Month: April 2025

George Best

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

George Best began his international career at the age of 20, in 1964, playing six matches that year in the green shirt of Northern Ireland, and scoring goals against Switzerland and Scotland in November.

This mural depicts a very young Best, perhaps circa 1967; the source image is unknown – Best typically parted his hair from the left and exposed his teeth. The piece was painted by ACE Sprayworks (web), with support from Warren Anderson Tiling, at Anderson’s home near Cloughmills. (Sunday World)

Best was a familiar figure in the first wave of re-imaging (see Visual History 10).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T06411 T06410

Grand Masters

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Shane Lowry won the Open golf championship in 2019, his only “major” win so far. He is still in with a chance at the Masters, which concludes today, though he is seven strokes behind leader Rory McIlroy; Lowry tees off at 7 and McIlroy at 7:30 p.m.

2019 was the last time the Open was played at Royal Portrush. This mural was painted by Peaball (web) on Causeway Street, near the club, last July (2024), a year before the Open will return to the course (July 17th-20th).

Also in Portrush: Graeme McDowell.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T06428 T06429 T06430 T06427

Shrunken Heads

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is a gallery of images from the Project 24 space along Queen’s Parade in Bangor, whose east wall is frequently painted by local street artists (see the links below for an attempt to keep track of all of the activity).

From top to bottom, these pieces are by Imogen Donegan (ig) and Ana Fish (web), Etchaflesh (web), Keyto (ig) x2, Codo (ig), Ana Fish and HMC (web), Sharon Regan (web).

2024-11 Zoom
2024-04 How About This For Art?
2023-11 Stop Ruining Art
2023-04 Around Every Corner
2023-01 This Is Not The Same As Every Day

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T06376 T06377 T06378 T06379 [T06380] T06381 T06382 T06383 T06384 T06385

Ward Park

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Ward Park was acquired by the Bangor “Urban District Council” circa 1910 (Spectator | Bangor Historical Society) and now includes various greens for bowling, tennis, and cricket, as well as a playground for children. A series of ponds runs through the park, home to ducks and other wildlife. (For detailed maps of the park, see Bangor By The Sea’s plans of the current on-going renovations.)

This new art is by Danni Simpson (web) and Karl Fenz (web) for Ards & North Down borough council (web).

There is also a duck on an electrical box, painted by Sharon Regan (ig), and an info board about the 50-person WWII air-raid shelter that still stands in the park.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T06390 T06386 [T06387] T06388 [T06389]
T06391 T06392

Shore Life

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is a survey of some street art in Donaghadee, Co Down (along with Donaghadee Harbour).

The owls, puffins, and bee painted on the electrical boxes on the Parade are by Sharon Regan (ig) who also did a series of windows in Bangor.

Grace Neill’s (web) which claims to be the oldest licensed bar in Ireland, dating back to 1611.

“S McC” and the artist(s) of the other pieces in High Street are unknown, as is the artist of the octopus on the front of The Captain’s Table (Fb).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T06393 T06394 T06395 T06396 T06397 T06398 T06399 T06400 T06401 T06402 T6403
T06053

Attack Of The Ulster Volunteers

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The uniforms of the graveside mourners are from WWI and the image on each side is JP Beadle’s Attack Of The Ulster Division (Royal Irish) at the Battle Of The Somme in 1916, but the names on the pillar (in the image immediately below) are from the modern UVF. Little information about any of those listed is available on-line, but ten of those listed were also on a plaque in Abbot Crescent, which was similarly in front of a 36th Division mural.

Castlereagh Way, Bowtown, Newtownards

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T06408 [T06407] T06409 T06405 [T06406]
T06404