Sport – Paddy Duffy Collection

Linfield’s Glorious Dead

2026-06-142026-06-16Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“1st south Belfast LSC [Fb] remembers. Lest we forget.” “To the glory of God and in honourable memory of the former players from Linfield Football Club who laid down the glory of their youth upon the altar of freedom during the Great War of 1914 – 1918.

The main part of this new board in the Village shows the Linfield memorial at Bertrancourt, France. The memorial was unveiled in 2022 (BBC). The BBC article explains the reference to “Rifleman Walker” in the poem by Johnny Jamison at the centre of the memorial: Walker had been a Linfield player before joining the Royal Irish Rifles and dying on May 6th, 1916. Jamison recites his poem in this Fb video. In the background is the familiar Ulster Tower.

Broadway, the Village, south Belfast. For the small boards above, see Village Team On Tour and I Would Rather Be An Ulsterman.

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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Gormley

2026-06-042026-06-15Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Cliftonville striker Joe Gormley has been honoured with a new mural in his native Ardoyne. He is Cliftonville’s all-time leading goal-scorer, with more than 300 goals. He has recently signed for the forthcoming (2026-2027) season, which he says will be his last (BBC).

Velsheda Court, Ardoyne. There was previously a board to Joe The Goal in Berwick Road.

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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The Wearing Of The Green

2026-05-252026-06-17Extramural Activity1 Comment

Golf Digest rated Royal County Down as the world’s number one course. Over the years it has hosted various important tournaments, including the Irish Open (most recently in 2024, won by Rasmus Højgaard).

This mural features six famous golfers, past and present. Clockwise from top: Pádraıg Harrington, Rory McIlroy (holding his Masters trophy and wearing the green jacket), Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell, Shane Lowry, and Fred Daly, who won the Irish Open in 1946 and the British Open in 1947. In the background of the mural is the Slieve Donard hotel, which is just to the south of the golf course.

Painted by Visual Waste (web) in Donard Place, Newcastle, Co Down

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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The Swifts

2026-04-052026-04-25Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

St James’s Swifts (web) are a west Belfast club playing intermediate level soccer with Donegal Celtic Park on the Suffolk Road as a home ground.

The three pieces shown here are in St James’s Crescent, at the Park Centre on Donegall Road, and St James’s Road. The mural in progress (shown last) is in St Katherine’s Road

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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Drop Allianz

2026-03-152026-05-06Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The campaign urging the GAA to sever its ties to sponsor Allianz (web) began in August 25th, after an update to a 2024 report by the UN urged businesses – including Allianz – to end their ties with Israel (UN | youtube). In response, a letter of protest, signed by 800 former and current players, was delivered to the GAA (RTÉ) but a vote in December retained the sponsorship (BBC | Irish Examiner). Protests have continued (e.g. at the GAA congress), among which is this message written in posters on the hoarding around Casement Park (for which, see Build Casement Now).

Andersonstown Road, west Belfast

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Óıge Na bhFál

2026-03-102026-03-21Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Our youth, out culture, our community, our future”. This mural was painted in 2014 but the future for one of the clubs featured – Seán Mac Dıarmada/Seán Sean McDermott’s in the yellow with green stripe – was short-lived, as the club folded later the same year. The other club, Michael Davitt’s in the green, white, and gold strip, still exists.

Painted by Lucas Quigley in Sultan Way/Ross Road, Divis, west Belfast.

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Anti-Racism World Cup

2026-02-152026-02-22Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The date of the next Anti-Racism World Cup, a soccer tournament at Donegal Celtic contested by international youth teams, has been announced as July 25th, 2026 (ARWC Fb). The banner above includes the flags of antifa, Catalonia, Lebanon, Cuba, Ireland, Sudan, the Basque Country, Palestine.

Andersonstown Road, west Belfast

Gaels Against Genocide In Gaza

2026-02-152026-02-26Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Gaels against genocide in Gaza”, “Seasann CLG Naomh Pól [web] leıs an Phalaıstín [St Paul’s GAC stands with Palestine]”.

This pair of banners is on the fencing at Naomh Pól, on the Shaws Road, west Belfast. Teams at last year’s Murray Festival Of Hurling (named after St Paul’s player Liam Murray – Belfast Media) posed with the banner above (Fb).

Pobal ⁊ Óıge

2026-02-152026-03-17Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here are five images of electrical boxes along the Whiterock Road in west Belfast, featuring various GAA and youth organisations: (from top to bottom) O’Donnell’s GAC (Fb), Glór Na Móna – Pobal ⁊ Óıge (web), Corpus Christi Youth Centre (Fb), Naomh Eoın CLG (web)

Ard Mhacha Abú

2026-02-102026-03-08Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is another (see previously: Armagh For Sam) mural supporting Armagh’s senior football team, presumably in connection with its successful 2024 campaign, this time in Newry.