international – Page 4 – Paddy Duffy Collection

The Magic Within

2025-06-182026-06-15Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“The Shamrock supports Kneecap”. Kneecap member Mo Chara (Lıam Óg Ó hAnnaıdh) appeared in court (in London) last week to face charges of displaying a flag of a proscribed organisation (Hezbollah). He was released on bail and will return on August 20th. (BBC | AP) In the meantime, the group appeared in front of 10,000 fans on the West Holts stage at Glastonbury on Saturday (June 28th) despite criticism from UK prime minister Keir Starmer (BBC).

For the band’s other woes, see Seas Le Kneecap.

The Shamrock Sport & Social Club (Fb) in Ardoyne is running a promotion by which people who post their selfies in front of the new mural in support of Kneecap on social media can claim a bottle of Le Grá lager (web).

The fist is familiar from the pro-Palestine mural in Beechmount and the burning PSNI land-rover is familiar from the first (of three) Kneecap murals in Hawthorn Street – see Incendiary Device.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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Guerillero Heroico

2025-06-112025-06-25Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Korda’s famous photograph of the 31-year-old Che Guevara was taken in Havana, Cuba, in 1960, and was turned into the ubiquitous two-tone poster by Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick in 1968. (For a more complete history of both the photo and the print, see the Visual History page on the influence of Jim Fitzpatrick.) This very faithful reproduction of Fitzpatrick’s Che is in Glen Road, Maghera.

“Marcella”, in the bottom right, might be the name of the artists; Bobby Sands used his sister’s name – “Marcella” – to sign the pieces that he wrote for newspapers outside Long Kesh.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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Mary Ann McCracken

2025-05-292025-06-21Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Mary Ann McCracken (1770-1866) Abolitionist, educator, social reformer and businesswoman. Sheas Mary Ann an fód ar son na mbocht, na mban, na bpáıstí agus ar son sıúd a bhí faoı dhaoırse. [Mary Ann stood up for the poor, women, children, and for those who were enslaved.]”

“Mary Ann McCracken’s feminist ideals and commitment to the principles of Equality, Liberty, Fraternity applying equally to the Rights of Woman defined her participation in the United Irish Movement.” For McCracken’s connection to the 1798 Rebellion, see These Are Times That Try Men’s Souls.

McCracken is shown handing out abolitionist leaflets that picture a pleading enslaved woman above the words “Am I not a woman and a sister?” The same supplicant image is on the medallion (perhaps made by Wedgwood for the Society For The Abolition Of The Slave Trade – WP) worn at her throat. See also: The Blots On The Page Are So Black and The World Affords No Enjoyment Equal To That Of Promoting The Happiness Of Others.

The statue was unveiled in the grounds of Belfast City hall together with a statue to Winifred Carney on International Women’s Day (March 8th) 2024; both statues were produced by Ralf and Naomi Sander (BCC).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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2025 HTN – Kent Street

2025-05-052026-05-09Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is a gallery of pieces from Kent Street, painted for 2025’s Hit The North street art festival (Seedhead Arts).

From top to bottom in appearance here, the works are by …

(North side of the street:)
Luck (ig) from Thailand (above and immediately below)
unknown
Karl Fenz (web)
My Dog Sighs (web)
Sanchai (ig) from Thailand
unknown
DanLeo (web)
unknown
(South side of the street:)
Mel Carroll (web)
Jacky Sheridan (web)
SillyMe (ig)
Glen Molloy (Fb)
Gabriela Joyce (web)
Alexandra (ig)
Danni Simpson (web)
FGB (web) + Katriona (web)
Jam (ig)
Imogen Donegan (ig)
KVLR (web)
Lost Lines (ig)
JMK
(Above Union St:)
David McMIllan (web)
unknown
Holly Pereira (web)
Hicks (ig)

south side:

May 5th, vandalised after completion:

May 6th, re-finished:

May 5th, vandalised after completion:

May 6th, re-finished:

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T06717 [T06649] [T06614]
T06719 [T06649]
T06718 [T06685]
T06785 [T06732] [T06721]
T06684
T06683
T06651 T06723
T06722 [T06682]
T06786 [T06787]
T06730
T06729 [T06681]
T06728 [T06680] [T06652]
T06679 [T06653]
T06727 [T06678]
T06726 [T06677] [T06655] T06654
T06725 [T06676]
T06724
T06731 [T06675] [T06650] [T06613]
T06720
T06716 [T06733]
T06674
T06784
T06734
T06735 T06783 [T06693]
T06736 T06782 [T06695] [T06694]

HTN 2025 – Union Street

2025-05-052025-05-23Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is a gallery of pieces from Union Street, painted for 2025’s Hit The North street art festival (Seedhead Arts). From left to right (top to bottom in this entry), the works are by:

FESA (ig) from Munch
SNAK (ig)
Ona Salvador (web)
ADW (ig)
Molly Hankinson (web)
Kerrie Hanna (web)
(below Kent St)
Shane Ha (web)
Kayde (web)
Alana McDowell (ig)
Niall OL (ig)
NRMN (ig)
Keyto (ig)
Codo (ig)
Leo Boyd (web)
Conor McClure (ig)
KAYOS (ig)
JunkGraff (ig) + Sinead Crumlish (ig)
and, on the other side of the street, Sky High (ig)

May 1st:

work-in-progress May 3rd:

May 4th:

May 3rd:

Below Kent St:

May 1st:

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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T06743
T06741 [T06671] T06645
T06740 [T06646]
T06739 T06672 T06647
T06738 [T06673]
below:
T06715
T06714
T06692 T06737
T06711
T06710
T06709 [T06691] [T06990]
T06708 [T06657]
T06686
T06706 [T06688] [T06687]
[T06707] T06689 [T06658]
T06705
T06713 [T06712] [T06656] [T06616] [T06615] [T06595] T06594

Seas Le Kneecap

2025-05-032025-05-16Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Kneecap performed their Coachella sets in front of a large screen onto which messages were projected, including denunciation of the Israeli “genocide” of Palestinians “enabled” by the US (Rolling Stone).

Many cancelled gigs followed, as well as a call from Sharon Osbourne that the band’s work visas be revoked (BBC). In response, Kneecap insisted that their speech was not an incitement to violence (BBC).

The band’s visas might also be in jeopardy because the band has parted ways with booking agents IAG, which sponsored the band’s US tour (Hollywood Reporter).

Further, scrutiny of past performances revealed pro-Hamas and -Hizbollah chants, which have now led to an investigation by the UK’s anti-terror police (NME). The band also apologized for a 2023 remark that “the only good Tory [Conservative MP] is a dead Tory” (BBC).

Many artists and bands have come out in support of Kneecap – about 40 put their names to a statement posted to instagram. The band also has the support of the graffitist in the image above: “Free Palestine – silence = complicity. Seas le Kneecap [stand with Kneecap]”.

Solidarity With Gaza Health Workers

2025-03-262025-04-07Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

In this graffiti outside the Royal Victoria Hospital, west Belfast, a person in a white coat faces a tank bearing an Israeli flag. Israel’s renewed bombardment of Gaza on March 18th killed more than 400 people (Independent), including an OB-GYN specialist in Rafah (Al-Jazeera); on the 23rd, an airstrike on Nasser Hospital killed five (Reuters).

Detailed figures of casualties among health-care workers in Gaza can be found at Healthcare Workers Watch.

Hands Off Palestine

2025-03-142025-08-13Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom are the stripes on an Israeli-flag-coloured snake that has Earth in its coils.

This is an RNU Belfast (Fb) mural in opposition to the Israeli invasion of Gaza.

Glen Road at Ramoan Gardens, west Belfast

Free Palestine

2025-03-142025-04-05Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

These electrical boxes are at the entrance to the Glencolin estate in west Belfast. The one above previously had an RSF stencil on it – see Restoration Of The Monarchy – but now bears an image of a Palestinian child in the ruins of Gaza flying a kite. (For the symbolism, see Tell My Story and My Kite You Made.

The arabic (“فلسطين”) reads “Palestine”.