Belfast south

Sandy Row Stands Together

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The mural to the left (in the image above) is at the end of a long panel featuring the word “community” in large letters (see 2023’s Cultural Expression) and so it’s possible that it should be taken together with the new panels (shown below) reading “stands” and “together” to give “Community stands together”.

The joining panel (shown above and immediately below) shows new and old buildings of Charter Youth Club (Fb), which has been “serving our community [for] 50 years+”. The building pictured below is the building of the old Linfield Junior Public Elementary (ig) which was later used for the youth club.

Also shown between the words are the emblems of (professional soccer club) Linfield FC (web) and (intermediate club) Sandy Row FC (Fb).

Bly Blaze FX in Blythe Street, Sandy Row, south Belfast

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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Dreams Can Come True

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“The world’s best.” A new board has been mounted in Sandy Row to pay tribute to Lewis ‘The Croc’ Crocker, Sandy Row’s very own world champion, who “honed his craft at Cairn Lodge boxing club” on the West Circular and became “IBF world welterweight champion” at “Windsor Park, Belfast, 13th September 2025.” Crocker lost the title in June 2026, to the Australian Liam Paro.

On the right is soccer-player George Best, who grew up in Cregagh and debuted for Manchester United at the age of 17. “George Best at the age of 22 was awarded the prestigious Ballon d’Or on the 24th December 1968.”

The new board was unveiled by Crocker himself on Thursday, September 10th (BBC). There is also a small board to Crocker on Donegall Road.

Blythe Street, Sandy Row, south Belfast, replacing the previous George Best mural. For the Robert Dougan mural, see T01100.

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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Village Bonfire

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The Village Bonfire (Fb) proved controversial last year because of asbestos in an old factory roof lying near the site. The Council recommended that the bonfire be removed but the police refused to intervene; instead, the owners of the land secured the hazardous materials (BBC | BBC). This year, organisers were selling badges showing a person at the bonfire in a haz-mat suit (Reddit | image at Irish News Fb).

This writing is by Art With Park (ig), Alex Reed (ig), and Owen Watts (ig) in Maldon Street, Village, south Belfast

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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The Park Of The Dead

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“The Park” is the name of the new beer garden/courtyard at the Hatfield on Ormeau Road in south Belfast. “Mex” (web) is a brand of flavoured tequila-based cream liqueurs, which had its Belfast launch in Thompson’s last week (Aug 8th) (ig). Mex’s symbol is the skull-painted face worn for the Day Of The Dead, on November 1st/2nd – see La Calavera Catrina.

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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Shadow Of A Gunman

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A crude stencil pays tribute to IRA volunteer Sean Clinton, who died in April (2026) (Pensive Quill).

The stencil re-creates a famous photograph (CAIN), taken by Brendan Murphy of the Irish News (November 2025 BBC obituary), showing Clinton firing from this spot at an RUC checkpoint on Ormeau bridge. Clinton/the photo is also known as “The Last Gunman”, as the ceasefire was renewed a few days later, on July 19th, 1997.

Artana Street, lower Ormeau, south Belfast

For the Parades Protest mural, see Stand Off, Trade Off, which gives links back to its original appearance in 1998.

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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King Billy’s On The Wall

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The “Roden Street Bonfire And Cultural Festival 2026” has events every day this week, leading up fireworks and the lighting of the bonfire on the Eleventh (Fb). This new board, at the Donegall Road end of Roden Street, was unveiled on June 28th (Fb video).

“William III and II, also known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from 1672, and King of England, Ireland, and Scotland from 1689 until his death in 1702.”

“Historical Significance. The Glorious Revolution: William was invited by English Protestant leaders to invade England depose his Catholic father-in-law, King James II. Battle of the Boyne (1690): He secured his rule in Ireland by defeating James II’s forces at this pivotal battle. Constitutional Monarchy: His reign with his wide, Mary II, marked a shift toward parliamentary power through the 1689 Bill of Rights.
Cultural Legacy. The Orange Order: A Protestant fraternal organisation named in his honour, which celebrates his victory at the Boyne annually on The Twelfth (July 12). Iconography: He is famoulsy depicted on murals in Northern Ireland, often riding a white horse and wearing an orange sash. Place Names: He is the namesake of Williamsburg, Virginia, and the College of William and Mary. ‘Remember 1690 – King Billy’s on the Wall [youtube]'”

The portrait of William on the left is by Godfrey Kneller and part of the collection in the National Gallery Of Scotland.

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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