“Let’s make the difference – stand up for your community – join the IRNC”, “Show support to all Irish republican prisoners – join the IRPC”. These are new IRNC and IRPC (Fb) boards on Northumberland Street (Visual History), west Belfast. See previously on Northumberland Street: IRPC prisoner Niall Lehd | Join The IRNC
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Friendly faces by Aches (web) on the side of the “Sandy Row” Holiday Inn, officially in Hope Street/Bruce Street, but more familiarly above the car-park where the Twelfth bonfire has previously taken place, starting in 2016 – see Stuff We Don’t Need – and continuing into 2024 – see News Letter.
October 20th:
October 13th:
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The 1916 centenary mural in Andersonstown has been repurposed and repainted to express solidarity with the people of Palestine.
From the frame of the previous mural – see Unbowed, Unbroken – the title, phoenix, and chains have been preserved but two instances of the inverted red triangle have been added at the top and bottom – see Resist! (and My Kite You Made).
The main panel puts the struggles in Palestine and Northern Ireland in parallel, showing (from top to bottom on each side) political prisoners, violence against protesters, and relatives carrying portraits.
On the left, Palestinian prisoners languish in Israeli jails (based on a photo of Hamza Abu Halima and on this Reuters photograph of prisoners sitting in the street, both from December 2023) and IDF soldiers make violent arrests – the one on the left is from 2016 (CCUN) and the one on the right is perhaps based on this Reuters photograph.
On the right: British soldiers restore order after the Burning Of Long Kesh (see Operation Pagoda), next to blanket-man Hugh Rooney, above three arrests made by British Army soldiers – their caps indicates that they are from the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (left) and the Paratroop regiment (centre). (For two of the original photos, see BBC | Getty.)
Along the bottom of both sides, marchers hold portraits of the dead, including the recently-killed leader of Hamas Yahya Sinwar (BBC).
For the mural to the right (in the wide shot) see Stop The Genocide – Save Palestine.
An Neasc Theas, Baıle Mhıc Aındréıs, Béal Feırste thıar (South Link, Andersonstown, west Belfast)
October 13th:
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This IRPWA (web) board in Glen Parade, Andersonstown, is in support of Palestinian political prisoners. Al Jazeera reports that roughly, 9,500 Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank are currently being held, and about 3,600 without charge, under “administrative detention”.
The missing exclamation-mark in the board above suggests that there is a missing third. See We Exist! We Resist! We Rise!
Next to the Saoradh mural with a large Palestinian flag – see From The River To The Sea and Palestinian Solidarity.
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“In defence of the republic”, “Éıre aontaıthe, Gaelach, agus saor. Seasamh [“ag seasamh”? “seas”? “seasaıgí”?] le Poblacht Shóısıalach Dhaonlathach na hÉıreann 32 Contae.” “Nothing can alter the truth of it: Ireland belongs to the Irish” – Pádraıg Pearse. [from ‘To The Boys Of Ireland‘]”
[Ireland united, Gaelic, and free. Stand with a 32-county, democratic, socialist, Irish republic]
“Honour Ireland’s patriot dead – in our hearts your memory lives on. Irish Republican Martyrs Commemorative Committee [Fb]”
This board also serves to provide an end-of-life image of the piece behind it – Climate Change Affects Everyone But Not Equally – which is now 12 years old and has missing panels; since no one appears to be minding the space, the old board is simply being covered over.
Northumberland St (Visual History), west Belfast.
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This is the second “Living Mural” in Wild Belfast’s (web) “Art For Conservation” project. The first was on the side of a stand at Cliftonville FC, where a Daniela Balmaverde painting was dotted with small structures for house-martins (see Bird In The Hand).
The second, shown here, is above the Little Victoria Street car-park in Bruce Street and again includes bird boxes along with the artwork. The sideways-on image, below, gives the best view of the eight “swift bricks” that will provide nesting space for the birds in the summer, as well as the bird-call speakers (above the “S” of “swift” on the side) that will hopefully attract the swifts. Both swifts and house-martins have ‘red’ (“high concern”) conservation status in Ireland (Bird Watch Ireland pdf).
By Rob Hilken (web).
In-progress shots from October 20th:
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‘Suggestions For Stargazing’ is a series of information boards and fluorescent questions encouraging people to embrace darkness. The installation was designed by Aisling O’Beirn (web) as part of the Right To The Night (ig) project, which is concerned with light pollution in north Belfast, and was included in the Red Sky At Night festival (Belfast CC). It will remain in place until the end of November, 2024.
Above: “Light pollution is caused by too much artificial outdoor light. When we over-light we risk losing our night time environment with negative effects for the environment, the climate, wildlife, human health and the economy.”
Last below: “There is a global movement to reduce light pollution, everyone can help, even you! Use light only when necessary. Minimise glare and brightness. Angle outdoor lights downwards. Use switch off or dimming sensors. Keep nature dark. Avoid illuminating trees, water, and nesting areas.”
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“I will find you … a property.” Liam Neeson stars in the film Taken as a father who is determined to rescue his kidnapped daughter from Albanian sex-traffickers, slaughtering more or less everyone who stands in his way (WP). The same ruthless measures are apparently required to find and buy a home under our current system of predatory capitalism.
This is street art by Jossie Pops (web) on the side of the offices of Independent estate agents in Bingham Street/Hamilton Road, Bangor.
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Painting one’s face to resemble a skull, and wearing flowers (particularly marigolds) in one’s hair is a modern tradition that stems from the sugar skulls that are part of the offerings that the living provide for the dead who – for the brief period around the ‘Day Of The Dead’ – are able to return from the underworld (Mexico Historico | Bachman)
This calavera catrina (“dapper skull”) was painted by Visual Waste (web) on the upper wall of Bebe Adrianos Mexicanos (Fb), a burrito bar in Bangor.
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Paddy Duffy Collection 