Stars, Look Down/A Réaltaí, Féachaíg’ Anuas

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For his contribution to the ‘Art And The Great Hunger’ exhibition in 2019, OMIN (ig | web) drew inspiration from the battering rams used to evict people from their homes – for a photograph see History Today – and the Gabriel Rosenstock poem “Dóıbh Sıúd A Dúnmharaíodh 1845-1850” [To The Murdered Of 1845-1850], which ends “A réaltaí, féachaıg’ anuas/Go dtí nach mbeıdh sa ghrıan/Ach abhac dubh” [Stars, look down/Until the sun is nothing/But a black dwarf] (ig).

With support from UV Arts. The van is part of the piece.

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X08448 X11114 X11115 X11113 William St

Cobra Kai

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Cobra Kai is the dojo of Johnny Lawrence (pictured above) who served as the villian of The Karate Kid back in 1984 (“Sweep the leg!”); the modern YouTube/Netflix series Cobra Kai is more sympathetic and more complicated – season 4 will be released on December 31st. The mural is by TOAR and NOYS in the Bloomfield Avenue alley behind the old Vault.

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X08762 X08761 [X07776] mcmaster st

An Act Of Betrayal

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“We are united by the Act Of Union, we won’t be divided by an act of betrayal.” The ‘act of betrayal’ in question is the Northern Ireland Protocol of Brexit which puts NI outside the single market but allows for the free movement of goods with the EU but not Britain – hence the “Irish Sea border”.

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X08786 [X08785] mcmaster st

Like The Eternal Flame

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“Like the eternal flame your memory will never die.” “Unbowed, unbroken – this garden is dedicated to all our fallen dead from Ardoyne, Bone, and Ligoniel who lost their lives as a direct result of the conflict. We also honour all those people who played an active part in our struggle for Irish freedom. ‘It is not those who inflict the most, but those that endure the most, that shall prevail’ [Terence McSwiney]”. The central plaque shows the pediment and statues on “ard-oıfıg an phoıst” (the GPO in Dublin, 1916) and the Maid Of Erin harp (of 1798). The celtic cross was previously in the memorial garden at the corner of Berwick Road – see Freedom Hath Arisen.

In the distance of the final image is the Sean Mac Dıarmada mural.

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07649 [X05375] X07650 X07651 X07652 [X07653] X07654 X07655 X07656 X05376 Butler Pl

The Gaffer

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This is an update to the post Legends Never Die, which showed the original tribute to Rangers manager Walter Smith in the form of a tarp below the celebration of Rangers’ 2020-2021 league title. Since then, fans have left wreaths and attached their tops to the railings, with messages written on them in marker: “True Blue”, “Our knight”, “Legend like no other”, “Mr Rangers”.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X08792 X08793 [X08789] [X08791] X08794 X08795 X08790 Lawnbrook Ave

We’re All Mad Here

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This mural of characters from Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland – including the Mad Hatter, shown above – was painted back in August (or late July) with about twenty feet of purple-painted wall to the right but there has been no advance made on it since then. Also included are the White Rabbit (or possibly the March Hare), the Cheshire Cat – speaker of our title quote – and Alice herself.

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X08798 X08797 X08872
N Howard St

#BuildShankill

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A message from BUILD Shankill (web): “Did you know? The Shankill has over 80 waste sites the size of 62 football pitches with the space to build 3300 homes. .” Members of the team, as well as representatives from the Housing Executive and the NI Executive, took a bus tour of the sites in June (Alternatives youtube channel).

Housing is also a concern in other areas of Belfast – for CNR west Belfast, see (e.g.) Is This Our City? | in north Belfast see (e.g.) Equality Can’t Wait.

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X08763 [X08764] X08765 [X08766] shankill rd

Death

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Chuck Schuldiner was the founder, vocalist, and guitarist of the metal band Death – one of the first “death metal” bands – from 1983 until his death at 34 from a brain tumour, twenty years ago today (WP). The mural in his honour is in the alley off Bloomfield Avenue, behind the former Vault HQ; it reproduces a Getty image of Schuldiner from 1995 holding a BC Rich Ignitor guitar, now out of production. Please leave a comment if you can decipher the artist’s sig.

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Act Now

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“Act now” on the climate crisis – the hands “evoke action” in preserving the flowers, butterflies, and bees (Irish News). The work by Danni Simpson (web | ig) is on the Montrose Street side of the Skainos Centre in east Belfast. The mural was unveiled by Rosalind Skillen, a podcaster and writer (e.g. BBC) on climate from east Belfast. Funding was provided by the Climate Coalition (Friends Of The Earth).

See also: Life Preserver

See previously in east Belfast: emic’s ‘twisted hands’ mural which was further along the Newtownards Road when the Vault artists were in the old Ulster Bank building – see 35.

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Restore Our Place In The United Kingdom

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“Restore our place in the United Kingdom – No EU law, No EU court, No EU checks – End the Irish Sea border; nothing less will do.” Sticker in front of the UVF Regimental Band mural (They Said We’d Never Last) from the East Belfast Coalition (Fb), one of several regional “coalitions” formed to protest the NI Protocol.

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X08744 X08745 X08746 Newtownards Rd