cultural – Page 15 – Paddy Duffy Collection

The Man Who Saved Barcelona

2024-07-302025-06-08Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

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middle of the mural, where Lionel Messi – who went to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and then to Inter Miami in 2023 – has been replaced by current stars Aitana Bonmatí and Lamine Yamal.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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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Quoth The Raven, “Evermore”

2024-07-252026-08-30Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

A new board was unveiled on July 1st 2024, by the 1st Raven Somme Society and The Loyal (Fb) at the Raven social club (Fb), putting together the Ulster Tower (see e.g. A Thought Is Not A Lot), JP Beadle’s painting of the 36th going ‘over the top’ (see The Trenches Have Vanished Under The Ploughs) and Wilfrid Spender’s famous quote about the first day of the Battle Of The Somme (see I Would Rather Be An Ulsterman).

This board takes the place of the King Charles board (seen previously in Long Live The King), which has been moved to the other side of Castlereagh Street and joined by the board that it replaced, to Queen Elizabeth (both on top of some old (2012) panels depicting east Belfast of yesteryear – see Shipyard Workers).

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Row On Row

2024-07-182026-05-30Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This images in this entry depict, above and below the information board about the park, the World Wars installation inside the park and the banners on the fence along Derrycoole Way.

There is an annual commemoration of the fallen in the World Wars in Rathcoole each year. The monument consisting of mourning soldiers and sandbags) was created in 2020 (Fb group | News Letter) and the bench was perhaps added in 2022. Images from the 2023 ‘row on row’ commemoration can be seen at NI World. The Row On Row group (web) hope to create a permanent memorial on the spot.

Rathcoole People’s Park was renamed the Sir James Craig Play Park by Antrim & Newtownabbey council in September, 2021, as part of the council’s celebrations of the centenary of Northern Ireland (NI World).

The banners on the side are from the Rathcoole Protestant Boys flute band (Fb) whose annual parade was at the end of June, and the Whitehouse Williamite Historical Society (Fb) whose fun-day on June 15th included a historical re-enactment of William’s army landing at Whitehouse. (For more on William’s connection to Whitehouse, see June 14th, 1690.)

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Never Forget, Always Remember

2024-07-032026-08-29Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

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).

For the 3rd battalion of the Ulster Volunteers, see The Central Antrim Regiment.

St Bride’s Street, Carrickfergus, next to and dwarfing the community mural seen in Meditate – Don’t Medicate.

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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It’s Coming Back

2024-07-032024-07-17Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“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.

Irish Gate roundabout, Carrickfergus

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Andersonstown Apache

2024-07-022024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“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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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Craigyhill Bonfire 2024

2024-06-282026-08-30Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

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).

Crying, Sighing, Breathlessly

2024-06-272026-08-30Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“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.

Other Murray boards: The Village Songbird | Top Of The Pops

Fıonn Mac Cumhaıll

2024-06-212024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

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).

Older But No Wiser

2024-06-092026-08-30Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

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.

Seacash Drive/Parkhall Road, Antrim.