Sport

The Man Who Saved Barcelona

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The Don Patricio/Patrick O’Connell mural at the bottom of the Whiterock Road has been refreshed for this year’s Féıle. The major change is in the middle of the mural, where Lionel Messi – who went to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and then to Inter Miami in 2023 – has been replaced by current stars Aitana Bonmatí and Lamine Yamal. (A modern soccer-ball replaces the leather ball of the original mural, patches have been added to O’Connell’s jacket, and the FAI trophy and the large Cup Winner’s medal has been removed to make room for Bonmatí.) The new mural was relaunched on August 2nd with an address by the director of the FC Barcelona museum at Camp Nou (Belfast Media).

For more – on O’Connell’s career as a player and manager, the emblems in the stands, and the headlines on the newspaper – see Don Patricio.

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A Fighting Chance

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“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.

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Andersonstown Apache

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“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).

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Pat Jennings

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A statue to native son Pat Jennings was unveiled in Newry in November 2023 (Launch images from Belfast Media). The statue was commissioned by the Friends Of Big Pat committee (Newry.ie) and sculpted by Andy Edwards (Visit Mourne Mountains).

“Pat Jennings. Born in Newry 12th June 1945; Newry Town FC 1962; Watford FC 1963; Tottenham Hotspur FC 1954; Arsenal FC 1977; Tottenham Hotspur FC 1985. 2 FA Cup wins, 2 League Cup wins & 1 UEFA Cup win. Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year 1976. First player to play 1000 top flight games 1983. 110 international appearances for Northern Ireland 1964-1989. Played in Spain 1982 & Mexico 1986 FIFA World Cups. Captained ‘The Rest Of The World’ team against ‘The Americas’ 1986. Inducted into The English Football Hall of Fame 2003. Chosen by the Irish Football Association as Northern Ireland’s UEFA ‘Golden Player’ of the past 50 years 2003. An inspirational career and legacy.”

Kildare Street, Newry.

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Kai Johansen’s Bar

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Kai Johansen was a Danish international who played for Rangers from 1965-1970, most famously scoring the only goal in the 1966 Scottish Cup final against Celtic (WP). He retired in 1970 and went on to manage two teams in South Africa, as well as owning businesses, including pubs and tanning salons, in Denmark and Scotland (Herald). The pub mentioned in the board above is perhaps “Kai Johansen’s Bar” at 564 Govan Road, Glasgow (images at Follow Follow).

“Every week in Glasgow, to watch the boys in blue/We wanted to form a band, of us there was just a few./We sat in Johansen’s bar, sometimes, he joined us too./He treated us like his sons, and nobody understood why/But through this hospitality, we become adopted sons of Kai./Now we have our name, we will now make it stand./Known as Rathecoole’s finest, the Sons Of Kai flute band.”

See previously: The Famous | Welcome To Our Homeland | We’re From The Coole.

Derrycoole Way, Rathcoole, Newtownabbey

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T04760 T04759 in loving memory of friends and family always remembered never forgotten

Turf Lodge Boxing

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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.

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Gáıre Ár bPáıstí

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Here are three pieces from the Drumcor Hill area of Enniskillen.

Above, “Enniskillen remembers the hunger strikers” – for the fortieth anniversary of the 1981 strike, against a background of sunburst and starry plough, in Loughview Drive.

Below, the emblem of Gaeıl Inıs Ceıthleann/Enniskillen Gaels (web) on the wall outside their home field of Brewster Park.

Finally, a memorial stone to Bobby Sands in Erne Drive. The inscription on the stone reads, “‘Is naofa ıad sıud sa fhulaıngíonn ocras ar son na córa.’ [= Holy are those who suffer hunger for the sake of justice/”Blessed are those who hunger for justice”] I ndíl [ndıl] chuımnhe ar Óglach Bobby Sands, feısıre [= M.P.] Fhearmanach-Thír Eoghaın Theas, a d’éag 5 Bealtaıne 1981 ın aoıs 27 ı ndıaıdh 66 lá ar staıle [staılc] ocraıs ar son stádas polaıtıúıl a chomhchımí agus saoırse na hÉıreann. I measc laochra na nGael go raıbh a anam uasal. ‘Is í gáıre ár bpáıstí an díoltas a bheas agaınn'”

For an alternative translation of Sands’s quote “Our revenge will be the laughter of our children”, see The Spirit Of Freedom in the Peter Moloney collection.

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Joe Cahill Annual Tournament

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Easter Saturday is traditional day for the Joe Cahill tournament, hosted by Cardinal O’Donnell’s (Fb) and involving about 250 children (Belfast Media). Shown above is the new board in Beechview Park, updating the one from last year.

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Kevin Lynch

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This is the repainted version of the mural to Kevin Lynch in Dún Geımhın/Dungiven. Lynch died after 71 days on hunger strike – the longest-surviving striker – in Long Kesh/the Maze prison (WP).

The four black-and-white squares show (top left) Mary Nelis, Kathleen Deeny and Theresa Deery, protesting the arrests of their sons; (bottom left) the memorial to Lynch in nearby Park, where has was born; (top right) blanket-men Hugh Rooney and Freddie Toal; (bottom right) Lynch’s gravestone in Dungiven.

Along the bottom are the emblems of Kevin Lynch Memorial flute band (Fb), Kevin Lynch’s hurling club (“mısneach ‘s dílseacht”), and St Dympna’s football club, Luton (Fb).

“Mural unveiled on Saturday 4th August 2012 by Bridie Lynch & Jeannie McTaggart to commemorate Kevin Lynch and his comrades who died in the 1981 hunger strike.”

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