“For God and Ulster” (as seen on the bucket hat) is the more common slogan of the of the Ulster Volunteers, but “For King and Empire” (as seen on the shirt) was occasionally used, as on the colours of Central Antrim’s 3rd battalion (Sam’s Flags | see also The Central Antrim Regiment). The phrase also appears on a plaque outside Carrickfergus Orange hall – see On Foreign Fields.
The items are for sale in the Shankill Historical Society in the middle Shankill. The shop is at least 25 years old.
The “Lambeg drum” is named for the village near Lisburn, perhaps invented there to celebrate a visit by King Billy (LAD), or perhaps because it was there that the (already existing) drum was played with canes (WP).
As can be seen from these images, the drums are extemely large – three feet in diameter – which makes them difficult to use in parades, as does their immense noise (up to 120 dB); they are more frequently seen on their own at drumming displays such as this one on the Shankill yesterday (July 11th).
19 towns and cities will hold gatherings for the Twelfth, with the longest parade being the six miles from Carlisle Circus to the field at Barnett Demesne (near Shaw’s Bridge) in Belfast. Today’s images come from a Shankill parade at the end of June, with (above) the (Shankill) Sons Of Ulster (Fb) and (below) the Billy Boys (Rathcoole) (Fb).
For a complete list of gatherings, see Belfast Live
11 “beacons” are being lit across Belfast this evening, an increase over the eight from last year (Belfast Live). They are re-usable metal frames filled with willow wood (above a base of pallets) and sit on a bed of sand in order to avoid scarring the ground (BBC). The name evokes the beacons lit in the hills of Antrim and Down that allowed King William’s forces to land at Carrickfergus in 1690; the practice of lighting bonfires for festivals goes back to pagan times (Gailey).
Rather than being collected by the local commuinity, the materials are provided by a City Council programme now in its fifteen year of operation; the cost of the beacons this year is 81,000 pounds (BelTel). For discussion of the beacons (and the wider bonfire programme), see this Slugger article.
The kerb-stones along the Edlingham Street (Duncairn Avenue) entrance into Tiger’s Bay have been repainted in preparation for this year’s Twelfth and the two pillars given bands of red, white, and blue.
The bonfire is on the waste-ground at Adam Street. The fact that the land is owned by the Department Of Infrastructure made the bonfire controversial in 2021 (see Move At Your Own Risk).
For the mural in the community garden, which now appears defunct, see Seek And You Shall Find.
A new mural was unveiled yesterday in memory of Jim McCabe, the husband of Norah McCabe who was hit by a plastic bullet in 1981 and died a day later. Jim went on to become a “lifetime campaigner for truth + justice” and a “founder member of Relatives For Justice [web] and United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets [web]” – the sketch shown in the third image suggests this line was part of the plan for the mural. (For a profile of Jim’s campaigning work, see Belfast Media.) Jim died in January of this (2023) year.
The image above shows one of the children of Norah and Jim – James – standing in front of the new mural wearing a ‘Ban plastic bullets’ t-shirt and carrying an image of his mother.
Norah McCabe died on July 9th, 1981, a day after being struck in the back of the head by a plastic bullet. The RUC claimed that they fired at a petrol bomber but footage from a Canadian TV crew on the Falls Road showed this to be false (Belfast Media).
Her husband Jim was involved in the “United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets” (web) founded in 1985 by Groves & Reilly. He died in January (2023) and mural in his memory was launched yesterday on Divis Street – see Jim McCabe.
There is a plaque and a memorial to McCabe at the spot where she was struck in the old Linden Street. These posters are at the family home on the Springfield Road.
“Ní coırpıgh sınne! Éıreannaıgh sınne! [we are not criminals; we are Irish people] “There is that much to be done that no select or small portion of people can do; only the greater mass of the Irish nation will ensure the achievement of a socialist republic, and this can only be done by hard work and sacrifice.” – Bobby Sands [Hunger strike diary, March 14th, 1981]” With photographs of the ten deceased 1981 hunger strikers.
Lí Ban became a mermaid – half-human, half-salmon – after a year spent living in an underwater bower, taking shelter from the family’s uncovered spring that overnight formed Lough Neagh. Three hundred years later (circa 558 A.D.) she told an envoy of Saint Comgall’s who was on his way to Rome, that she would come ashore at Larne a year later. She forwent another 300 years of sea life in favour of being baptised and dying immediately. She was baptised by Comgall, the abbot of Bangor, and christened “Muirgen” (sea-born) and was buried in the Lough Derg (Donegal) abbey (O’Grady | WP). Muirgen’s feast-day is January 27th (Sacred Sisters).
Painted by Friz (ig) for the Bangor Seaside Revival Festival, with support from Seedhead Arts (ig).
For a different style of presentation of Lí Ban, see Shaped By Sea And Stone in Larne. The end of the story is similar to the fate of the children of Lear, who spend 900 years as swans before a monk hears their song, puts them (willingly) in chains, but in protecting them from others touches them, which restores them to human form only for (baptism and) death to follow immediately. (See The Children Of Lear.)
Extramural Activity 