I Didn’t Come Up The Foyle In A Bubble

The Maritime Festival (web) in various years held a ‘bubble challenge’ that involved people running inside a large inflated tube (youtube video from 2016). Aquatic animals on the other hand come up the river Foyle under their own power, such as Dopey Dick (shown above), an orca who swam up the Foyle in 1977 (Derry Journal) and the otters (in the final two images below) painted by HM Constance (web).

We also see two musical crows – one is playing DJ and the other is carrying a cassette tape – and five humans, who also didn’t come up the Foyle in a bubble – “I didn’t come up (or “float up”) the Foyle in a bubble” means “I’m no fool” or “I wasn’t born yesterday”.

With support from UVArts (web).

For street art using the Belfast/Lagan version of the phrase, see Mother Of God.

Dopey Dick also appeared in a board in the Fountain (CAIN | M03914) and in a piece of street art in Ebrington.

Foyle Street, Derry, which is undergoing a major sewage update (Derry Now).