relationships. The one above includes photographs of local people from years gone by; the one below features the post-mistress Marlene Leslie and her husband George.
“Marlene & George Leslie’s retirement 2013. In 1976 Marlene started work in the Post Office at 421 Donegall Road. She became sub-post mistress in 1985. Marlene moved to the present location at 309-311 Donegall Road in April 2000. George joined her in 2001. While at 421 Donegall Road they were robbed nine times, fired at once, tied up once and experienced two attempted tiger robberies. Each Christmas the P1 classes of Donegall Road Primary School come to post their letters to Santa – Marlene fowards on a return letter from Santa. Famous people who have visited the premises include: Barry McGuigan, Rose Neill and Lynda Bryans.”
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Extramural Activity 