cultural – Page 9 – Paddy Duffy Collection

John And Rab

2024-09-292024-10-02Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Cloughfern Young Conquerors flute band (Fb – warning: copious use of images of Eddie The Trooper) was founded in 1973, the same year as the UDA began using the name “UFF”. “John” and “Rab” on the arms of the emblem above are John “Grugg” Gregg (also known as ‘The Reaper’) and Rab Carson of the UDA’s Southeast Antrim brigade. The pair were killed together in 2003 by the lower Shankill (West Belfast C company) UDA. (See also Gregg & Carson for another local tribute.)

The gentleman in the panel on the right is “The General”; he celebrated a birthday in July of this year (2024) (Fb) and so is perhaps not (as this board might suggest) another of the “absent friends” held in “glorious memory”.

See also: 50 Years Unbroken and CYC 50th– celebrations from 2023 of the band’s fiftieth anniversary.

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Union Bears

2024-09-252025-02-20Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The “Union Bears” are a Rangers FC “ultras” supporters club whose web page currently features the giant tifo – “sign” or “banner” is too small a word, so the Italian word is used – unveiled at various games. This much smaller display (above) is on an electrical box on the Doagh Road next to the Iceland at the eastern edge of the Rathcoole estate.

For the Sons Of KAI flute band sticker, see Kai Johansen’s Bar | Sons Of KAI | Four Lads Had A Dream.

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Whitehead Temperance

2024-09-202025-06-21Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Benjamin West painted The Battle Of The Boyne in 1778 and his composition – with William moving from left to right on a white horse and Marshal Schomberg dying in the bottom-right corner – has become the standard representation in loyalist culture, perhaps due to versions of it appearing on the covers of songbooks for the Orange Order and the Apprentice Boys soon after (Belinda Loftus 1982 Images In Conflict). It appears here on the wall of Whitehead Orange Hall, along with a board connecting service by Irish soldiers in British forces in WWI and Afghanistan (see previously: The Sacrifice Remains the Same in east Belfast).

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Ballycraigy Bonfire

2024-09-132024-11-24Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The Ballycraigy bonfire from 2021 (Fb) is at the centre of a new free-standing board that was added this (2024) summer. Around the outside, the rose and thistle are joined by the orange lily and the poppy, rather than the shamrock and daffodil of the “four nations”.

For the similar board on the gable wall in the distance, see Lead The Way.

On the green at Hollowburn Road, in the Ballycraigy estate, Antrim.

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Olympic Rings

2024-09-062025-07-16Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Ireland’s first-ever gymnastics gold medal was won at the recent (2024) summer Olympics by Rhys McClenaghan, competing on the pommel horse (Reuters | Irish Times). The new art celebrating his victory is by Cha Cha (ig) in Meetinghouse Lane, in his home town of Newtownards. McClenaghan was also featured in a 2021 wall-painting in Dublin (Dublin Gazette).

Previous Olympic medalists: Michael Conlan in west Belfast | Boxing Champions in Ardoyne.

Meetinghouse Lane, Newtownards, site of a 2021 paint jam.

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Bravery Without Limit, Memory Without End

2024-09-032024-09-09Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“15th battalion Royal Irish Rifles (North Belfast Volunteers). To the memory and sacrifice of the North Belfast Volunteers who formed in this area, brave young men who gave their lives at the Somme and other battles to restore peace in Europe. ‘To them, bravery was without limit. To us, memory is without end.'” Five of the six portraits were included in the previous mural (see Many Did Not Return): (1) Rifleman Forrester, (2) Rifleman Baird, (4) Sergeant Major Magookin, (5) Rifleman Templeton, (6) 2nd Lt De La Harpur.

“Second Lieutenant Edmund De Lind. Awarded the VC for actions near Grugies, France 21st March 1918.”

De Wind was born in Comber but went to Canada in 1911. When the Great War began he joined the Canadian Army in Edmonton and fought at the Somme and Vimy Ridge. He joined the British Army and joined the RIR, the 15th battalion of which was originally drawn from the North Belfast Volunteers (War Time Memories). He died on March 18th, 1918, at St Quentin, near Grugies, in the Aisne. For his actions he was awarded the Victoria Cross; it is held in the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa. (CEF | Royal Irish | Legion | Ulster History | WP)

As is seen in the final two images, De Wind is remembered on one of the pillars outside St Anne’s in Belfast city centre.

The stone in front pre-dates this mural, though more names have been added since it was seen in Ghosts Of The Somme. “Rathcoole Friends Of The Somme roll of honour. Past member – lest we forget.”

Inniscarn Drive, Newtownabbey. Launched July 22nd, 2024.

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Windsor Park

2024-09-012024-09-03Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This is a gallery of the boards along the lane to the east of Windsor Park where Linfield and Northern Ireland play their soccer matches. Five describe “historical games” played by Northern Ireland at the ground (from 1958, 1975, 1981, 2005, and 2015) and five describe Linfield FC (the “7 trophy” teams of 1921 and 1961, ‘the blues in Europe’, a history of the club, the 2005-2006 season, and Captains).

To the left and right of these boards are the murals seen in Football For All.

Football For All

2024-09-012024-09-05Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Greater Village Regeneration Trust (Fb)

‘Football For All’ is a programme from the Irish FA Foundation aimed at stamping out discrimination and encouraging inclusivity among supporters (web). The new mural, above, is in the lane-way that runs down from Donegall Avenue to the footbridge. There are also reproductions of drawings by kids in the spaces below the footbridge.

Between the two are the boards about Linfield and recounting the role the ground has played in the history of the Northern Ireland team – see Windsor Park.

Preserving Identity

2024-08-282024-09-03Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Promoting Culture, Preserving Identity”. Here are a pair of new boards Mount Vernon Park, north Belfast, launched on August 11th, 2024, celebrating three Scottish bands and the local Fifes And Drums. Each of the bands’ emblems includes the Roman numeral “III”, which also appears in the bottom corner of the ‘Band Of Brothers’ board. It stands for the 3rd Belfast (i.e. north Belfast) battalion of the UVF, “Tiger’s Bay”. The St George’s Cross in the top-left corner and the purple background (of the ‘Band Of Brothers’ board) come from the UVF flag, which typically also has an orange star in the bottom right, here replaced by a swirling musical staff and Union Flag.

“Band Of Brothers. This artwork is a tribute to the unbreakable bond that we in North Belfast, share along with the following bands: Craigneuk [Scotland] True Defenders flute band, formed 1947 [Fb]; Andrew Murphy Memorial flute band [Scotland], formed 1988 [Fb]; City Of Belfast Fifes And Drums, formed 2003 [Fb]; Bellshill [Scotland] Defenders flute band, formed in 2017 [Fb]. For decades, these bands have remained faithful, and been a credit to the loyalist cause that binds us. When on parade, the honour and dignity displayed by each band, is impeccable. In timeless memory of the Fallen, each band proudly and respectfully bears the Colours and Emblems of: the Ulster Volunteer Force, the Young Citizen Volunteers, the 36th (Ulster) Division. ‘More than friends, comrades’.”

Ard Mhacha Abú

2024-08-132026-02-26Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The people of Kilwilkie (Lurgan) supported the Armagh team in their (successful – RTÉ video) bid to win the All-Ireland senior football championship, repeating their former and only previous win in 2002 – see also Ard Mhacha (in north Belfast) and Ádh Mór Ard Mhacha (in Armagh) and (from 2023) The Core Of Armagh.

Levin Road, Lurgan