Think Independently

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2014-04-03 MulhollandHugo+

Electioneering is under way in Northern Ireland, ahead of the local and European parliament elections on May 22nd. Above is a stencil in Hugo Street drumming up support for independent (socialist) Ciarán Mulholland. “Think independently, vote independent. Neamhspleách/Independent candidate for the black mountain ward. The political parties have failed the people of west Belfast. Have your say and change things.”

Replaces the Bleeding Poppy

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The Great Hunger

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2014-02-20 AntOcrasMor+

This New Lodge mural shows people on the coast, near abandoned buildings, trying to grow crops during the period of the Great Hunger 1845-1852.

“An tOcras Mór” (a literal translation of “the great hunger/famine”) is usually (in Irish) “An Gorta Mór” or “An Drochshaol”.

The left-most and right-most figures are from Searching For Potatoes In A Stubble Field in the Illustrated London News. ILN images are a staple of Belfast muraling on the Great Hunger: see the Visual History page on the Great Hunger. (Here is a list, with links, of all of the illustrations of Ireland in ILN from the period 1845-1852.)

The two central figures, and the composition of the three women together, come from Millet’s The Gleaners. (Thanks to Jeryn Mayer for this pointer.)

There is a Visual History page on the Hunger in murals.

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X12049 2023-02-17 Ocras Mór d2+

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Out Of The Flames

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2014-04-06 NorthumbPhoenix+

Like a phoenix. This is part of a new (as yet incomplete) RNU (Republican Network For Unity) mural at the corner of Northumberland Street and Divis Street.

Previously: Just As Good As Others

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Harland & Why

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2014-04-08 LocalJobsFlyer+

The poster above – seen in east and south Belfast – has been called “racist” by the Alliance party. “What happened to local jobs for local people? Why are local skilled workers denied job opportunities? Why is outside labour being used in their place? Why are hundreds of overseas workers employed at present on higher wages? Why are they not paying UK tax? Why are they not paying national insurance?”

The poster concerns the 600 temporary jobs at H&W refurbishing the oil rig ‘Blackford Dolphin‘. According to the BBC (video) only one third of the jobs could be filled from the Northern Irish workforce. A BelTel article from November 2013 specifies that another third came from Britain and the final third from “Poland and Lithuania”.

Below: Some posters with the H&W cranes in the background, just off the Newtownards Road.

See also: Inspiring Belfast.

2014-04-08 LocalJobs+

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Come On The Mac

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2014-03-14 MacFootballFull+

This new Albert Street mural in the lower Falls celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Frank Gillen Centre and the 70th anniversary of Immaculata Football Club. The figure on the right is current Cliftonville player Liam Boyce who grew up in the area and played for Immaculata as a youth. The team’s logo appears to the right of Boyce’s outstretched hand. (If you know the local player on the left, please leave a comment or send an e-mail.)

The piece was painted by Mickey Doherty and Lucas Quigley. Detail of the players in the lower right below.

Previously: Immaculata boxing | Mysterious Ways (St. Peter’s)

2014-03-14 MacFootballDetail+

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01732 X01731 fáılte go bóthar na bhfál st. peter’s cathedral providing a range of programmes both educational and recreational which meet the needs of young people in the Falls area.

Tiger’s Bay

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2014-04-01 TigersBay+

“Community. Pride. Culture.” As part of a 2009-2010 re-imaging program, the UDA mural on Cultra Street in Tiger’s Bay was replaced with this “cut-out” tiger.

More information about the project, see tigers-bay.com.

For a picture of the former, UDA, mural, see the Peter Moloney Collection.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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On The Hall’s Walls

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2014-02-24 ODonghailleFull+

Each Lord Mayor of Belfast has an official portrait which hangs in Belfast City Hall. 2011-2012 Lord Mayor Nıall Ó Donnghaıle’s takes the unusual form of a mini-mural, in the shape of a gable wall and complete with mortar lines. The portrait features a “Short Strand” street-plate (Ó Donnghaıle is from there), images of Titanic, James Connolly – a portrait was mounted at a SIPTU event in the mayor’s chambers in October 2011, after pictures of the royal family had been removed in June, protesters, and an MTV mug. The artist talks about the piece on Slugger (audio) and CultureNI has a good write-up about the process.

Below are a detail from Ó Donnghaıle’s portrait and the more typical portrait of Tom Hartley, Lord Mayor 2008-2009, which includes the bicycle he is famous for riding around town.

2014-02-24 ODonghailleClose+

2014-03-10 Hartley+

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The Rebel’s Rest

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2014-03-18 RebelsRestClose+

The Rebel’s Rest /Scíth An Reıbılúnaıgh pub on the Falls at Cupar Street Lower has closed and been sold.

2014-03-18 RebelsRest+

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Eıspéıreas Gaeılge/Irish Experience

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2014-02-28 Culturlann1991Glass+

The stained glass window above is in Cultúrlann McAdam – O’Fıaıch (cultural centre, named for two clergymen, Presbyterian Robert McAdam and Catholic Tomás Ó Fıaıch) on the Falls Road and features some of the spaces within the centre: An Ceathrú Póılí: Sıopa Leabhar Gaeılge Bhéal Feırste (Irish-language bookstore), Caıfé Feırste (café), Dánlann Dillon (Dillon Gallery).

More stained glass in the Cultúrlann: White Line

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The Jackal

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2014-03-31 MidlandBoxing+

Carl ‘The Jackal’ Frampton fights tomorrow night (2014-04-04) against Hugo Cazarez for the opportunity to fight Leo Santa Cruz for the WBC super-bantamweight title. He is managed and promoted by Barry McGuigan. Here is a 2013 video profile of Frampton by The Guardian. As he mentions in the video, Frampton (who is Protestant) married a Catholic, while McGuigan (who is Catholic, from Clones) married a Protestant.

He is featured here in the apex of the ‘Midland Boxing Club’ board in Cultra Street in Tiger’s Bay, alongside his Irish featherweight title. The board is unusual in that it is tailored to the full size of the gable wall.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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