cultural – Page 30 – Paddy Duffy Collection

James Buchanan

1999-01-012025-11-14Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“”My Ulster blood is my most priceless heritage …” – James Buchanan 15th US president 1857-1861″. This is the first of the murals in the “From pioneers to presidents” series to be painted in Belfast, depicting James Buchanan. Three murals had already been painted in Londonderry, to Theodore Roosevelt, James Buchanan (which contains more information about Buchanan and his heritage), and George Washington.

The words along the bottom read, “250,000 Ulster Scots emigrated to America in the 1700s and were the driving force behind the American Revolution.”

The small plaque to the right reads, “Shankill Ulster-Scots Cultural Society. The Buchanan Mural. This mural was dedicated to the memory of those early Ulster-Scots emigrants by Ms Jane Benton Fort, US Consul General, on Thursday November 4th, 1999. Sae monie hairts gaed far frae hame – bot ilka yin oor ain fowk [So many hearts went far from home – but every one [is/remains] our own folk]. This project was funded by Belfast City Council and Making Belfast Work.”

See the Visual History page on Ulster-Scots Murals.

Ainsworth Street, Woodvale, west Belfast

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Copyright © 1999 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
T01196

South Belfast Volunteers

1999-01-012025-11-03Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Along the top are the emblems of the Royal Inniskilling (27th) Fusiliers (featuring Crom castle), Royal Irish Rifles (featuring the Maid Of Erin harp), Royal Irish Fusiliers (featuring the barossa eagle).

Wrapped around the left column are “Ballykinler, Finner, Clandeboye” – three of the training camps of the 36th. Wrapped around the right column is “Lest we forget”.

The central text reads: “Ravenhill – Village – Donegall Pass – Ormeau Rd – Sandy Row – Lisburn Rd. 10th infantry battalion Royal Irish Rifles, 36th (Ulster) Division, South Belfast Volunteers”

The Union Flag appears in the lower left, next to an unidentified medal, while the flag of Ulster (rather than Northern Ireland, which did not yet exist) appears in the lower right, next to a Victory medal. (In a previous version of this painting, the Union Flag was a VC and the medal was a Distinguished Conduct Medal.) Between them is the emblem of the 36th Division.

The main image shows three graveside mourners standing in a field of barbed wire and in front of ?mis-shapen tombstones?, all against a background of sunrise over a mountain on which have been superimposed (left) a map of the Somme and (right) a large UVF emblem.

Painted by Ron McMurry on boards. Donegall Pass, south Belfast

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Copyright © 1999 Paddy Duffy
T00251

Ulster First Flute

1998-01-012025-10-23Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Ulster First Flute – south Belfast – Est. 1997.” According to its Fb page, however, the band formed in 1996.

Linfield Road, south Belfast

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Copyright © 1998 Paddy Duffy
T00248

Peace With Justice

1997-07-012025-10-23Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“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)

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Copyright © 1997 Paddy Duffy
T00306 T00307 T00308

Draoıchláırseoırí An Chınn Bhaıle

1997-07-012025-10-20Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

In Táın Bó Cúaılnge, the “sweet-mouth harpers of Caın Bıle” are also “druids, men of great cunning and great power of augury and magic.” They come to Medb and Aılıll to entertain them, carrying mistletoe by which they sing, but are mistaken as Ulster spies; the harpers turn themselves into deer to escape their pursuers, near the Lıa Mór (Great Stone) (Death Of Lethan).

The source for the image is unknown.

Springhill Avenue, west Belfast

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Copyright © 1997 Paddy Duffy
T00297

Mythological Beechmount

1997-04-012025-10-19Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This is a very long mural on Beechmount Avenue reproducing various pieces from Jim Fitzpatrick’s Book Of Conquests, including the central figure from the cover. The final panel shows Fitzpatrick’s Lough Derravaragh/Children Of Lear.

See the Visual History page on Jim Fitzpatrick.

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Copyright © 1997 Paddy Duffy
T00270 T00271 T00272 T00273 T00274 T00275 T00276

Private William McFadzean VC

1997-01-012025-10-23Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

William McFadzean was awarded the VC medal for throwing himself on a fallen box of grenades on the first day of the Battle Of The Somme. The battles listed to either side are: “Ypres, Fricourt, Cambrai, Thiepval, Messines, Beaucourt, Rossieres, Beaumonthamel, Langemarck,” and, “Somme, Albert, Flanders, St Quentin, Bailleul, Grandcourt, Courtrai, Passchendaele, Schwaben Redoubt”.

The gates are decorated with modern assault rifles.

Mount Vernon Park, north Belfast

Féıle An Phobaıl

1996-09-012025-10-01Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

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

The Battle Of Moy Tura

1996-09-012025-10-01Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Nuadha, rí Tuatha Dé Danann, buaıteor chath Magh Tuıreadh Conga, Éıre/King Nuadha of the Tuatha De Dannan, victorious at the battle of Moy Tura [at Cong, the first battle], Ireland.”

“Mo Chara” Kelly’s mural reproduces the cover of Jim Fitzpatrick’s The Book Of Conquests in the middle and adds various other elements (Visual History).

Upper Whiterock Road, west Belfast

The Mass Rock

1996-09-012025-09-30Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Penal days in Ireland” – this mural commemorates the repression of Catholicism and use of mass rocks as secret locations in the days of Cromwellian conquest and the penal laws, c. 1650-1800. The 1652 Act Of Settlement (WP) banished Catholic priests from the island and services had to be held at short notice and in remote locations, with sentries posted to keep watch against soldiers from the New Model Army. Laws against the practice of Catholicism in Ireland were not lifted until the 1782 Roman Catholic Relief Act (PCUG).