Author: Extramural Activity

Ballymena Town Hall

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Here are two shutter paintings of bygone Ballymena: above is Ballymena Town Hall, which has been rebuilt on multiple occasions; pictured above are the hall in its present form, since 1918, and its previous incarnation.

Below is the view looking up Bridge Street, with the old town hall in the middle.

Both of these are on shutters in the modern Bridge Street. tThere are also shutters painted with Mill St, Ballymena.

The owl is in Church Street while the butterfly and nature pair are in Broughshane Street (at Blossom & Birch and The Venue).

The two commercial pieces (final two images, below) are by Sam McAleese for Ballymena BID (LoveBelfast). (For others, see Midtown Makers.)

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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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The Men From Harryville

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This entry updates 2023’s Harryville Says No with images of two additional boards/plaques erected by the 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles Memorial Association (Fb), “in honour of the men from Harryville [Ballymena] who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Battle Of The Somme from 1st July to 18th November 1916”.

“Remembering 57386 Sergeant John McNabney, formerly of No 9 Larne Street, 36th Divisional signal company, awarded the distinguished conduct medal, military medal with bar, and mentioned in despatches.” McNabney’s career and many decorations are described in Ballymena Guardian | Your Lurgan.

Larne Street and Waring Street, Ballymena

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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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Free Marwan

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“Free Marwan and all Palestinian political prisoners”. Marwan Barghouti, a leader of the group Fatah, has been in Israeli prison since 2002. He was seen last month in a video showing Israeli’s national security minister taunting the 66-year-old Barghouti in his cell (BBC | Al Jazeera | NPR).

Barghouti and 1,000 other prisoners went on hunger-strike in 2017 in order to win family visits for prisoners; see “Free Marwan Barghouti” in Belfast and in Derry and Barghouti’s quote “Our Chains Will Be Broken Before We Are” in a north Belfast stencil.

The photograph reproduced in this mural, of Barghouti giving the “V” for victory symbol while in handcuffs, can be seen at New Arab.

Divis Street, west Belfast, on the International Wall, where Barghouti’s son Aarab spoke at the launch (youtube).

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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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Our Lady

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Mary, the mother of Jesus, is remembered in various guises around the New Lodge Grotto. Above, and in the underpass, she takes the form of the ‘Immaculate Heart Of Mary’ (alongside St. Joseph the carpenter and St Patrick(?)).

The prayer next to the trio is a Prayer To Our Lady Of Knock: (Our Lady of Knock, Queen of Ireland, you gave hope to your people in a time of distress, and comforted them in sorrow. You have inspired countless pilgrims to pray with confidence to your divine Son, remembering His promise, “Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find.” Help me to remember that we are all pilgrims on the road to heaven. Fill me with love and concern for my brothers and sisters in Christ, especially those who live with me. Comfort me when I am sick, lonely or depressed. Teach me how to take part ever more reverently in the Holy Mass. [Give me a greater love of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.] Pray for me now, and at the [hour of my death.] Amen.)

The Apparition At Knock took place on August 21st, 1879; there was a mural of the standard depiction of the event in nearby Newington (Street View).

The presentation on the “New Lodge Grotto” side-wall (alongside St Thérèse) is of Our Lady Of Medjugorje. (There was a mural with the same title not far from the grotto.)

There was also an “Our Lady Of Fátima” image on the doors, best seen in C07117.

The ‘Hail Mary’ is also given, in English (Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.) and in Irish (Sé do bheatha, a Mhuıre, atá lán de ghrásta. Tá an Tıarna leat. Is beannaıthe thú ıdır mná, agus ıs beannaıthe toradh do bhroınne, Íosa. A Naomh-Mhuıre, a Mháthaır Dé, guıgh oraınn na peacaıgh, anoıs, agus ar uaır ár mbáıs. Amen.)

Painted by Paddy McCloskey, with help from Eddie Rossbotham and others.

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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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Space To Breathe

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“Sky is not [the] limit – it’s only the beginning” – this is new mental health art from the New Lodge Youth Centre (Fb | previously seen), at the war-wall that separates Lepper Street from Duncairn Avenue, next to the (long-empty) Corner House, suggesting that young people can transcend their earthly bonds and actualise themselves in space.

Lepper Street, New Lodge, north Belfast

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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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Billy Anderson

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“William Anderson Garden Of Remembrance – In memory of Billy Anderson”. Billy “The Brick” Anderson was a member of the Pride Of Ballybeen flute band (Fb) – there is a small version of the band’s emblem above the black plaque in the image above.

“Cuidich ‘n Righ” [help the king] is the motto of the Highlanders. The emblem also appears on the band’s mural at the top of the estate (and below the Buster Keenan mural in east Belfast).

Millar’s Lane, on the old bonfire site at the bottom of Ballybeen estate, Dundonald

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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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Village Team On Tour

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“Loyalist Village, south Belfast – Village team on tour.” This is a new printed board at the eastern edge of the Village in south Belfast. The association with the Northern Ireland soccer team (governed by the Irish Football Association) is perhaps an attempt to rehabilitate the name from the graffiti that appeared in 2015 (Welcome To Hell) and 2016 (Taigs Will Be Dealt With).

There is a “Linfield” version of this board, in red, white, and blue, in Tavanagh Street.

The/An “I am not an Ulsterman …” board was originally in Kilburn Street – see the Seosamh Mac Coılle Collection.

For the Linfield/Northern Ireland mural in better days, see For Club And Country.

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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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