cultural

The Earth Compels

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This new mural in Carrickfergus draws on local connections to literary figures Louis MacNeice and Jonathan Swift, as well as the more distantly located CS Lewis.

The MacNeices moved from Belfast to Carrickfergus in 1909 when Freddie (later Louis) was an infant and he grew up in the town until he was sent to Sherbourne Prep in Dorset, England, in 1917. In the mural, a book is opened to the page of his poem Carrickfergus, which was written in 1937 and describes the town in geological, historical, industrial, and sectarian terms, and more real than the “puppet world” of Sherbourne.

Jonathan Swift was briefly (1694-1696) a Church Of Ireland cleric in Kilroot, near Carrickfergus. In the mural, Carrick-A-Rede rope-bridge is shown strung between the knees of Gulliver as he wakes in Lilliput. The Swift quote on the extreme (viewer’s) right is from Polite Conversation (p. 154): Miss Notable is toasted by both Mr Neverout – “May you live a thousand years”; “Pray, Sir, don’t stint me”, she replies – and Colonel Atwit – “May you live every day of your life”.

Lewisian figures include Aslan the lion and Reepicheep the mouse. The final (right-most) figures would seem to be Katniss and Peeta from The Hunger Games.

Painted by DMC on North Road, Carrickfergus, at the entrance to the Castlemara estate, as a complement and competitor to the PUL boards.

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Gort Na Móna Abú

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Gort Na Móna CLG was founded in 1974, developing out of the old Gort Na Móna secondary (before it became part of Corpus Christi). NVTv produced a programme to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary (youtube). These painted junction boxes are on Monagh Road and the Springfield Road.

See also Lóıste Na Móna | Ag Croí An Phobaıl | Gort Na Móna.

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Tell Them Of Us

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Printed panels illustrating the engagements of the British Army in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have been added to the three stones (seen in Continuing Conflicts) that marked the World Wars and “continuing conflicts”. The conflicts depicted are the Great War 1914-1918, Second World War 1939-1945 (with individual photos of James Magennis and Blair Mayne, Korean War 1950-1953, Northern Ireland 1969-2007, Falklands War 1982 (the photo on the right is of troops “yomping”), Iraq 2003-2011, Afghanistan 2001-2023.

City Way, Sandy Row, south Belfast

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Old Comrades Remember

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This entry updates the images seen in November’s Lest We Forget, with the addition of six military insignia to either side of the ‘Old Comrades’ board that was added just after Remembrance Sunday.

On the left (top to bottom): Royal Irish Rifles (later the Royal Ulster Rifles), 36th (Ulster) Division, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers; on the right: Royal Irish Regiment, Order Of St Patrick, British Light Infantry.

Shore Road, north Belfast

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Tıthe An Lóıste Nua

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The seven “houses” (tower blocks) in the New Lodge are named after figures from Irish mythology: Méabh, Eıthne, Cú Chulaınn, Fınn, Na Fıanna, Gráınne, and Oısín. In the foyer of each house there is a painting of the eponymous hero, painted by Danny D and Marty L in imitation of Jim Fitzpatrick (as is explicitly acknowledged in the Gráınne painting, below): Eıthne is represented by Fitzpatrick’s Palu The Cat Goddess; Na Fıanna are represented by Lugh; Gráınne is represented by Fann. The bulls are by Finbarr O’Connor; Cú Chulaınn is inspired by the Oliver Sheppard statue in the GPO.

For the old names of the buildings, and the pairs of hunger-strikers painted on the tops of six of the seven towers, see New Lodge Flats.

“Fıonn Mac Cumhaıll gained fable knowledge after sucking his thumb which he burned while cooking the magical Salmon of Knowledge. He followed in his father Cumhall’s footsteps becoming captain of the Fıanna. His death at the Battle of Gabhra marked the beginning of the decline in the might of the Fıanna.”

“The Fıanna was the name given to the band of warriors drawn from all over Ireland, under the control of the High King who travelled the country ready to protect it from invaders. The motto of the Fıanna was – Truth in our Hearts, Strength in our Hands, and Consistency in our Tongues.”

“Gráınne, daughter of Cormac Mac Art, High King of Ireland, betrothed to a grey-haired Fıonn Mac Cumhaıll but ran away with the handsome young Dıarmuıd before the marriage took place. She returned to marry Fıonn after Dıarmuıd’s death.”

“Oısín, son of Fıonn Mac Cumhaıll, fought many brave battles with the Fianna. He fell in love with Nıamh and went to live with her in Tír Na nÓg for 3 years. He became homesick and when he returned he discovered that 300 years had passed. He instantly turned in a withered old man and died.”

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LWF

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For Remembrance Sunday, rows of hand-painted wooden medallions were attached to the railings at West Kirk Presbyterian to pay homage to the dead of the British armed forces, including Bernard McQuirt, whose plaque is shown below. McQuirt was a VC winner for actions taken during the Indian Rebellion in 1858. Originally from Donaghcloney, he survived his injuries and died in 1888 at 72 Urney Street (HistoryHub | News Letter | WP) – Urney Street used to be where the plaque and the memorial garden now are, along the side of the West Kirk.

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UNESCO City Of Music

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Belfast was designated a UNESCO “city of music” four years ago, in November, 2021. To mark the anniversary, Friz (web) and NRMN (ig) have painted this large piece of street-art in the guise of a VU indicator (with seven segments, nine levels, four colours). The city’s efforts to encourage music are outlined in the ‘Music Matters’ plan.

The other pieces in the wide shot can be seen in (l-r) Broken Promises, Glide, neo-pop face by Bust, Beastie Boys, Andrew Weatherall, two from the Subset collective, one of two faces from Woskerski.

on the side of the Telegraph offices in Donegall Street

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Clann Éıreann

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“Forward together. 5 steps to wellbeing: Give, take notice, be active, keep learning, connect.” These murals are in the northern stands at Clann Éıreann CLG (web) in Kilwilkie, Lurgan. The club also has handball facilities, a youth club, and a social club on Lake Street.

Deramore Drive, Lurgan

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Sua Sponte

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The 1st Ranger Battalion was formed in 1942 as the United States Army’s equivalent to the British Army’s Commandos and – after training at a camp in Carrickfergus – it saw action in France (at Dieppe (SOF History), resulting in the first US casualties of the war – WP), Algeria, Tunisia, and Italy. (There are four information panels at the Sunnylands shops about the formation and training of the unit.)

The insignia shown – which is here placed on top of the beret patch – is the insignia of the modern (75th Regiment) Rangers, with the lightning-bolt indicating the unit’s quick-strike abilities (SOF History); these are also alluded to by the motto “sua sponte”, meaning “of its/their own accord”.

This new art is by Dan Kitchener (web) in Victoria Parade, Carrickfergus, just outside the train station, produced in co-operation with Wonder Arts, the Communities In Transition programme from the Executive Office (web) and Carrickfergus Alternatives’ Peace Impact Programme (Fb).

It has been criticized by street-artist Wee Nuls (web) as glorifying conflict (ig), a charge the artist rejects, saying that it was produced in co-operation with locals and has been well received by them (MSN). (See also the reactions on the Let’s Talk Loyalism Fb page.)

The tank might be the M4 Sherman “Fury”. The tank appeared in the 2014 film of the same name (Bovington Tank Museum) used by the 66th Armor Regiment under the command of Brad Pitt; the film is perhaps the inspiration for the image (e.g. the scene in which the town of Kirchohsen is captured – youtube).

“Great love hath no man than this: to lay down his life for his friends – John 15:13”

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The Croc

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“The lad from Sandy Row – Lewis (The Croc) Crocker, IBF welterweight champion 2025.”

Sandy Row native (Belfast CC) Lewis Crocker beat Paddy Donovan in a fight for the open IBF welterweight title at Windsor Park in September (BBC).

Donegall Road, south Belfast, at the top of Roden Street.

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