cultural – Page 15 – Paddy Duffy Collection

Pádraıc Fıacc

2024-01-022024-10-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Patrick O’Connor was born on this day in 1924 on the lower Falls but after his father emigrated he spent his early years – until age 5 – with his grandparents in East Street in the Markets. It was as a high-schooler in New York that he adopted the name Pádraıc Fıacc (“fiach dubh” is “raven”) and began writing poetry. He settled in Glengormley upon his second and final return; it is not clear that he ever saw East Street lined with British Army soldiers, as shown in the mural above. He wrote of his early life in ‘First Movement’:

Low clouds, yellow in a mist wind
Sift on far-off Ards
Drift hazily …
I was born on such a morning
Smelling of the bone yards
The smoking chimneys over the slate top roofs
The wayward storm birds
And to the east where morning is, the sea
And to the west where evening is, the sea
Threatening with danger
And it would always darken suddenly

Some of Fıacc’s poems are in the TroublesArchive. He was interviewed by NVTv’s Bernard Conlon (Vimeo); he also appears in a reception in Belfast City Hall (youtube).

Lower Stanfield St, Markets, south Belfast

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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A True Red

2024-01-022024-10-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is a 2014 mural in the Markets area of south Belfast celebrating the achievements of local boy George McMullen, who played youth football for St. Malachy’s and St. Matthew’s before joining Cliftonville in 2011 age 20.

On the left is the familiar Cliftonville huddle (see previously: The Red Army). The two poses in the centre and on the left are reproductions of Belfast Telegraph images. The first is from Cliftonville’s 2013 Dankse Bank Irish League-clinching win over Linfield, which the Reds won with a McMullen penalty in the dying seconds; the second in from the same moment in the 2014 campaign: Chris Curran has just scored to put the Reds two-nil up in a game against Portadown that would win them the League for the second year in succession.

Other Cliftonville players have been featured in murals: Joe The Goal in Ardyone and Rory Donnelly in the Bone.

Lower Stanfield St, Markets, south Belfast

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At The Eleventh Hour

2023-12-242024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The portrait on the right is probably William McFadzean, familiar from murals such as in the Caw, Londonderry, and in Cregagh, Belfast (though the photo is unknown). The face on the left is John Travers “Jack” Cornwell, “the boy hero of Jutland”, who was awarded the VC for staying at his post as a sight-setter on the HMS Chester (the picture is from an earlier posting, on the HMS Lancaster) when it was hit by German light cruisers on May 31st, 1916. Cornwell died from shrapnel wounds on June 2nd (Mary Evans).

It’s not clear why Cornwell is included here, as he was from, and is buried in, east London, rather than Belfast or Ireland, and does not seem to be associated with the 36th Division. Please get in touch if you can explain his inclusion here. See also: Battle Of Jutland and HMS Caroline.

Dee Street, east Belfast, on the fence seen previously in My God-Given Right To Rule.

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
T03875 T03876 at the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them royal irish rifles lest we forget

The Scots In Ulster

2023-12-102024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The name “Ulster-Scots” refers to the emigrants to North America from Ulster that had previously come from Scotland and the English borders, and most of the Ulster-Scots murals in the 2000s focused on emigration to America and on US Presidents with Scotch-Irish heritage (see the Visual History page of Ulster-Scots murals).

In 2017, a series of boards along York Street focused on industrialists in Northern Ireland with Scottish backgrounds: 13 panels in five posts: one | two | three | four | five. And this new collection of “Ulster-Scots” luminaries (which is 100 paces away) likewise presents figures who are associated with Northern Ireland rather than America. Modern folk such as those portrayed in these new boards presumably have Scottish heritage rather than Scotch-Irish. (The title of this entry – The Scots In Ulster – comes from a Discover Ulster Scots poster about the Scots who came to Ulster in the 1600s, regardless of whether or not they or their descendants later moved to America.)

From left to right, the people shown are as follows. (Links are to previous entries in the Extramural collection.)

Mountcollyer: motorcyclist Rex McCandless, author CS Lewis, physicist John Stewart Bell, song-writer Jimmy Kennedy, medical inventor Frank Pantridge

York Rd: snooker player Alex Higgins, singer Ruby Murray, soldier Blair Mayne, agricultural inventor Harry Ferguson, missionary Amy Carmichael

For the political tarp on the gable in the background, see Choose One Or The Other.

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Dorn San Aer

2023-12-072024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Dorn san aer do na Gaeıl [a fist in the air for the Irish] Rónán Mac Aodha Bhuí 1970-2023”. Mac Aodha Bhuí joined Ráıdió Na Gaeltachta in the 1990s but was best known for his Rónán Beo@3 programme (which is inscribed on the ring on the first), which began in 2006. He was a passionate advocate for the Irish language. He died this past September after a four-year battle with cancer. (RTÉ | Irish Times | Donegal Daily)

The official launch of the mural will be at 2 p.m. on Friday (December 1st). Update: by the time of the launch a photograph of Mac Aodha Bhuí was added.

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Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
Fallswater St

Ignite Tradition

2023-11-262025-12-12Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“A taste of tradition: Whiterock flute band. Est. 1962. West Belfast, Northern Ireland. New Barnsley, Moyard, Springmartin, Woodvale, Whiterock, Springfield, Highfield, Shankill.” The Whiterock Flute Band board at the top of the Shankill has been updated to reflect the changing of the monarch – the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of Charles III – and also to mark the band’s 60th anniversary in 2022.

The memorial to Elizabeth on the left-hand side replaces the memorial to Alex Thompson (seen in 2021) which had been appended to the 50th anniversary board (A Taste Of Tradition). Thompson is included at the top of the next column, “recognition of loyal service”. The columns on either side of the emblem show photographs from the various deacdes, including the 50th anniversary celebrations. Above the doorways are the names of “members past and present” above drawings by local children of “my favourite image” and a link for the band’s music.

“Embrace the past. Ignite tradition. Inspire the future.” Whiterock Flute Band appear to have fallen under the influence of a public-relations consultant.

November 21st:

September 18th, 2022:

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community cohesion with local children

Defending Our Traditions

2023-11-242024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This is the new Vanguard Bears (web) board at the Ulster Rangers Supporters’ Club on the Shankill Road. It replaces the board that celebrated the 55th championships of Rangers and Linfield. In the close-up above of the left-hand side, below King Charles III and formed into the numeral 66, are the names of the fans who were crushed to death as they left Ibrox after the Old Firm derby on January 2nd, 1971 (WP).

There used to be a Vanguard Bears board in Sugarfield Street, on the other side of the Shankill Road – see The Boys In Blue – and another is still in place in Barrington Street (Sandy Row) – see Follow, Follow.

The Musicians

2023-11-222024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here are images of the ever-growing – so far a dozen strong – band of musicians by Ciaran Gallagher (ig) in the courtyard of the Dark Horse.

Above the doorway are the Rapparees (ig), who play in the Duke Of York on Sundays.

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Nilüfer At cello, Juram dobro, Ursula Burns harp, fiddle, Nicky Larkin accordion
guitar, Ray bodhrán, tin whistle, mandolin, Buzz uileann pipes, singer
piano, maracas, bazouki, ukulele, tin whistle, bongo

Remembrance Sunday

2023-11-102025-11-11Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Remembrance Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, commemorates and celebrates the end of hostilities in the first World War on November 11th, 1918. Many ceremonies in the UK take place on the second Sunday of the month, regardless of the date. This practice began in 1945, changing the WWII practice of marking the occasion on the preceding Sunday, to ensure that the holiday did not fall on a work-day (WP).

This large tarp (above) is at the Shore Road memorial garden to the 10th, 36th, and 16th divisions, shown below, along with the nearby Fifes & Drums/Fairhill flute band (Fb)/Pride Of The Shore (Fb) tribute to QEII. The tarp was also seen last year: Remembrance Day.

Wall Of Champions

2023-11-092024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“You earn your trophies at practice – you just pick them up at competitions.” The largest number among the honours on the left is 56, for the number of times Linfield has won the league.

“Monkstown true blues Linfield supporters club,” (Fb) “Follow your dreams – if you can dream it, you can become it.”

Cloyne Crescent, Monkstown, Newtownabbey.