Belfast city centre

Ársa Ach Ór

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The Power’s whiskey (web) slogan “Old but gold” has here been translated into Irish as “ársa ach ór” and the red diamond from the ‘gold label’ is now agitating for “An Dream Dhearg [web] – #AchtAnoıs #CeartaTeanga” [The Red Group – #BillNow #LanguageRights].

There is also (below) a new tribute to Rónán Mac Aodha Bhuí, similar to the one at An Chultúrlann – for which, see Dorn San Aer.

At Tí Mhadáın/Madden’s Bar in Berry Street, Belfast city centre, replacing the Paddy mural.

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Lucky Me, Lucky You

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This piece of street art by Zippy (web) was originally intended for Hit The North 2024 but she didn’t find time to paint it until later, as she was busy organising the event itself. At the time, the green frame was painted but then the gates were covered with yellow stickers – see All This Scratching Is Making Me Itch.

Library Street, Belfast city centre

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Joseph, 23

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“Joseph, 23” is Joseph Burns, from north Belfast, who died in 2014 of a cardiac arrest. This is one of a dozen British Heart Foundation murals across the UK featuring victims below the age of 35 (Belfast Media | BelTel | Belfast Live). The other murals in the series – in Birmingham (Wolverhampton), Cardiff (Abertysswg), Chesterfield, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London (Essex, West Drayton), Newcastle, Nottingham, Southampton (x2) – are tied to the person’s support for a national soccer team (BBC | BHF).

“This is Joseph. He had his whole life ahead of him. A life full of hopes and dreams. But those dreams were sadly snatched away when he died. Each week, 12 young people are lost to sudden cardiac death in the UK. Only with your support can be fund the lifesaving scientific research that will help put a stop to this tragic reality. Please donate today.”

Linenhall Street, Belfast city centre

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Love The Arts

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Love Hearts turn 70 years old in 2024 – they were originally included in crackers for the Christmas season in 1954. Over the years, the messages on them have changed, and various specialty versions have been produced, including for Prince William’s 21st (in 2003) and a recent collaboration with YoungMinds with affirmative messages (Swizzels | WP). The messages on these “Love tHeArts” – imagined by FGB (ig) in North Street, Belfast city centre – are perhaps less “Marry me” and “Be mine” and more “Fund me” and “Follow me on Instagram”.

See also Eat To The Beat for another Swizzels sweet – the drumstick – by FGB.

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Sweet Rockall

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Nigel Farage yesterday had a banana milkshake from McDonald’s thrown over him by a protester in Clacton (Guardian) as Farage launched his own and the Reform Party’s campaign for the Westminster election on July 4th. It was not Farage’s first milkshake – he was doused by a banana-and-caramel shake from Five Guys in Newcastle in 2019 (BBC).

He is shown here (above) in a Ciaran Gallagher painting in the courtyard of the Dark Horse bar in Belfast city centre (at the end of the Ship Of Fools saga), with pint and cigarette in hand, looming over the UK’s most recent (and perhaps final) territorial expansion: the annexation of Rockall in 1955 and with it a claim of a 12-mile exclusion zone of sea and airspace; it is also claimed by Ireland, Iceland, and Denmark (WP).

Included below are other ethno-nationalists on display in the courtyard, portrayed as the four horsemen of the apocalypse, Donald Trump (famine), Vladimir Putin (death), Kim Jong Un (pestilence), and Ruhollah Khomeini (war).

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Copyright © 2023/2022 Paddy Duffy
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Computer Says No

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The Vault artists (ig) are making good use of the gallery space at their new digs in Marlborough House. FGB (ig) had an exhibition during HTN (entitled “He’s Not Right In The Head” – ig) and new work by Leo Boyd (ig) is on display this week.

The ad above is in Waring Street, in Belfast city centre. Included below is the same piece in paint form, in Kent St for HTN24.

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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The River Whose Name The city Stole

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“Where sugar, butter, sides of salted pork, barrels/of herring & other pickled fish are lugged/over the river whose name the city stole.”

This is another “Cathedral Quarter/Smithfield & Union” “walking poem” by Graffic Belfast (ig), in Warehouse Lane. (See also: Hello, Hello, Hello.) The river in question is the Farset – see The Farset Voice. The verse seems to be original.

Warehouse Lane, above the four paintings of the United Irishmen.

See the Visual History page for the Belfast Entries.

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Garfield’s Street

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Here is a gallery of images (and a list of artists, from top to bottom, and from North Street to Royal Avenue) from the (Hit The North) Paint Jam last Saturday (the 25th) in Lower Garfield Street, organised by Seedhead Arts (ig) and the Belfast Improvement District (BID web).

Stag (above) by HMC (ig)
Rose by Ollie Amscai (ig)
Pigeon by Strangford (ig)
Smelling The Flowers by Lost Lines (ig)
Melting House by Illoustrates (ig)
Dexter by NRMN (ig)
Crow by MWAK (ig)
Broken Hearts by Laura Nelson (ig)
House Panels by All The Doodz (ig)
Garfield by Cha Cha (ig)
Crow Chain Gang by FGB (ig)
Geometrical Flower by Katriona (ig)
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Cat by Jam2 (ig)
SNAK by SNAK (ig)
Wasp by Conor McClure (ig)
Leopard by Friz (ig)
Seed Heads by ?
Design by Not Pop (ig)
Gremlin by Wee Nuls (ig)
Embracing Our Creativity by Zippy (ig)
plus a pair of angel’s wings on the other side of the street.

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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