Gymnast Rhys McClenaghan is a European, World, and Olympic champion, competing in the pommel horse. He has been awarded both the BEM and the MBE, as well as receiving the freedom of the borough of Ards And North Down (News Letter) – McClenaghan hails from Newtownards.
This new mural, by Jossie Pops (web), is in South Street.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
T08413 T08412 T08414
“The lad from Sandy Row – Lewis (The Croc) Crocker, IBF welterweight champion 2025.”
Sandy Row native (Belfast CC) Lewis Crocker beat Paddy Donovan in a fight for the open IBF welterweight title at Windsor Park in September (BBC).
Donegall Road, south Belfast, at the top of Roden Street.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07962
“Our wee champ.” 21-year-old boxer Liam McGuinness, of Gleann ABC (Fb), died by suicide in October 2010, one of the many people to take their own lives in west Belfast that year among the 313 in all of Northern Ireland (Irish Examiner | Guardian | NI Assembly). A vigil was held in September (in Twinbrook) to commemorate the suicides there (BBC); another was held in the days after McGuinness’s death (BBC); a forum on the topic was held by Sınn Féın. The mural in his memory and in support of suicide awareness is outside the club, off the Glen Road in Hannahstown.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
T04987 T04986
“I’m just a young fella from Andytown who didn’t give up.” In May (2024) Anthony (“Anto”) “The Apache” Cacace (ig) won the IBF super featherweight title with a victory over Joe Cordina in Saudi Arabia (BelTel). To honour this feat, a mural was painted in South Link, Andersonstown, with Cacace holding the both the IBF and IBO belts. Cacace went to Holy Child primary and starting boxing at the age of 10 at Oliver Plunkett’s (Fb). His father Tony is from Naples, Italy – hence the Italian flag on the right.
On September 21st, Cacace will defend his IBF title, fighting against Josh Warrington in Wembley Stadium (BelTel).
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
T04936c [T04935] T04934
This is a new mural on boards celebrating boxing in the Turf Lodge area of west Belfast.
Belfast Boxers (ig) gives the names as (l-r) Eoin Hamill, Damaen Kelly, John Ireland, Dee Irving, Damien Fryers, Sean/Jim “Spike” McCormack, Sean McComb.
Hamill (the youngster on the far left) was knocked down and killed on the Springfield Road in 2020 (BelTel | BBC | Irish Times). John Ireland (third from left, with blue collar) died in a crash 2014 at age 20 (Belfast Media).
Norglen Gardens.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
T04453 T04452 T04451
Katie Taylor and Carl Frampton are featured on the large mural at Antrim Boxing Club (Fb), painted by Visual Waste (ig) with support from the Housing Executive (Press Release), Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, and the executive’s T:BUC programme (see previously Belfast Melt).
Below are the small murals on the other walls, of the club’s logo, including the Round Tower (DfC), and of the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (web).
For another Taylor mural, see School Of Champions. Frampton appears in half-a-dozen other murals, most prominently in The Jackal.
Durnish Road, Antrim.
Click and click again to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
T03726 [T03727] T03728 T03729
“A champion shows who he is by what he does when he’s tested. When he gets up and says “I can still do it”, he’s “a champion.” In Irish mythology, the Tuatha invade Ireland and battle the Fır Bolg. They are successful but their king Nuadha loses his arm and with it his kingship of the Tuatha. He had it replaced with an arm made of silver and regained his position. He is used here as an inspiration for those struggling with mental health, who are encouraged to call Lifeline or Aware.
(A history of Nuadha in murals is included in the Visual History page on Jim Fitzpatrick.)
The modern-day hero accompanying Nuadha is boxer James “The Assassin” Tennyson, current Irish super-featherweight champion. There are also four mental health boards (shown below) around the corner from Urban Villages Colin Safer Streets Initiative with messages such as “Think, Talk, Feel – Positive”, “Everything that you are is enough”, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow”,
Laurelglen Pharmacy, on the Stewartstown Road.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
T02307 T02308r T02309 [T02310] sally gardens youth saints youth centre ar scath a chéıle a mhaıreann na daoıne
Fáılte Feırste Thıar‘s second mural (the first is outside its offices in the middle Falls – see Fáılte Feırste Thıar) reinforces the claim that (republican) west Belfast begins as soon as you cross the motorway, five minutes’ walk from the city centre. Coıste’s tour of republican murals begins at Divis Tower and the new mural already seems to be drawing tourists – see the final image, below. The previous Coıste mural (M04900) has been deleted and incorporated into the mural, promising tourists “a unique walking tour by former political prisoners”.
The mural is a mix of landmarks – the new Raıdıó Fáılte building (which is located just below the mural), Divis tower, St Peter’s, Conway Mill, the “international wall” of murals, the Bobby Sands mural, the Falls library, the new James Connolly centre, Cultúrlann, and Milltown cemetery – cultural images (Irish dancing and Féıle An Phobaıl) – and sporting images (clubs include Immaculata ABC, Gort Na Móna GAC, St Paul’s GAC). A gay pride ‘rainbow’ stripe runs below the Divis Street portion. Before the previous mural was painted (M07533), there was a Gateway To Belfast board at this spot.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Paddy Duffy
T01603 T01608 T01607 T01609 T01610
Sacred Heart Boxing Academy was housed in the parochial hall (shown in the middle of the mural) before closing perhaps because of safety concerns and/or debt.
Oldpark Avenue, north Belfast
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Paddy Duffy
T01176
“Ardoyne-Bone boxers have punched well above their weight. As professional we have won … British, Commonwealth, European & W.B.U. titles. As amateurs we have won 3 Olympic bronze, European Gold, Commonwealth Gold, World Junior silver, 17 Irish senior titles & an A.B.A senior title. Nor forgetting all our boxing coaches, who put in their time and effort for all our young boxers. Truly amazing for such a small area.” The wide shot below shows the whole of this new Ardoyne/Ard Eoın mural celebrating local boxers; the boxers named are Darren Corbett (WP), John Kelly (FightsRec), Paddy Barnes (WP), Harry McAuley (BoxRec), Anthony Maguire, Hugh Gilhooley (BoxRec), Eamonn McAuley (BoxRec), Freddie Gilroy (WP), Terry Magee (WP), Sean Brown, Noel Magee (WP), Barney Burns, Pat Kelly, Eamonn Magee (WP).
This image shows the replacement set of painted boards; for the originals see A Small Area.
Ardoyne Avenue, north Belfast
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Paddy Duffy
T01174 [T01175]
Paddy Duffy Collection 