Sport and politics intersect in this mural at the junction of Broadway and Donegall Avenue in south Belfast. Northern Irish flags provide a backdrop for the shields of Linfield football club and the Northern Ireland football association.
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Copyright © 2022 Paddy Duffy
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Footballer Billy Simpson moved from Linfield to Rangers in 1950 and over the course of nine years and 239 appearances scored 163 goals. He also scored the winner for Northern Ireland against England in 1957. Simpson died in January of year 2017 and is remembered by this board outside the Supporters’ Club in Barrington Street, south Belfast.
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Copyright © 2022 Paddy Duffy
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“From Sandy Row to the house of Windsor: happy diamond jubilee 1952-2012. God save the Queen.” Although the coronation was held in June 1953, Elizabeth acceded to the throne immediately upon the death of George VI, on February 6th, 1952. This board was previously on an adjacent wall but has been moved to this location (on top of the ‘Our Wee Country’ mural, replacing a damaged mosaic) to make way for the NI centenary board shown below.
The Irish Football Association (web | tw) is the governing body for Northern Irish soccer, overseeing both domestic and international events. The original Our Wee Country (fan organisation Web | tw) mural was in Carnforth Street, east Belfast.
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Copyright © 2022 Paddy Duffy
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Left: “The Annals of the Four Masters record that in 665 AD, the Battle of Farset (Belfast) took place between the County Down Dal Fiatach, self styled Ulaid, and the Pretani or Cruthin where Cathasach, son of Laircine, was slain. This was an attempt by the Dal Fiatach to encroach on the Curtain territory of Trian Congail. The “third of Congal”, which encompassed territory on both sides of the Lagan, corresponding more to less to Uppers and Lower Clandeboye, including modern Belfast. Cathasach was Congal’s grandson. The battle was the first mention of Belfast in Irish history.”
The battle scene shown is Jim Fitzpatrick’s vision of the battle of Moira (in 637), rather than “Bellum Fertsi”. The salience of this description of intra-Ulster fighting is that there is a contention that the Cruthin were Scots (Picts) thus allowing for the idea (employed especially by the UDA – see Ulster’s Defenders and Defender Of Ulster From Irish Attacks) that present-day northern Protestants have a heritage, and a history of fighting for what is roughly Co. Antrim, that pre-dates the plantations. For more information and a similar board, featuring the tower blocks of Rathcoole rather than Cuchulainn and the Battle of Moira, see Kingdom Of The Pretani. For the debate over a connection to the Picts, see WP.
The Annals date back to the 1630s though they mostly comprise a variety of earlier sources.
The image of the gentleman with the sword appears to be a stock fantasy image, used for at least two characters in Game Of Thrones fandom (Rhaegon Targaryen and Lord Cameron Umber).
Middle: 2021 was the centenary of the creation of Northern Ireland and the year in which Scottish football club Glasgow Rangers won their 55th league title. Support for the club is widespread among the PUL community in Northern Ireland; local soccer and the international team is overseen by the IFA.
Right: “Centenary of cultural expression 1921-2021. Sons Of Belfast LOL 743. Castleton Temperance LOL 867. The Memorial LOL 1197. Belfast Harbour LOL 1883. The Coote Memorial LOL 1921. Cave Hill Temperance LOL 1956.”
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Copyright © 2022 Paddy Duffy
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This is a gallery of some old and newer pieces at the top of Springhill. Above and immediately below are the pieces painted in 2014 in support of Palestine. (For the tank protester, see David And Goliath. The ‘Four Irelands’ piece was never finished – it was going to show the shrinking Gaeltacht.)
The others (Noah Donohoe and CSP) are from last year (2021). Cumann Spóırt An Phobaıl (Fb | ig) is an all abilities (and all ages – starting at age 5) soccer club based on the Ballymurphy Road in west Belfast. The club was profiled in the Irish News in late 2020. “CSP Abú!”
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Copyright © 2022 Paddy Duffy
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Linfield FC are Irish Cup champions after a 2-1 victory over Larne last Friday (May 21st) (Belfast Live). They are also, as of Tuesday, premier league champions for the 55th time, matching Glasgow Rangers in Scotland for the most league championships in the world. (See previously: We Are The People | Respect Heritage Culture | Welcome To The Ulster Rangers | F*ck Your Ten In A Row | Terminus Rangers)
For the “Finucane Family” tarp (on the wall since 2019), see Steeped In Blood. For the lower tarp, see Choose One Or The Other!
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Copyright © 2022 Paddy Duffy
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Here (in three parts) is a wide community mural replacing the POW mural in Linfield Road, in the Sandy Row area of south Belfast, depicting a parade marching along Sandy Row past a lot of landmarks (not all in appearing as they actually do along the road).
From left to right, the buildings shown are: the Carnegie Library on Donegall Road, Weaver’s Court (which is at the end of the road that the mural is on), the Royal Bar (Hamilton’s), Gilpin’s shoe shop, Orange Hall, Murray’s tobacco factory, the Belfast & Ulster Brewery building (the courtyard of which was used as a drilling ground by the Ulster Volunteers), Sandy Row District No 5 (Fb) arch.
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Copyright © 2000 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
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Paddy Duffy Collection 