The story of William in Ireland has been a recent favourite in PUL displays (e.g. Newtownabbey | Carrickfergus | Shankill); this version is novel in adding a letter from June 30th, 1688, both in transcription and facsimile, under the heading of the “Glorious Revolution”. In it, the “Immortal Seven” tell William, the Prince Of Orange, that 95% of English people want a change in monarch. William arrived in England in November, 1688, and in Ireland in June, 1690.
The Williamite Trail (from October) joins an earlier tribute (June) to Elizabeth II on the years of her silver, ruby, gold, diamond, sapphire, and platinum jubilees (1977, 1992, 2002, 2012, 2017, and 2022).
For another combination of William and Elizabeth, see Elizabeth, Queen Of Orange.
This sub-station is the site of the infamous “Join The UDA” mural of 2015 (one | two).
Oakfield Crescent, Oakfield/Glenfield, Carrickfergus
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“Forever in our heart: HM Queen Elizabeth II, April 21, 1926 – September 8, 2022” and “Greenisland celebrates King Charles III, coronation 6th May, 2023.” Charles assumed (“acceded to”) the UK throne immediately upon the death of Elizabeth in September, in order to maintain the monarchy’s unbroken rule; it was not announced until the morning of the 10th (WP) and the coronation ceremony took place eight months later.
Glenkeen Avenue, Greenisland.
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After its entry into World War II on the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbour, (December 7, 1941), troops heading to Europe were stationed in Northern Ireland. The army’s 1st Ranger Battalion — an elite, special-operations, infantry unit — was formed on May 27th, 1942, and 600 soldiers, mostly from the 34th Division, were chosen from 1,500 volunteers by Captain (and then Major) William Darby (WP); Darby is shown in the third board. The unit was activated on June 19th, 1942, at the Sunnylands Camp in Carrickfergus (Wartime NI). The Rangers trained with British commandos at Achnacarry, Scotland, before seeing action (WWII Rangers) – the commando monument there was featured in a Red Hand Commando mural in Rathcoole.
These informational boards are on the side of the Sunnylands shops. There is also a memorial stone (Atlas Obscura) at the junction of Sunnylands Avenue and North Road, where the gates to the camp were located.
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This entry updates the images seen in Kragfargus Cultural Corner, which now includes a portrait of Catherine (“Kate”) Middleton, Princess Of Wales and Baroness Carrickfergus (no “of”), alongside the tribute to King Charles III. The other person with a castle is Mr Tayto, who appears in the montage of famous faces on one of the NI 100 boards (fourth image).
Taylor’s Avenue, Carrickfergus
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The new Grand Central Station opened at the beginning of September, replacing both Victoria Street train station and the Glengall Street bus station. The artwork outside the station (shown here) was completed by Dee Craig (Fb), depicting the rail-yards and mills of old Belfast, and physicist (and Belfast native) John Stewart Bell (WP).
One knock-on effect of the new station was that the tracks begin west of the Boyne Bridge and it is due to be dismantled – see Battle Of The Boyne Bridge.
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This is a new mural to UVF volunteers (l-r) Robert McIntyre, William Hannah, James McGregor, Robert Wadsworth, and Thomas Chapman, who were killed between 1973 and 1978. Compared to the previous mural, the volunteers generally present a more relaxed appearance, lacking their jackets and parkas, though still brandishing a wide variety of weapons.
It is not clear who the two gentlemen in the top, wearing vintage UVF arm-bands, are.
Carnan (or “C. Coy”) Street in the Shankill. For the mural to the left (to Joe Coggle and Paul McClelland) see S. Company, C. Company.
Prepped for the launch:
July 7th: The plaster was taken back to the brick and then re-plastered and painted before the mural was added.
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Privates Fred Starrett and James Cummings died in an IRA bombing on Belfast’s Royal Avenue on February 24th, 1988, two of the 197 UDR soldiers who died violently during the twenty-two year life-span of the regiment (UDR Association). The pair are also remembered in a UDR display in Thorndyke Street.
The poem on the right hand side (“as poppy petals gently fall …” by John Potter) is the same as on the Parkhall (Antrim) UDR board.
Ogilvie Street, east Belfast – compare the entry on the same wall from September.
“This project was completed through Belfast City Council’s ‘Promoting the Positive Expression of Cultural Heritage’ Programme, with funding through the EU Programme for Peace & Reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland (PEACE III) under Priority 1.1. Building Positive Relations at a local level.”
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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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“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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