personal

Crash Blossom

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

In 2008 thick metal walls were added to both sides of the Finaghy railway bridge in order to prevent the possibility of a car falling onto the tracks (BelTel | BBC | Belfast Media), as had happened in Yorkshire, England, in 2001, causing ten deaths (WP). The result was a “brutalist eyesore” (Belfast Live) that was often covered in tags (there is a good picture at the top of this Belfast Media article from 2024).

The bridge been given a floral facelift by Visual Waste (web) but not everyone has the same interpretation of the new art: one local resident complained that the background was “Sınn Féın green” and that the “graffiti” would lower property values (Belfast Live).

Finaghy Road North. Also included below are painted electrical boxes by Danni Simpson (web) from 2023 at the nearby junction of the Finaghy roads and the Upper Lisburn Road.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07526 T07527 T07528 T07529 T07530 T07531
[T07621] T07622 T07625 T07623 T07624

Paste No Paste-Ups

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

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 Edge for an index) with the cat looming over city hall (see Belfast Kitty Hall). The final stencil is by French artist MDLF (ig).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07287 T07288 T07289 T07290 T07510

Let Your Light Shine

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“How cool is it that the same God that created oceans and mountains and galaxies looked at you and thought the world needed one you too”, “Be the light”, “God is love”, “Let your light shine”.

Uplifting religious messages in Sixmilewater Park, below Main Street, Ballyclare.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07248 T07249 T07250 T07251 T07252 T07253

Stages Of Growth

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The growth-stages of the flax plant, from seedling to flower are illustrated from right to left on four unused shop-fronts along Linenhall Street, Belfast (next to the British Heart Foundation mural).

The official title of the piece, painted by Visual Waste (web) and sponsored by the Linen Quarter BID (web) is “Seeding Success”. After flowering, the plant produces fruit/capsules which contain seeds (WP image).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07216 T07217 T07218 T07219 T07220

First

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

These are images of a “legal” spray-paint wall, in Little Patrick Street. The wall was launched on July 4th (Belfast City Council) with FGB (web) from Seedhead Arts on hand to welcome those who braved the rain (including Codo (ig), Feoiliteach (ig), and Dash (ig)).

One writer got there a day earlier, however, to claim “FIRST” and note that “great minds think alike, apparently!!!” – perhaps meaning that the wall is generally covered with tags and writing, and might well return to that state. The comments to posts by Seedhead Arts (ig) and Belfast City Council (ig) contain some reaction from writers to the claims that the wall is the first legal wall and that is might “help deter graffiti and tagging”. An Instagram account has been set up for the wall and any other legal walls that are so designated.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07178 T07179 T07180 T07181 T07182 T07183 T07184 T07185 T07186 T07187
T07159 [T07158]
T07188 T07189 T07190 T07191