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Relax The Tax

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“Not until the last pint of beer has been poured, and the last plate of food has been cooked, will the government realise we can’t eat VAT! It’s time to relax the tax on food. (paraphrased from Cree wisdom …)”

This statement is on the side wall of the Ginger Bistro. VAT on restaurant food was temporarily reduced to 5% during COVID, and this summer the same rate was used for children’s meals, but as of today are now back at the standard rate of 20%. Four famous chefs have called for the tax on restaurant food to be reduced to 10% (BBC | This Is Money).

Hope Street, Belfast, replacing the quote about creativity seen in A Bigger Picture.

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Caoımhín Adams

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On the third anniversary of his death in in July 2023, a mural has been painted to commemorate Caoımhín Adams in his native Bawnmore (Belfast Media | Belfast Live). Adams died at age eight, shortly after being diagnosed with ROHHAD (rapid-onset obesity with hypothalamic dysregulation, hypoventilation, and autonomic dysregulation), a syndrome without any cure and fatal in more than 50% of cases (WP).

By Visual Waste (web) in Bawnmore Drive, Newtownabbey.

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Forest School

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Rathcoole Primary School & Nursery Unit, in Newtownabbey, is a “forest” school (web), meaning that children have regular sessions in woodland or a natural environment (pdf). When not in nature, students at the Nursery Unit – home to hedgehog and squirrel class (RPS&NU) – can be reminded of the outdoors every time they pass by this new mural on the school wall, painted by Visual Waste (web).

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Inpouring

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This giant arrow – painted by Rob Hilken (web) in Ann Street – points the way to Riddel’s warehouse (web), which is now an events space (and which until July 5th was home to the Outpouring exhibition featuring a large piece by Joe Caslin). The warehouse will be open for a “dramatised tour” featuring Bright Umbrella theatre company, on September 12th and 13th during the European Heritage Open Days (Riddel’s).

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Say Goodbye To Bombs And Bullets

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Lyra McKee was shot and killed in April 2019 while observing a riot in Creggan, Derry (BBC). A tribute in Belfast city centre was painted by Emmalene Blake during Hit The North (in May). The piece survived fairly well for a few years (here is a 2022 image) before being repainted with a flat blue background in 2025, which in turn had to be repainted in 2026 (for before and after images see 2026). People have taken to placing stickers with positive messages on top of the graffiti that immediately began to accumulate, such as “You did so well today”, “Fuck being average”, and “Never lose your sparkle”.

repainted during this year’s (2026) Hit The North.

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You Are Not Alone

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Street artist emic (web) visited Titanic Men’s Club (Fb) in 2024 to give an indoor tutorial on painting art on walls and the group moved outdoors in 2025 to paint this mental-health message on the wall of the Connswater Community Centre.

The group also has a large board on the Greenway – see This Is the Crew.

For the NHS board, see The Glorious Dead. For the Somme board, see The Shipyard.

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Open Season

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“Open gates. Open borders. Open season. Your sheep. Their feast.” Politicians from Sınn Féın, the SDLP, Alliance, and People Before Profit are shown opening the gates for masked and armed men who are coming from the sea and bidding them to enter a sheepfold of “our constituents”.

The PSNI are investigating the banner as a “hate incident” (rather than a “hate crime” – see A New Evil for the difference) (BelTel). The banner was later (July 1st) removed and replaced with Union Flags and an Ulster Banner (Belfast Media | News Letter).

Shore Road, north Belfast

Update, July 3rd: the banner has been restored – see the Seosamh Mac Coılle collection.

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End Violence Against Women And Girls

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“Consent matters”, “Stop killing our sister”, “Lads, let’s be the generation that stops it”, “Enough is enough”, “Real men respect women”, “No means no”, “Silence is violence”.

Painted by Peaball (web) and boys from the Hillcrest Trust Youth Club (Fb), in conjunction with the Foyle Women’s Information Network (web) and their “End violence against women and girls” initiative (described at FWIN) and with support from the Executive and Strabane District Council.

Fountain Hill, Gobnscale, Derry

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