Etna Drive in Ardoyne has undergone a make-over in the last twelve months. The large board below was mounted in December 2024, the planters added in March 2025, and the boxes along the street were painted in June. The boxes celebrate local groups and initiatives: “Cıceam Ard Eoın [Fb]”, “Ardoyne-Bone Community health & leisure trust [Fb]”, “Community larder. Drop in. Locally sourced food.”, “Ardoyne Association [Fb] Citizens’ Advice Centre”, and the “Lawrenson-Toal academy of Irish dance [ig]”.
Bronze busts of Máıre Áıne Mhıc Reachtaın/Mary Ann McCracken and Anraí Seoıgh Mhıc Reachtaın/Henry Joy McCracken have been unveiled outside Áras Mhıc Reachtaın, the Irish-language centre on the Antrim Road and home of Cumann Cultúrtha Mhıc Reachtaın (web).
The pair – brother and sister – were Presbyterians and republicans; their mother was Ann Joy, daughter of Francis Joy, linen manufacturer and founder of the Belfast Newsletter. Henry led the Antrim uprising of the United Irishmen in 1798 and was hanged for it in Corn Market at age 30. (WP)
Mary, the mother of Jesus, is remembered in various guises around the New Lodge Grotto. Above, and in the underpass, she takes the form of the ‘Immaculate Heart Of Mary’ (alongside St. Joseph the carpenter and St Patrick(?)).
The prayer next to the trio is a Prayer To Our Lady Of Knock: (Our Lady of Knock, Queen of Ireland, you gave hope to your people in a time of distress, and comforted them in sorrow. You have inspired countless pilgrims to pray with confidence to your divine Son, remembering His promise, “Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find.” Help me to remember that we are all pilgrims on the road to heaven. Fill me with love and concern for my brothers and sisters in Christ, especially those who live with me. Comfort me when I am sick, lonely or depressed. Teach me how to take part ever more reverently in the Holy Mass. [Give me a greater love of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.] Pray for me now, and at the [hour of my death.] Amen.)
The Apparition At Knock took place on August 21st, 1879; there was a mural of the standard depiction of the event in nearby Newington (Street View).
The presentation on the “New Lodge Grotto” side-wall (alongside St Thérèse) is of Our Lady Of Medjugorje. (There was a mural with the same title not far from the grotto.)
There was also an “Our Lady Of Fátima” image on the doors, best seen in C07117.
The ‘Hail Mary’ is also given, in English (Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.) and in Irish (Sé do bheatha, a Mhuıre, atá lán de ghrásta. Tá an Tıarna leat. Is beannaıthe thú ıdır mná, agus ıs beannaıthe toradh do bhroınne, Íosa. A Naomh-Mhuıre, a Mháthaır Dé, guıgh oraınn na peacaıgh, anoıs, agus ar uaır ár mbáıs. Amen.)
Painted by Paddy McCloskey, with help from Eddie Rossbotham and others.
“Sky is not [the] limit – it’s only the beginning” – this is new mental health art from the New Lodge Youth Centre (Fb | previously seen), at the war-wall that separates Lepper Street from Duncairn Avenue, next to the (long-empty) Corner House, suggesting that young people can transcend their earthly bonds and actualise themselves in space.
This new mural below Teach Gráınne in the New Lodge features locals Anthony Duffy and Hugh Russell.
Duffy was a youth leader in Artillery and Trinity clubs (Xitter); he died in July of this (2025) year. Russell was a champion boxer in the 80s and then an Irish News photographer; he died in October 2023 (Irish Times).
Painted by young people from Artillery Youth Centre (Fb).
“Japanese prisoner of war and inventor of the portable defibrillator” – Frank Pantridge was born and died in Hillsborough, outside Lisburn and there is a statue of Pantridge with a defibrillator – his key invention – at the Lisburn Civic Centre and he is now remembered by this pair of printed boards on the Shore Road, unveiled on August 16th. He is also included in the nearby gallery of Great Ulster-Scots.
“Major Frank Pantridge, MC, ‘Ulster Hero’. Around the world tens of thousands of people have survived cardiac arrest, this would not have been possible without Professor Frank Pantridge surviving almost 4 years in a Japanese Prisoner of War camp. On the outbreak of WW2 Frank and colleagues at Belfast Royal Victoria Hospital enlisted in the British Army, taken prisoner in 1942 he endured horrendous conditions and deprivation. Frank won the Military Cross. His citation read “Frank was absolutely cool under the heaviest fire, completely regardless of his own personal safety at all times.” Returning to the Royal Victoria Hospital in 1945, basically as a walking skeleton he dedicated his life to treating heart disease, going on to invent the worlds first portable defibrillator in Belfast in 1965 saving the lives of countless men, women and children including Lyndon Johnston. A portrait of Frank initiated by Dame Many Peter’s hangs in Queens University and a statue of Frank sits proudly in the grounds of Lagan Valley Civic Centre.”
This is a giant image of Padre Pio painted by Cha Cha (Carla Hodgson) (ig) inside the Harcourt Drive gates of what is now St Columban’s – Sacred Heart Boys primary school merged with Our Lady’s Girls to form St Columban’s primary last year (2024) (Belfast Media).
The prayer on the left – “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” – continues “Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.” The Capuchin friar is wearing gloves to cover his stigmata, and he was also thought capable of being in two places at once. (WP) His feast day is September 23rd.
“Defend the right to protest”, specifically to protest the treatment of Palestinians in Gazan.
The UK government introduced legislation in 2023 to prevent and tackle protests that might cause “more than minor disruption” to the community (Reuters), in contravention, according to Amnesty International, of Article 11 of the Human Rights Act. The High Court ruled against the government in 2024 and its appeal was rejected by the Appeals Court in May, 2025 (Reuters). The latest (late July 2025) Crime And Policing policy paper can be found at gov.uk.
Specifically related to protests about Gaza, in June the group Palestine Action was declared a terrorist organisation by UK government, because of the group’s “criminal damage in support of a cause” – specifically, its attacks on the facilities of the RAF and various weapons’ manufacturers; the group’s initial appeal was heard in the High Court last week (BBC) and the judge yesterday (July 30th) ruled that the group could challenge the designation (Independent).
Shown above is a hand-painted cloth sign on the railings of the Waterworks in north Belfast.
Six memorial plaques to members of the UVF’s 1st battalion (West Belfast), D company (Ballysillan) have been re-instated and two new one added alongside the 100 Years Of Conflict boards at Carr’s Glen. The plaques to Bingham, Phillips, McEvoy, the “officers and volunteers”, Stewart, and Taylor were on the old UVF mural on this wall (see the Peter Moloney Collection); the two new ones are to Kenny Howie and to Scottish supporters.
Left: “Lt Col John Dowey Bingham killed by the enemies of Ulster 14th September 1986. Remembered by officers and members of the 1st Batt D Coy Ballysillan. Lest we forget” [(WP)] “In memory of Major Patrick McEvoy. Lest we forget” “In memory of Kenny Howie 21.4.1977 – 8.4.2013. Lest we forget” “In proud memory of the officers and volunteers of D Company 1st Battalion Ulster Volunteer Force. For God and Ulster”.
Right: “In memory of Major Thomas Stewart. Lest we forget” [d. 1996 in a dispute over money (Irish Times | BelTel) “In memory of Martin Chin Taylor. Lest we forget” [d. 2000 killed by the LVF (BBC)] “In proud memory of Volunteer David (Davey) Phillips, taken by cowards Sunday 12th July 1998. Sadly missed by his friends and comrades of ‘D’ Company Ballysillan. Lest we forget” [possibly d. 1998 (BelTel)] “In memory of fallen volunteers 1st Battalion D. Company Ulster Volunteer Force Scotland”
Paddy Duffy Collection 