Belfast – Page 34 – Paddy Duffy Collection

When It Blows Full Blast

2024-12-122024-12-21Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

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.

For the art on the gates, see Ambassadors For Peace.

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Taken By Storm

2024-12-072025-01-24Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The UVF hooded gunmen mural in Mount Vernon, which “greets” drivers coming off the M2 at the Shore Road, has been damaged by Storm Darragh, which had winds of 90 m.p.h. and more, with the apex and a further 6 feet of masonry coming down. (Belfast Live gallery of NI damage | BBC gallery of UK storm damage.)

This wall is NIHE property (pdf) and the need for repair or reconstruction might delay any repainting of the mural.

The mural in this location dates back to 2001 (here are images from 2006 and 2012) and was touched up in 2022 (T01300 | X10660). The original mural – which dates back to the ceasefire era (1995) – was on a gable at the front of the estate but the entire block of houses was razed – see T00138 | D00382.

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St James’s Supports Gaza

2024-12-012024-12-16Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Thirty-seven Israeli bombs fall on the women and children of Gaza, targeted at “babies”, “doctors”, “families”, “mosques”, “school”, “everyone”.

On the left (below), cartoon character of resistance Handala (WP) carries the Palestinian flag.

Bóthar Chaıtríona, St James’s, west Belfast

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“From the river to the sea Palestine will be free”

Let The Fight Go On!!!

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

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.

Oakman Street, west Belfast.

November 28th:

November 23rd:

Here is flyer in Waterford Street from April:

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Continuing Conflicts

2024-12-012025-06-20Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The war memorial garden in City Way (Sandy Row) commemorates those from the Great War, World War II, and “Continuing Conflicts” which includes the “Troubles”. There is also a fourth, smaller, stone, with John Maxwell Edmonds’s memorial epitaph.

“The Great War 1914-1918: In memory of the fallen”, with John McCrae’s poem ‘In Flanders Fields‘.
“Second World War 1939-1945: Freedom is the sure possession of those have the courage to defend it. Their ideal is our legacy. Their sacrifice is our inspiration.”
“Continuing Conflicts: We remember those who have given their lives. The wounded and those who serve in continued conflicts around the world.”

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The Battles Of Britain

2024-11-282025-02-02Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

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.)

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The Dark Dreamer

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“The Dark Dreamer – The Silkie mural by Loretta Lizzio is a recreation of the oil painting “Dark Dreamer” by world-famous Irish artist Patrick Jones who lived here in the family home.”

Patrick J. Jones (web) grew up in Belfast before leaving for London, England, in 1984 and Brisbane, Australia, in 1997. Lizzio, (web), who is also from Australia, reproduced Jones’s original (Fb) on the side of the Stax coffee-shop on the Cliftonville Road, renaming it ‘The Silkie’, though it depicts a mermaid rather than one of the seal-folk; compare with KMG’s interpretation of the Selkie myth in the city centre.

Hurricane Higgins

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“Alex “Hurricane” Higgins – World champion 1972/1982 – 18th March 1949 – 24th July 2010″. Higgins grew up in 16 Abingdon Street (Lennon-Wylie) and played snooker at the Jam Pot club further west on Donegall Road (Belfast Forum).

This new mural at the end of what is now Abingdon Drive is by Visual Waste (web) – replacing the older black-and-grey mural.

The Memory Of Our Dead

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“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.

Glenalina Crescent, Ballymurphy, west Belfast

North Belfast Friends Of The Somme

2024-11-172024-12-04Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The rosette at the centre of the poppy wreath shows the UK armed services badge (with the crown overlaid by the Ulster Banner) surrounded by a verse from Binyon’s ‘For The Fallen’ and “Tiger’s Bay – York Street – Sailortown loyal”. That group’s Facebook page is private and no home-page seems to be available for ‘North Belfast Friends Of The Somme’.

North Queen Street, Tiger’s Bay, Belfast, at the old Lewis Street.