In addition to taking out the top of the UVF mural in Mount Vernon (see Taken By Storm), Storm Darragh (on the night of Friday 6th/Saturday 7th) also knocked down part of the long wall on Northumberland Street (Visual History) between the two sets of security gates, taking with it most of the extended “Imagine” board (see Hope And History; the original portion was mounted for International Peace Day (“[2]1st September” visible in the final image) in 2011 – see Imagine).
The piece on the right, with the Seamus Heaney quote, is partly gone, revealing (in the image above) the old mural supporting (Manchester) United’s Big Lily.
The Miriam Daly board (mounted in 2016) was temporarily taken down while the frame was painted to mark the fiftieth anniversary (“1974-2024”) of the creation of the INLA on December 8th, 1974 (WP). “Let the fight go on” are the final words of (INLA) hunger-striker Patsy O’Hara; the group officially ended its armed campaign in 2009 (BBC).
See also the fiftieth anniversary graffiti in Waterford St | mural and graffiti in the Bogside, Derry.
“Fáılte chuıg otharlann Al-Shifa – hathaınmníodh R.V.H. i gcuımhne ar na foırne leıghıs agus ar na hothaır ar fad a maraíodh le linn chınedhíothú Iosrael sa Phalaıstín in 2023. R.V.H. renamed in memory of all medical staff and patients murdered during Israel’s genocide in Palestine in 2023.”
al-Shifa hospital is in Gaza City, Gaza. It was closed on April 1st (2024) after the hospital was raided (for a second time) by the IDF (WP).
The placard was mounted by BDS Belfast in March (Fb). The “Occupation no more” sticker on the adjacent pole is from the 1916 Societies (web).
These wreaths are mounted next to the Battle Of Britain board on Beverley Street (Band Of Brothers) which celebrates and commemorates the Polish pilots in the RAF’s 303 Squadron during WWII.
The first and third of these three wreaths – which were new at the end of 2024 – combine WWI and WWII. In the first, we see poppies and the familiar image of a WWI soldier standing by a graveside, along with an image of a WWII fighter-plane (probably a Spitfire or Hurricane) flying over a crowd of soldiers. The third combines the red-and-white of Poland with a poppy. (See also the wreath from 2018, which placed Polish writing and imagery within a wreath of poppies.)
“Beır bua – It is the responsibility of the living to keep alive the memory of the dead.” This is the second ‘Working Class Heroes’ piece in Ballymurphy. The other, from 2014, features Tommy “Toddler” Tolan, who appears here to the left of the phoenix.
The plaque on the right reads “This mural was unveiled by Johnny Doc and Maureen Tolan, 5th November, 2023.” There is video of the launch on Facebook, which contains a reading of the names of all the people pictured from the 1m 57s mark onwards.
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.
“Let’s make the difference – stand up for your community – join the IRNC”, “Show support to all Irish republican prisoners – join the IRPC”. These are new IRNC and IRPC (Fb) boards on Northumberland Street (Visual History), west Belfast. See previously on Northumberland Street: IRPC prisoner Niall Lehd | Join The IRNC
The 1916 centenary mural in Andersonstown has been repurposed and repainted to express solidarity with the people of Palestine.
From the frame of the previous mural – see Unbowed, Unbroken – the title, phoenix, and chains have been preserved but two instances of the inverted red triangle have been added at the top and bottom – see Resist! (and My Kite You Made).
The main panel puts the struggles in Palestine and Northern Ireland in parallel, showing (from top to bottom on each side) political prisoners, violence against protesters, and relatives carrying portraits.
On the left, Palestinian prisoners languish in Israeli jails (based on a photo of Hamza Abu Halima and on this Reuters photograph of prisoners sitting in the street, both from December 2023) and IDF soldiers make violent arrests – the one on the left is from 2016 (CCUN) and the one on the right is perhaps based on this Reuters photograph.
On the right: British soldiers restore order after the Burning Of Long Kesh (see Operation Pagoda), next to blanket-man Hugh Rooney, above three arrests made by British Army soldiers – their caps indicates that they are from the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (left) and the Paratroop regiment (centre). (For two of the original photos, see BBC | Getty.)
Along the bottom of both sides, marchers hold portraits of the dead, including the recently-killed leader of Hamas Yahya Sinwar (BBC).
“In defence of the republic”, “Éıre aontaıthe, Gaelach, agus saor. Seasamh [“ag seasamh”? “seas”? “seasaıgí”?] le Poblacht Shóısıalach Dhaonlathach na hÉıreann 32 Contae.” “Nothing can alter the truth of it: Ireland belongs to the Irish” – Pádraıg Pearse. [from ‘To The Boys Of Ireland‘]”
[Ireland united, Gaelic, and free. Stand with a 32-county, democratic, socialist, Irish republic]
“Honour Ireland’s patriot dead – in our hearts your memory lives on. Irish Republican Martyrs Commemorative Committee [Fb]”
This board also serves to provide an end-of-life image of the piece behind it – Climate Change Affects Everyone But Not Equally – which is now 12 years old and has missing panels; since no one appears to be minding the space, the old board is simply being covered over.
