The emblem in the top left of this board is the original emblem of the Irish Football Association. The Association was formed in 1880 by seven Belfast clubs but after partition a rival Football Association Of Ireland was formed and the original body eventually represented only Northern Ireland. (WP)
All of the players named and pictured post-date 1950, when the IFA stopped selecting southern players for the IFA’s team. They are … Tommy Jackson, Billy Caskey, Phil Gray, Tom Finney, Norman Whiteside, Danny Griffin, George McCartney, Alf McMichael, Tommy Cassidy, Robbie Garrett, Brodie Spencer, Jordan Owens, Billy Ferguson, George O’Boyle.
“AONISC” (bottom left) is the Amalgamation Of Northern Ireland Supporters’ Clubs (web). There are about 60 clubs in the amalgamation, but seven local clubs are named here: Albert Foundry, Woodvale Loyal, Tavern GAWA, Bootle Street, Wheatfield, 1st Shankill, Ligoniel.
In Battenberg Street on the side of the Stadium Bar and off-sales.
“Shankill Protestant Boys [Fb] “The People’s Band” 45th anniversary, 1980-2025.” The band held a parade on August 1st to commemorate the anniversary, with nearly forty other bands attending (Fb).
This mural celebrates the Irish-language institutions in west Belfast. From left to right, the buildings by the loch are: Gaeltacht Bhóthar Seoıghe, Bunscoıl Phobal Feırste, Raıdıó Fáılte, An Chultúrlann, Teach Ard Na bhFeá, Coláıste Feırste, and Áras Na bhFál. In a sense they are all ripples from the initial drop that was the Shaw’s Road Gaeltacht, established in 1969 and which led quickly to the bunscoıl in 1971 (WP). The NVTv documentary about the Shaw’s Road gaeltacht borrows its title from the slogan motivating the early efforts, “Ná habaır é, déan é” [Don’t say it, do it] – the bunscoıl was not officially recognised until 1985.
Among the pioneers (“ceannródaıthe”) of those early ventures were the Mac Seáın family, who grew up in a house adjacent to the wall on which the new mural is painted: “Tógadh Séamus Mac Seáın, Seán Mac Seáın, agus Caıtlín Mıstéıl (née Mhıc Sheáın) sa teach seo. Bhí an trıúr seo ı measc na gceannródaıthe a bhunaıgh Gaeltacht Bhóthar Seoıghe.”
The mural was commissioned by Spórtlann Na hÉıreann’s Irish-language heritage project “Gael Staır” (Meon Eıle | Belfast Media), with support from Mary’s Gift (Belfast Media), and painted by Aodán Ó Manacháın (Fb). It was unveiled Sunday 10th.
Above and immediately below are two new paste-ups by Leo Boyd which attempt – by example and by reverse-psychology – to turn the hoarding around the War Memorial building in Waring Street into a paste-up gallery (similar to the new “legal wall” for graffiti and street-art in Little Patrick Street – see First!).
The third image is of a Boyd paste-up already on the wall, mixing the police land-rover (see Off The Ledge for an index) with the cat looming over city hall (see Belfast Kitty Hall). The final stencil is by French artist MDLF (ig).
Modern UVF volunteers in balaclavas stand with heads bowed on either side of the Ulster Tower in Thiepval, standing among orange lilies and red poppies.
On the left the 10th Scottish Rifles (AWM) commence a raid, below the emblem of the Ulster Volunteer Force, and on the right, the Royal Fusiliers appear to march off to war in a press photograph (Flickr), below the emblem of the 36th (Ulster) Division.
In Grange Drive, Ballyclare, on the same as wall, and using part of the frame from, a previous UDA board: Young Guns.
The memorial wall in Erskine Park, Ballyclare, marked the 80th anniversary of VE Day – May 8th, 2025 – with a pair of printed boards wrapping around the corner of the low wall.
For views of the gable and the low wall with armed-forces emblems and plaques to Girvan and Erskine, see The Men From Ballyclare.
Three plaques at the Ballynafeigh Apprentice Boys social club on Blackwood Street:
“In loving memory of Allison Jane Smith – you’re missed so much by so many who knew you in Ballynafeigh”, “Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Northern Ireland – Northern Ireland centennial 3rd May 2021”, “In memory of all our past members”.
“We stand with Kneecap” – Kneecap yesterday announced a ten-date November tour of Scotland, Wales, and England, adding on to a jam-packed schedule of upcoming gigs that includes a string of European festivals and a tour of the United States. (The trio’s full schedule can be found at their web-site.) In between the France and Belgium dates, on August 20th, Lıam Óg Ó hAnnaıdh will make a different kind of appearance, in court, to face terrorism charges stemming from his display of a Hezbollah flag at a gig.
This tarp is on the Felons’ Club/Cumann Na Méırleach Poblachtach Éıreannach, replacing Seas Leıs An Phalaıstín. See also Seas Le Kneecap on the Falls Road.
Preparations for Eleventh Night bonfires are underway in many estates, including Ballycraigy in Antrim which is getting help from an AI-generated Popeye. Ballycraigy used to boast the biggest Bonfire (see Lead The Way); you can keep track of this year’s build on the bonfire’s Facebook page.
As part of the town’s VE Day celebrations, Donaghadee mounted a series of flower boxes, information boards, and crocheted poppies, along Hunter’s Lane (which runs between High Street and the Parade). Also included are small panels to twenty-three local soldiers who died during the War.
“Donaghadee Community Development Association [Fb], in collaboration with Donaghadee Community Partnership, Donaghadee Historical Society [Fb] and the In Stitches Group, is proud to present this floral and educational display in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe. With support from Ards and North Down Borough Council, First Presbyterian Church, Abbeyfield, Wesley Housing and local residents, this project brings history to life in the heart of our town. / On 8th May 1945, the guns across Europe fell silent. After six years of devastating conflict, Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally, marking the end of the Second World War in Europe. VE Day – Victory in Europe Day – was met with celebration, relief, and solemn reflection. Across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, crowds rejoiced, even as they grieved for the fallen and the irrevocable loss left in war’s wake. This display honours the 23 men and women from Donaghadee who gave their lives in service during World War II. We remember them with pride, gratitude, and sorrow. Through a series of commemorative panels, we also highlight the stories of eight wartime figures – from global leaders to everyday heroes – whose courage shaped history. / This is more than an remembrance. It is a space to reflect, to learn, and to give thanks. As we mark this significant anniversary, we commit ourselves anew to the values of peace, unity, and understanding. Let us remember – not only what was lost, but also what was won: the enduring freedom we enjoy today.”
The eight notable figures are: “Winston Churchill, the voice of defiance”, “King George VI and Queen Elizabeth”, “Her late majesty Queen Elizabeth II”, “Dame Vera Lynn, the forces’ sweetheart”, “Lt Col Blair Mayne, SAS trailblazer”, “Violette Szabo, the courageous spy”, “General Bernard Montgomery”, “Douglas Bader, the indomitable ace”.
Paddy Duffy Collection 