“Victory to Kneecap” and “Free Palestine” on the shutters of the former West Belfast Partnership building on the Falls Road. For background see Seasaımıd Le Lıam Óg.
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Copyright © 2025 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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This year’s internment bonfire in Derry’s Bogside was swathed in flags prior to being set alight. The flags of the UK, Northern Ireland, and Israel can be seen in numbers, as well as flags of the SAS, Paras, IDF, UVF, LVF, UDA, ABOD, various flute bands, King Billy, King Charles, “deport, not support”, and … Bohemians FC, in connection with rioting at a match in July (BBC | BBC).
While it was being built, one person fell from the bonfire and broke a bone (BelTel), and it carried a message of support for Gaza (Derry Journal). The Creggan bonfire caused controversy for a board that named as targets police officer John Caldwell and Tullyally youth Kyle Bonnes who died (in 2010) in the river Faughan while fleeing police (BBC | Ombudsman).
For commentary, see Slugger. For images of the blaze, see Derry Journal.
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Copyright © 2025 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
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This mural celebrates the Irish-language institutions in west Belfast. From left to right, the buildings by the loch are: Gaeltacht Bhóthar Seoıghe, Bunscoıl Phobal Feırste, Raıdıó Fáılte, An Chultúrlann, Teach Ard Na bhFeá, Coláıste Feırste, and Áras Na bhFál. In a sense they are all ripples from the initial drop that was the Shaw’s Road Gaeltacht, established in 1969 and which led quickly to the bunscoıl in 1971 (WP). The NVTv documentary about the Shaw’s Road gaeltacht borrows its title from the slogan motivating the early efforts, “Ná habaır é, déan é” [Don’t say it, do it] – the bunscoıl was not officially recognised until 1985.
Among the pioneers (“ceannródaıthe”) of those early ventures were the Mac Seáın family, who grew up in a house adjacent to the wall on which the new mural is painted: “Tógadh Séamus Mac Seáın, Seán Mac Seáın, agus Caıtlín Mıstéıl (née Mhıc Sheáın) sa teach seo. Bhí an trıúr seo ı measc na gceannródaıthe a bhunaıgh Gaeltacht Bhóthar Seoıghe.”
The mural was commissioned by Spórtlann Na hÉıreann’s Irish-language heritage project “Gael Staır” (Meon Eıle | Belfast Media), with support from Mary’s Gift (Belfast Media), and painted by Aodán Ó Manacháın (Fb). It was unveiled Sunday 10th.
Rodney Drive, St James’s, west Belfast
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“In our community no one walks in the darkness alone.” West Wellbeing (web) offers counselling and suicide-prevention services from its offices in the Dairyfarm centre on the Stewartstown Road. This new mural – by Glen Molly (ig) – is a little further along the road, just past Bell Steel Road.
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The RNU mural supporting Palestine has been cleaned up to remove graffiti calling Sınn Féın “traitors and touts” (RNU Belfast Fb).
Pantridge Road, replacing the boards seen in Conscience. The poster below, criticising RNU leadership, is on the Cogús board to the left.
Update: the mural was (for a second time) vandalised and repaired (RNU Belfast Fb) and then was (a third time) vandalised with “SF traitors & touts REM Oct 07” – see below
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“I was only a working-class boy from a [nationalist] ghetto, but it is repression that creates the revolutionary spirit of freedom.” This is a widely-quoted line from Bobby Sands, from an article in Republican News, 16 December, 1978 (page 7 pdf).
The mosaic has been in place since 2012; the quote was perhaps added for the launch of the Bobby Sands statue.
Twinbrook Road, Dunmurry
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Play and physical activity are promoted as aiding with mental health among Twinbrook children.
“Nurture your child’s mental health through play” at Scoıl Na Fuıseoıge and Sands Youth Centre – “play builds friendships, health & wellbeing, resilience, communities.
“How physical activity – at St Luke’s/Brookville/Almond Star FC (Fb) and Gaeıl Chollaınn CLG – helps mental health” by producing increasing self-esteem, improved mood, reduced depression, anxiety, and stress.
On the wall behind the Bobby Sands info boards and next to the Sands mural in Twinbrook.
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“… just a junkie”. Some troubles transcend the Troubles.
On the upper security gates on Northumberland Street, west Belfast, appropriately enough.
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“Óglach Bobby Sands 9th March 1954 – 5th May 1981”. Sands was the first of the ten IRA and INLA prisoners to die in the second hunger strike. For the 44th anniversary of his death, a statue was unveiled in Twinbrook, near the Sands family home and next to the memorial garden in Gardenmore Road (Peter Moloney Collection).
The statue was created by Packy Adams (Belfast Media | Irish News) and appears to be based on the photographs by Gérard Harlay – discovered in 2019 – of Sands carrying a United Irishmen flag in a march that took place a few months before his (final) arrest in 1976 (Bobby Sands Trust). The hair is also reminiscent of Wolfe Tone. The new statue (which does not have planning permission) has a built-in flag-pole, to which an Irish Tricolour was added for the launch on May 4th.
There is also a free-standing information board about Sands at the other end of Jasmine Corner, part of the Colin Heritage Trail.
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Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom are the stripes on an Israeli-flag-coloured snake that has Earth in its coils.
This is an RNU Belfast (Fb) mural in opposition to the Israeli invasion of Gaza.
Glen Road at Ramoan Gardens, west Belfast
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Extramural Activity 