Belfast west – Page 17 – Paddy Duffy Collection

Dorn San Aer

2023-12-072024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Dorn san aer do na Gaeıl [a fist in the air for the Irish] Rónán Mac Aodha Bhuí 1970-2023”. Mac Aodha Bhuí joined Ráıdió Na Gaeltachta in the 1990s but was best known for his Rónán Beo@3 programme (which is inscribed on the ring on the first), which began in 2006. He was a passionate advocate for the Irish language. He died this past September after a four-year battle with cancer. (RTÉ | Irish Times | Donegal Daily)

The official launch of the mural will be at 2 p.m. on Friday (December 1st). Update: by the time of the launch a photograph of Mac Aodha Bhuí was added.

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Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
Fallswater St

Patrick Rooney

2023-12-062024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Murdered by RUC”. Nine-year-old Patrick Rooney was the first child to be killed during the Troubles, when he was hit by a bullet from a Browning machine-gun mounted on an RUC whippet (Shorland armoured car – see a picture at the Police Ombudsman’s report) on the night of August 14-15, 1969, hours before the British Army arrived in Northern Ireland in reponse to the Battle Of The Bogside (Derry). (Irish Times | BBC)

RTÉ has footage of Rooney’s funeral.

The board was unveiled in November by the RNU (Fb), replacing the Rook O’Prey board. There is a plaque to Rooney and Hugh McCabe, who died the same night, on the remaining flat, Divis tower (M02005).

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Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
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Ignite Tradition

2023-11-262025-12-12Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“A taste of tradition: Whiterock flute band. Est. 1962. West Belfast, Northern Ireland. New Barnsley, Moyard, Springmartin, Woodvale, Whiterock, Springfield, Highfield, Shankill.” The Whiterock Flute Band board at the top of the Shankill has been updated to reflect the changing of the monarch – the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of Charles III – and also to mark the band’s 60th anniversary in 2022.

The memorial to Elizabeth on the left-hand side replaces the memorial to Alex Thompson (seen in 2021) which had been appended to the 50th anniversary board (A Taste Of Tradition). Thompson is included at the top of the next column, “recognition of loyal service”. The columns on either side of the emblem show photographs from the various deacdes, including the 50th anniversary celebrations. Above the doorways are the names of “members past and present” above drawings by local children of “my favourite image” and a link for the band’s music.

“Embrace the past. Ignite tradition. Inspire the future.” Whiterock Flute Band appear to have fallen under the influence of a public-relations consultant.

November 21st:

September 18th, 2022:

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Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
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community cohesion with local children

Beırıgí Bua

2023-11-252024-07-20Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“I measc laochra na nGael go raıbh sıad.” Profiles of Patricia Black, Frankie Ryan, Michael Ferguson, and Sean Keenan were added in late 2021 (video of launch) to the pair of existing monuments that memorialise them in Colin/Poleglass (for which see The Undauntable Thought on Peter’s site).

Black and Ryan were IRA volunteers killed by in a premature bomb explosion near London (An Phoblacht).

Michael Ferguson and Seán Keenan were activists and Sınn Féın councillors. Both died in 2006 of cancer (Irish Times | Bel Tel).

On Pantridge Road, which runs down to Michael Ferguson roundabout (An Phoblacht).

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Copyright © 2022 Paddy Duffy
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Defending Our Traditions

2023-11-242024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This is the new Vanguard Bears (web) board at the Ulster Rangers Supporters’ Club on the Shankill Road. It replaces the board that celebrated the 55th championships of Rangers and Linfield. In the close-up above of the left-hand side, below King Charles III and formed into the numeral 66, are the names of the fans who were crushed to death as they left Ibrox after the Old Firm derby on January 2nd, 1971 (WP).

There used to be a Vanguard Bears board in Sugarfield Street, on the other side of the Shankill Road – see The Boys In Blue – and another is still in place in Barrington Street (Sandy Row) – see Follow, Follow.

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Boycott Israeli Genocide

2023-11-142024-09-25Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The UN Security Council last night passed resolution 2712 (UN), calling for extended humanitarian pauses in Israel’s assault on Gaza. The resolution was proposed by Malta, who wrote the resolution to focus on the plight of children. Today’s images show a selection of the teddy bears and other soft toys that have been placed on fences and lamp-posts in CNR west Belfast in memory of the children who have been killed in Gaza. It is estimated that a child dies in Gaza every 10 minutes (Reuters) and that 4,600 children have died so far (UN).

For more on the bears, see Belfast Media.

For the mural in the background of the first image, see Executed. For the murals in the final image, see Éirí Amach Na Casca and Free Palestine (Belfast).

No Sovereignty = No Control

2023-11-142024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“No sovereignty = no control”. Great Britain and the European Union combine to push Ireland through the grinder for American profit. This mural is a cartoon by Carlos Latuff (ig) reproduced by 32CSM (web) on Divis Street, Belfast.

Shankill Mission

2023-11-062024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Work by FGB (ig), NRMN (ig), Friz (ig), and Laura Nelson/Szu Szu Signs (ig) join those by Rob Hilken, emic, and Kerrie Hanna (see Spells Joy) along the side of the Shankill Mission, new home of Vault Artist Studios (ig).

Palestine And Ireland United In Struggle

2023-11-052024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“United in struggle for freedom and sovereignty. Beir bua! #BDS #FreePalestine. www.32csm.org” — Palestinian and Irish fists raised together in solidarity.

Divis Street, west Belfast, perhaps using the same stencil in Free Palestine on Beechmount Avenue and in Springhill in 2014 reproducing a Latuff cartoon.

Replaces Black Lives Matter.

Stop The Slaughter In Gaza

2023-11-052024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Stop the slaughter – ceasefire now”. A pro-Palestinian board was added to the “International Wall”, Divis Street, and launched on November 4th. The previous Saber Al-Ashkar mural — His Land, His Legs, His Life — has been mostly painted over, with part of the mural remaining at the top and the image of a man carrying a wounded child perhaps deliberately left to the right of the board.

The image represented would appear to be an from social media (probably AI-generated, as no one can say who is depicted or where) of children sitting among their ruined house, surrounded by broken toys, including SpongeBob and Pudsey Bear, with the boy using an incorrect Palestinian flag to cover the girl.