The inspiration for this piece is the Ould Lammas Fair, one of Ireland’s oldest and, some claim, biggest festivals, which is held in Ballycastle on the last Monday and Tuesday of August (Irish Culture & Customs). The piece, by emic (web), is in Castle Street which was perhaps the location of the market within the mediaeval town walls.
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Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
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The more familiar mythological figure in Northern Irish muraling — both CNR and PUL — is Cú Chulaınn (Visual History) but this Bushmills board features another larger-than-life figure, from slightly later mythology, Fıonn Mac Cumhaıll/Finn MacCool. In legend, Fionn ate the salmon of knowledge and became leader of the Fianna. His connection to the north Antrim coast is that he is the supposed creator of the “Giant’s Causeway”, the basalt columns that stretch out into the Atlantic Ocean, seemingly towards Scotland.
The Causeway and Finn are both used in the board shown above as symbols of the UDA North Antrim & Londonderry brigade’s 5th battalion/Giant’s Causeway Protestant Boys flute band (Fb) in Dundarave Road, Bushmills, which is about three miles from the Causeway. The board is also notable for its use of the flag of the proposed ‘independent Northern Ireland’, for which see (e.g.) We Must Share The Responsibility | One Island, Two Nations | Freedom Corner which features Cú Chulaınn.
The second image is a UDA/UYM emblem at the entrance to the estate. The third is further along. The last is not from Dundarave but from the exterior of a pub on Main Street.
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Feıs Na nGleann is an annual festival of Irish language, arts, and crafts, begun in Glenariffe in 1904. The website has not been updated since 2019, presumably due to COVID putting a stop to activity.
The “F” makes reference to the local “Irish (Peasant) Home Industries“, while the “E” shows the harebell (bluebell) in flower. The “I” might be St Brigid as an oak or a reference to Princess Taisie/Taobhgheal of Rathlin.
Laura Nelson of Szu Szu Signs (ig).
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Here is a small collection of street art from Portstewart. Above, is Dan Leo’s osprey in Strand Road. Below, a boy playing hide-and-seek by an unknown stencil artist; and finally, a number of images of JMK’s ‘A Tribute To Henry’ on The Crescent — “Henry” denotes Henry McCullough, Portstewart native and guitarist for Joe Cocker and Wings, who died in 2016 (WP).
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Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
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Local storyteller Hugh Dillon in Castle Street, Ballycastle, by JMK (Jonny McKerr). The original photograph, of Dillon in Leyland Road, Ballycastle, in 1956 and is available at Dúchas.
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Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
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Today (December 20th) is the fifty-firth anniversary of John Steinbeck’s death in 1968. In 1952 he visited Northern Ireland to trace his Hamilton ancestors in Mulkeeragh, Ballykelly, Co. Derry (Irish Times) and wrote about it in Collier’s magazine.
The mural is on the side of (what was) the Hamely Gallery in Bushmills.
Limavady has been the home to an occasional Steinbeck literary festival since 2016 (Steinbeck Now).
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Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
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Glentaisie Drive – site of this mural by Friz (web) – is named for Glentaisie, the glen – one of the nine Glens Of Antrim, at the foot of which lies Ballycastle – and Glentaisie is named for Taise Taobhgheal (Taise the bright-cheeked), daughter of King Donn of Rathlin island, renowned for her beauty, and who lived in the glen with her husband Congal, who had to kill the Norwegian king Nabghdon to prevent her being carried off (Archaeology Ireland). Or so they say. She also inspired the name “Fair Head” for the local cliffs. Or so they say.
In later years (1565), Sorley Boy MacDonnell was taken prisoner by the O’Neill’s after a battle in Glentaisie (WP).
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Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
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This selection of images from Leckagh Drive, Magherafelt, focuses on the memorials to the dead of WWI (and WWII in the mural above), with an additional board commemorating the UDR 5th (County Londonderry) battalion); there is also a mural and some plaques commemorating (modern-day) UVF volunteers, which will be in tomorrow’s post.
The board shown in the final image provides a history of the South Londonderry volunteers from towns such as Magherafelt, Castledawson, Moneymore, and Tobermore. Edward Carson reviewed the volunteers in April 1914. Later that same month, arms were received from the weapons landed in Larne. In the Great War, the men from the area served in the 10th battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in the 109th brigade of the 36th Division.
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Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
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