This painting of soccer star George Best was painted by Ian Lowry (web) on Teddy’s restaurant (Spectator). The photograph reproduced is from a 1971 match against West Ham (Alamy). Best scored a hat-trick in a 4-2 victory for United (11v11).
May Avenue, Bangor
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
T09729 T09728 T09730
This new wall-painting in Bangor encourages people to “end violence against women and girls”. It was painted by local artist Friz (web) in collaboration with young women from North Down YMCA’s “Flip The Script” programme (Belfast Live) and officially launched on August 25th (Ards & North Down).
For the Liam Neeson art on the right-hand side of the wide shot, see A Very Particular Set Of Skills.
See also: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun…damental Rights.
Hamilton Road, Bangor
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
T09732 T09733 [T09734] T09735 T09736
T09731
The rocks in Westwinds estate have been repainted. The poppy in the foreground was previously a YCV emblem (as seen in 2018). In the distance, Scrabo Tower overlooks the estate.
Blenheim Drive, Westwinds, Newtownards
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
T09693
“King William III, King of England, Scotland and Ireland 1689-1702. ‘Prince of Orange’. “The enemy made some resistance but at length gave way, and we routed them entirely.” King William III, writing to Queen Mary after the battle of the Boyne: 1st July 1690″.
This gable-sized board – launched on July 10th, 2026 – replaces the UVF “Armed And Ready” centenary mural in the Westwinds estate.
The “parchment” in the lower-left corner describes the crisis in Protestantism caused by James II’s (conversion to Catholicism and) second marriage and birth of a son, thereby threatening to establish a Catholic line of monarchs.
It then includes some of the letter from the Immortal Seven inviting William, who was already married to James’s (Protestant) daughter (and presumptive heir) Mary, to take over. As the dates-of-death on the board make clear, Mary died young, at age 32, of smallpox (WP), leaving William to rule alone for another eight years.
Blenheim Drive, Westwinds, Newtownards
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
T09687 T09688 T09689 T09690 T09691 T09692
T09686
Rathcoole Primary School & Nursery Unit, in Newtownabbey, is a “forest” school (web), meaning that children have regular sessions in woodland or a natural environment (pdf). When not in nature, students at the Nursery Unit – home to hedgehog and squirrel class (RPS&NU) – can be reminded of the outdoors every time they pass by this new mural on the school wall, painted by Visual Waste (web).
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
T09682 T09683 T09684 T09685 T09681
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.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
T09576 T09577 [T09578] T09579 T09580 [T09581] T09582 T09583
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:
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
T09567c T09566 T09568
T09280 T09279
The full Belfast City Council last week overturned a committee decision to place dual-language (English and Irish) street-signs only on the CNR parts of long roads that pass through both CNR and PUL areas (Belfast Live). A TUV councillor at the meeting promised that any new signs would be “cut down” (BelTel) but the motion was carried by 31 votes to 25.
Currently at issue are Donegall Park Avenue, Oldpark Road, and Skegoneill Road. Donegall Park Avenue reaches a PUL area of the Shore Road at its eastern end, the site of the recent bonfire and anti-immigrant banners. In protest at the plan, and to make the identity of the area clear, the current street-sign at the junction has been papered over with “Loyalist Donegall Park Avenue”.
The policy statement on street-signs can be found at the Council’s web site (pdf).
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
T09538 T09537
Paddy Duffy Collection 