The grenade at the heart of the ‘Grenadier’ emblem is an old spherical grenade, with a spout of fire; the classic “pin-and-pineapple” design dates to 1915 (WP Mills Bomb). Various regiments then put a symbol on the surface of the grenade (see e.g. East Belfast Volunteers); here, the Ulster Grenadiers flute band (Fb) have added Carrickfergus castle flying a Union Flag to the grenade at the centre of a new board erected on June 7th, 2024 (youtube video of the launch).
The battles listed on either side of the central emblem are battles in which the 36th Division took part, though by that time, grenadiers were not a specialised unit and each infantry platoon (of about 60 men – Schilling) would have both hand-grenade and rifle-grenade sections (Reddit) equipped with 100+ grenades (The World War).
“Welcome to Carrickfergus, a host town of “The Twelfth” 2024. It’s coming back to our home town. Join us on “The Twelfth” to help celebrate the 334th anniversary of The Battle of the Boyne.”
Carrickfergus was one of nineteen host towns for Twelfth “demonstrations” this year (GOLI); the parade went from the top of Sunnylands, through the town, and out to the grounds of the rugby club (GOLI). “It’s coming back” is perhaps in reference to the fact that Carrickfergus is the town where William III landed in 1690 before making his way to Belfast, Lisburn, and the Boyne – see June 14th, 1690.
“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).
Bonfire builders in the Craigyhill area of Larne (Fb) are once again attempting to build the world’s tallest bonfire, a record held unofficially by their 2022 effort (see Commonwealth Handling Equipment) and officially by an Austrian bonfire in 2019 (Guinness Book Of Records).
This year’s pyre is now finished and was tall enough for a base-jumper to parachute off it on July 9th (BBC). The builders are hoping that the 35′ beacon on top of the 363-pallet base will take the total height over 210 feet and towards 220 when it is measured professionally (Belfast Live). Update: the tower was measured at 205′ (BelTel | News Letter).
The final two images were taken on the 28th when the pyre was 150 feet (280 pallets) in height (BelTel).
“Ruby Murray (March 29, 1935 – December 17, 1996) was a popular singer born in Moltke Street and brought up in the village. Her characteristic hoarse voice was a result of an operation on her throat in early childhood. She toured as a child singer, and first appeared on television at the age of 12. Her first single was ‘Heartbeat’ [youtube], which reached the UK top 5 in 1954. The next, ‘Softly, Softly’ [youtube], reached number 1 in 1955, a year in which Murray achieved the rare feat of having five singles in the top twenty at the same time. Ruby still holds the record for the most hit records in the Top Twenty at the same time; beating Madonna and the Beatles.” “Our thanks to Donegall Road Primary School & especially all the pupils, whose images comprise this Photo-Mosaic.”
This is a copy of the board (or perhaps even the very board) that used to be in Maldon Street. It is (now) in the Village green, which cuts Moltke Street in two.
In Irish mythology, Fıonn Mac Cumhaıll/Finn MacCool became wise (when still a boy) because he sucked on the thumb he burned while cooking the Salmon Of Knowledge for his master Finegas (Laud 610). The salmon, in turn, had gained the knowledge by eating nine hazelnuts that fell from nine trees into Tobar Segaıs/Tobar Chonnlaı (Dındshenchas – Boand II and Sınann II). The hazels belonged to Crimall The Sage and … that’s as far back as sources appear to go.
The knot-work dogs are Fıonn’s hounds Bran and Sceólang.
“Newry 2020” is not the place and date of the creation but the name of the initiative (Fb) that brought JMK (Jonny McKerr – ig) to Newry to paint this mural in Edward Street in 2023, with support from Newry BID (web), and the Newry, Mourne, And Down district council (Fb) (Newry.ie).
Steeple Veterans flute band is a part-time band drawing on “veterans” or “old boys” of the Steeple Defenders (which used to have a board nearby). The “older but no wiser” tag-line is exemplified by the fact that they dress up in costume each 12th for the return leg of the day– in 2023 they adopted Jurassic Park as their theme, with members dressed as dinosaurs, park rangers, and explorers. The black ribbons in the bottom corners are perhaps in memory of member David Johnston, who died last year (2023) (Belfast Live | BelTel).
Also included (below) is a tribute to Elizabeth II on the occasion of her platinum jubilee, a few months before she passed away in September, 2022, added next to the Somme mural seen in Ulster Volunteer Forces.
September 8th, 2022, is the date of the accession of Charles – then Prince Of Wales – the UK crown, upon the death of his mother Elizabeth at ten past three in the afternoon (as shown on the clock in the bottom left of the wide shot, below). At Balmoral Castle, the Royal Standard (in the top left of the wide shot, below) was lowered and immediately raised again, as the monarchy immediately moved to Charles and he was present in the building (WP).
The unnamed figure on the left is William, the son of Charles and his first wife, Diana, and the current Prince Of Wales. William’s son, George, on the right, is known as “Prince George Of Wales” (and his siblings similarly) rather than (as here) “George, Prince Of Wales.” The title “Prince Of Wales” is reserved for the heir to the UK throne, currently William.
“His Majesty King Charles III by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories, King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.”
Devenish Drive, Monkstown, Newtownabbey, with funding from the Housing Executive (NI World) to replace the UDA hooded gunman seen in Open & Shut.
‘Four Lads Had A Dream’ is the name of Rangers song (youtube) but here the dream is not “to start a team” in Glasgow but to start a flute band in Monkstown, Newtownabbey. The result of the efforts of the four men – John Black, Freddie Maltman, Brian Crothers, Trevor Wilson – was Monkstown YCV flute band (Fb), formed in 1974 and so celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this year, 2024. To mark the occasion, the band has installed the series of boards shown here along a low wall in Cloyne Crescent; it will also visit the Somme and play at the Last Post ceremony which takes place at eight every evening at the Menin Gate (web).
The information board is transcribed (verbatim) at the bottom of this entry. A Bo Kerr from Rathcoole is also mentioned in the creation of also mentioned in the creation of the KAI tartans in Rathcoole – see the IWM link in The Famous.
The board showing words from a soldier’s diary, along with an image of soldiers marching, also appeared in the Village, south Belfast – see May I Never Hear Such Cries Again.
“Four lads had a Dream. Back in 1974, a group of lads were having a card school in the old rent office in Abbeytown Square. One of the lads, John Black, asked they group if they would go with him to meet Billy Greer about asking for help to start up a band. Freddie Maltman, Brian Crothers and Trevor Wilson all agreed to accompany him. So off they went to see Billy Greer, who gave them a look of disbelief and replied “son, do you realise what it would take to do this?” John replied “no.” After a while, Billy Greer said “leave it with me, I will go and get back to you.” A couple of weeks later, the lads once again met with Billy Greer, and he introduced them to a man named Robert ‘Bo’ Kerr.
The following week, Robert had brought a book with him and the amount of names in it was amazing. A lot of the people in the book were from Rathcoole. At this stage, Robert also brought down his brother, Brian ‘Bo’ Kerr, to help. The band managed to get a lend of some old side drums, some flutes and a bass drum. Roberts father also repaired some flutes for them. A lot of fundraising followed, such as street collections in the Monkstown area, and the community was very generous to the cause of the band. Robert ‘Bo’ Kerr was due to get married that year and he gave up his wedding fund money towards the purchase of four new side drums from Matchetts in Belfast and a bass drum from Willy Hewitts over in Sandy Row.
The bands first parade was an invite to Glenarm where Hughy Brown was the first band captain. The band numbers were rising, but it didn’t take too long to see who was going to make it and who wasn’t, and therefore the numbers fell slightly. John Black for one learnt his lessons very quickly to never lie to the band captain. Hughy Brown gave all the fluters a tune to learn at home, the next week they all arrived at practice and Hughy went along and asked, one by one, “well lads, did you learn The Ducks for me this week?” And they all replied “yes.” He picked out John Black to stand on the chair and play it. That was him in the bad books straight away as he had told lies and hadn’t learnt it! Hughy went mad and told him “Blackie, never in your life waste my time again if you want to stay in this band, don’t come back next week if you haven’t learnt what I give you!” After that, the flute corps was second to none.
Throughout the years the band has had its ups and downs like every other band we lost quite a few members due to being incarcerated during the troubles or by passing away. However, over the past few years we have went from strength to strength! The hard work and dedication from our members is second to none, with some of our members travelling from various locations in Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus, Shankill, East Belfast, Scotland and Liverpool.
This year 2024 we will be celebrating our 50th Anniversary with the purchase of a new uniform and a pilgrimage to the Battlefields of the Somme, culminating in playing at the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate, this will be one of the milestones that Monkstown will proudly mark.”
“The Battle Of Messines June 1917. Men from the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and Royal Irish Rifles celebrating their victory at Wytschaete.”
“We surge forward. Bayonets sparkle and glint. Cries and curses rent the air. Chums fall, some without a word … and others … Oh, my God! May I never hear such cries again! There goes the YCV flag tied to the muzzle of a rifle. That man had nerve! Through the road just ahead of us we had crossed the sunken road. We could see khaki figures rushing the German front line. The Inniskillings had got at them.”
Discover Ulster-Scots (web) has added some more boards in north Belfast, joining the recent gallery of famous figures at Mountcollyer Avenue (see The Scots In Ulster).
Above, Alexandra Park Ave: “The Ulster Fry – Ulster-Scots put the Ulster into the Ulster Fry with our famous soda and potato farls. Farl is an Ulster-Scots word describing the quarter round shape of the breads.” Breakfast fries as we now think of them date back only to the Victorian period and became popular particularly after WWII (WP). Soda farls (and soda bread) go back further, to the 1830s and 1870s when baking soda began to be commercially manufactured and cheaply available (ACS). Recipes can be found at the Discover Ulster-Scots ‘Food Traditions’ page.
Below, from Upper Canning St: “Ulster-Scots distilleries made Belfast a global centre of whisky production. Historic Ulster-Scots brands like, Dunville’s, Mitchell’s and McConnell’s are making a comeback in the 21st century.” “Ulster-Scots also invented ginger ale and brown lemonade in Belfast. Ross’s and Cantrell & Coughran (C&C) were the pioneers, with Belfast ginger ale later taken worldwide by another Ulster-Scot who founded Canada Dry.” The labels shown use the “-y” spelling, perhaps in order to emphasise the Scottish association rather than the Irish. Cowan’s appear to have used both spellings (“whisky” and “whiskey”) in their labelling – see the gallery at Bloggin’ Fae The Burn. Dunville’s now appear to use the “-ey” spelling exclusively (web).
Finally, in North Queen St: “Ulster-Scots have been making Belfast a better place for over 400 years. Many of Belfast’s leading charitable, religious and educational institutions were founded by Ulster-Scots.” with images of BRA (James Crombie), Clifton House (possibly William Tennant is intended), the Linen Hall Library (a list of founders can be found on page 11 of this History), the Assembly buildings (of the Presbyterian church), and Queen’s (John Mowat).
Paddy Duffy Collection 