“Fáılte Feırste Thıar – promoting west Belfast tourism – www.visitwestbelfast.com” – a bilingual board encouraging tourism in republican west Belfast.
By Rısteard Ó Murchú in Nansen Street, middle Falls, west Belfast.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2010 Paddy Duffy
T00553
An owner, with Ireland’s Saturday Night (which ceased publication in 2008) tucked in his coat pocket, shows off his greyhound.
The words of the poem read,
“In the east of the city, isolated alone, is a dear little place we like to call home.
Old strengthened by new, the homes and the streets, looking out for each other, a broad smile when they meet
The once terraced streets, some narrow, some wide, behind so many faces a story there lies
In the east of the city by the Lagan’s fair side, looking back at its history our hearts fill with pride.”
Edgar Street, Short Strand, east Belfast
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2010 Paddy Duffy
T00529 [T00573]
If you’re willing to pay the piper, he will perhaps summon a taxi that will take you and yours out of town. This is the centre segment of a large board adorning the front of the West Belfast Taxi Terminal (next to Castle Court), copying The Limerick Piper by John Patrick Haverty (1794-1854) and this Ardoyne mural, which placed the piper under Cave Hill. In this version, the attending girl is smiling. In all three versions, the piper has no visible means of support. On each side are Jim-Fitzpatrick-style Celtic heroes – Nuada on the left (though perhaps meant to be Fıonn Mac Cumhaıll and the salmon of knowledge) and Sadb on the right, though a fawn blocks the view of her shorter-than-short skirt.
King Street/Francis Street, Belfast
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2010 Paddy Duffy
T00487 T00527 T00528 T00488
This mural shows Orange Order marchers in front of a banner depicting previous gatherings in Malvern St. The text on the side wall reads “This mural depicts Malvern St arch which was where the local community gathered to celebrate the traditional 12th of July commemoration.”
By Blaze FX in Hopewell Crescent, lower Shankill, west Belfast
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
T00463
Since 2004, this size and style of lettering has been used on Free Derry Corner. The wall is sometimes painted in other colours and other designs. For a history, see the Visual History page for the front of the wall; there is also a page for the rear.
In the background, to the right, is The Petrol Bomber.
Lecky Road, Derry
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2007 Paddy Duffy
T00412
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.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2000 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
T01199 T01200 T01201
Sean Doran’s art for the cover of the programme for the 1998 Ardoyne Fleadh Cheoıl (Fb) was also produced on a large board in Ardoyne Avenue, north Belfast.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 1998 Paddy Duffy
T00313
“Peace with justice”, “Fáılte go dtí Bóthar Garbh Achaıdh”, “Re-route sectarian marches”.
Three murals were painted by three Belfast artists (DD, Marty Lyons, Mo Chara Kelly) in 1997 in Hurson Park (renamed from Churchill Park), Portadown, along the route of the Orange Order parade to and from Drumcree, in order to support the local residents who were attempting to block the march through the CNR Garvaghy Road.
In 1996, an initial decision to block the parade was overturned at the last minute, and 1,200 Orangemen marched down Garvaghy Road. The 1997 march also went ahead and “sit-down” protesters were physically removed from the road. (Here is 90 minutes of news footage from 1997 (youtube). There are brief clips of the muralists at work, at 20m44s, 28m48s, 35m16s, 37m32s, 43m26s, 53m23s, and 58m44s. The images of protestors being removed begin at 1h02m)
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 1997 Paddy Duffy
T00306 T00307 T00308
Some of the programme from the 1996 festival is available in the ‘Extraordinary Women’ collection at the Linenhall Library. 1996 was also the first year of Féıle FM (“Triple FM”) (The Can).
Painted by Margaret McCann in Hawthorn Street, west Belfast
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 1996 Paddy Duffy
T00194
For some speculation as to the origins of the name “Tiger’s Bay” see Connolly Cove; a more realistic origin-story is given on the Belfast Forum, that a “tiger bay” or “tiger’s bay” is sailor slang for a rough area. The name was originally applied only to the warren of streets immediately below Newington (again Belfast Forum), but later extended to include everything down to North Queen Street.
Hogarth Street, north Belfast, though the precise location is uncertain
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 1988 Paddy Duffy
T00116
