New portraits of the twelve dead Troubles-era hunger strikers (including Frank Stagg and Michael Gaughan) have been mounted next to the Falls Road Memorial Garden, with a quote from Bobby Sands’s ‘H-Block Trilogy’ on the cross-bar: “There is no source or foreign force/Can break one man who knows,/That his free will no thing can kill/And from that freedom grows.”
See also the previous (black-and-white) version.
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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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The drive to revive Belfast’s “Brewery Quarter” comes from Bell’s Brewery at The Deer’s Head (web) in Lower Garfield Street. Bell’s itself is a tribute to the brewery of John Bell in the late 1700s, one of many in what was then known as Bell’s Lane (Ireland On A Budget). Among the brewery’s offerings is the “Monkey Shaving The Goat”, a 4.3% ABV IPA.
Lower Garfield Street, Belfast, replacing irony’s Pearl.
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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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Fleadh Cheoıl Na hÉıreann brings eight days of events and competitions (pdf) to venues all across Belfast, beginning on August 2nd. Given the expected 100,000 visitors per day that are expected, the city has been transforming itself (Irish Times | BBC), with camp-sites being prepared, marquees being erected, and a number of artworks being painted, including this one by Danni Simpson (web) of a fiddler among flowers, at Writers’ Square in Donegall Street. There is also new art in the Dark Horse courtyard and on Royal Avenue.
July 26th:
July 23rd:
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Here are some newly-painted junction boxes along Stranmillis Road, by NoodleStuudio (ig) (above and immediately below) and ChippyDraws (ig).
Both artists contributed to this year’s (2026) Hit The North: in Library Street and Kent Street.
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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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This photo of children taking a ride on a coal cart joins more than a dozen others depicting life during the 20th century in Carrick Hill – see Old Carrick Hill and The Tea Bar. Here is a Belfast Forum thread of people reminiscing about the various items that used to be delivered by horse-drawn cart.
For the anti-drugs art on the left of the wide shot below, see You Have The Power.
(lower) Regent Street, Carrick Hill, west Belfast. A new archive featuring recordings of local people opened earlier this month in the Carrick Hill Community Centre (Belfast City Council).
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This giant arrow – painted by Rob Hilken (web) in Ann Street – points the way to Riddel’s warehouse (web), which is now an events space (and which until July 5th was home to the Outpouring exhibition featuring a large piece by Joe Caslin). The warehouse will be open for a “dramatised tour” featuring Bright Umbrella theatre company, on September 12th and 13th during the European Heritage Open Days (Riddel’s).
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These wildlife paintings by HMC (web) – with owl, squirrel, magpie, rabbit, fox, badger and blackbirds among a variety of flowers – is on Stranmillis Road, just south of the commercial stretch of the road but well within the city limits.
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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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Lyra McKee was shot and killed in April 2019 while observing a riot in Creggan, Derry (BBC). A tribute in Belfast city centre was painted by Emmalene Blake during Hit The North (in May). The piece survived fairly well for a few years (here is a 2022 image) before being repainted with a flat blue background in 2025, which in turn had to be repainted in 2026 (for before and after images see 2026). People have taken to placing stickers with positive messages on top of the graffiti that immediately began to accumulate, such as “You did so well today”, “Fuck being average”, and “Never lose your sparkle”.
repainted during this year’s (2026) Hit The North.
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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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Snow Patrol’s fourth album, Eyes Open, was released twenty years ago, in April 2006, and went on to be the best-selling album of the year (WP). The celebrate the anniversary, Jossie Pops (web) recreated the album’s cover in Bangor, home of the band’s guitarist Gary Lightbody.
Southwell Road, Bangor, replacing the Gary Lightbody art.
In-progress images from June 17th:
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