PUL

Forever

2024-11-152024-12-07Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“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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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Action At A Distance

2024-11-142024-12-07Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

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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Forever Honour Their Sacrifice

2024-11-072024-11-29Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

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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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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In Defence Of Our Country

2024-11-062024-12-07Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

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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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Hotel? Motel?

2024-11-032024-11-29Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

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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A Very Particular Set Of Skills

2024-11-012024-12-21Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“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.

Take Back The City

2024-11-012024-11-02Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The city in question here is Bangor, Co. Down (rather than London, which features in the video (youtube) for the song of the same name). The band Snow Patrol (and in particular, guitarist and Bangor native Gary Lightbody) have organised a music festival in the town’s Ward Park in 2007, 2010, and 2019 (Soul Surmise). There are no public plans for a ‘Ward Park 4’ (Chord Blossom) but there is some speculation on-line (Fb) of a concert in 2025, which artist Jossie Pops (web) is trying to drum up support for with this painting of Lightbody on the side of Harrison-Morris-Waugh chartered account’s office, in Southwell Street, Bangor.

Also in Bangor: The cover of Snow Patrol’s ‘Wildness’ album was painted for Ward Park 3 – see This Is Not The Same As Other Days.

Handsome Dave

2024-11-012024-11-29Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“In loving memory of Davy Wilsdon” – Wilsdon appears to have been a member of the Somme Memorial flute band (Fb) in Bangor. He died in January, 2022 (funeral service on youtube). The band sponsored a memorial bench in Wilsdon’s honour in the village of Mesnil-Martinsart, France (Fb | Street View | see also Ulster Tower). In addition, his portrait has been painted by London artist Olivier Roubieu (web) in Beatrice Avenue/High Street, Bangor, replacing the painting of Terry Bradley’s Don’t Look Back.

The Pride O’ Oor Land Lie Cauld In The Clay

2024-11-012024-12-17Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“In proud memory of Ryan McCosh [and] Chris Hamilton, North Down battalion, Bangor”. The memorial board was officially dedicated on November 10th but was in place a month previously (Fb).

To the right of the wide shot, writing on side-walls can be seen that reads “Bangor Protestant Boys F[lute] B[and]” and “Did they beat the drum slowly? Did they play the fife lowly?”. The latter lines are from Eric Bogle’s song “No Man’s Land” which is about a young man (“Willie McBride”) dying on “the green fields of France” in WWI. (Here (youtube) is the recording by Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy.) McCosh and Hamilton appear to have been members of the flute band, rather than members of the Ulster Volunteers or the Troubles-era UVF.

Ardgheean Gardens, Kilcooley, Bangor

Paddy Duffy Collection

Murals From Belfast (And Round-About)