painted board – Page 3 – Paddy Duffy Collection

The Factory Girls

2024-08-042024-11-07Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Tillie & Henderson’s shirt factory opened in 1856 at the junction of Abercorn Road and Foyle Road, Derry (next to the ‘Hands Across The Divide’ statue) and survived until 2003 when it was demolished after a fire (BBC); an apartment block was planned for the site (Derry Journal | BBC) but as yet nothing has happened. It was the largest such factory in the world and one of 44 shirt factories in the city in 1900, all of which employed women, many starting in their teens.

Derry Of The Past has a gallery of historical images.

The murals are in the courtyard of the Craft Village in Shipquay Street; they were designed by Joe Campbell and painted by UVArts (web).

(BBC | BBC | DEPOT | BelTel)

Conspicuous Gallantry

2024-08-032024-11-10Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Dedicated to the memory of the men and women who served with the UDR C.G.C (Conspicuous Gallantry Cross) under OPERATION BANNER during the Troubles. Lest we forget. Also in memory of local veteran Geoffrey Lindsay who passed away on the 12th November 2022.”

The Conspicuous Gallantry Cross is shown (in the close-up below) at the top of the board; it was awarded to the UDR retroactively in 2006 for its role in ‘Operation Banner’, i.e. the deployment of British Army troops to Northern Ireland – the regiment had been folded into the Royal Irish Regiment in 1992. The mural is specifically to the 5th (Co. Londonderry) battalion – here is a list of the 11 battalions (and bases).

There is also a UDR information board (and an Ulster Volunteers board) in the green-space in front of this mural – see Leckagh Remembers The Fallen.

The memorial mural to the 36th (Ulster) Division on the end wall has also been completed since last (2023) year – in-progress images for both murals from last August are included below. For the previous murals on these walls, see C07766.

Two other pieces are included, below: the UVF mural was seen last year in Pause, Reflect, Remember; the ‘Ignite the fire’ board appears to be new.

Leckagh Drive, Magherafelt

August 27th green-washing of previous mural:

August 27th in-progress image of mural immediately above:

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Change Is Safe

2024-05-292025-01-22Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Flowering plants and a monarch butterfly with caterpillar are used to illustrate the thesis that “change is safe”. This painted board replaces Education Is A Journey in Orlock Gardens, Kilcooley, a stone’s throw from two UDA emblems and the Tommy Herron and UDA barricade murals.

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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The Rocker

2024-05-272024-09-25Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The cover Jim Fitzpatrick did in 1973 for Thin Lizzy’s ‘Vagabonds Of The Western World’ album was reproduced in 2024 in east Belfast as a tribute to local guitarist Eric Bell (the middle figure). There is video of Bell playing the solo to ‘The Rocker’ in Berlin the week of the album’s launch, in September, 1973 (youtube). Bell – aged 22 – left the band at the end of the year, a few months after the release of ‘Vagabonds’ (WP). He currently lives in Co Down (BelTel).

By Blaze FX (web) Woodstock Road at Jocelyn Avenue. Tom McClean has video of the launch (youtube).

The album is also one of the cassette tapes featured in Back On The Streets further along the Woodstock Road. There is also a Thin Lizzy mural in Bangor.

There is a Visual History page on The Influence Of Jim Fitzpatrick on muraling.

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Drum And Bass

2024-05-082024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is a gallery of 13 pieces painted for Hit The North 2024 on Union Street below Kent Street. In order, from top to bottom, they are by …

Psoman (ig)
David McMillan (ig)
Alexandra (ig)
Shona Hardie (ig)
Perspicere (ig)
Novice (ig)
JMK (ig)
Katriona (ig)
Klo Wi (ig)
?Moira Fowley? (ig)
Kerrie Hanna (ig)
Ana Fish (ig)
BOGS (MOS profile)

Finally, there are two pieces inside the construction site, by EOIN (ig) and FGB (ig).

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Turf Lodge Boxing

2024-04-302024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This is a new mural on boards celebrating boxing in the Turf Lodge area of west Belfast.

Belfast Boxers (ig) gives the names as (l-r) Eoin Hamill, Damaen Kelly, John Ireland, Dee Irving, Damien Fryers, Sean/Jim “Spike” McCormack, Sean McComb.

Hamill (the youngster on the far left) was knocked down and killed on the Springfield Road in 2020 (BelTel | BBC | Irish Times). John Ireland (third from left, with blue collar) died in a crash 2014 at age 20 (Belfast Media).

Norglen Gardens.

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Double Vision

2024-04-212024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This piece is on the same office-building as the ‘Be Your Best’ piece featured previously (in Auld Cobblers) at the city-side entrance to east Belfast, at the junction of Middlepath Street and Newtownards Road. Both are by Dee Craig/Belfast Mural Arts (Fb) as part of East Belfast Enterprise’s (web | ig) ‘Connecting Communities Through Art’ initiative. The two works were officially launched together on April 20th (pics on EBE’s Instagram). The two in-progress shots (last below) are from April 16th.

According to this Community NI article, the work has been installed using “a jigsaw-like technique using super strength glue to give it a lifespan of up to 25 years before requiring maintenance”.

Interpretations of the new piece are encouraged; feel free to comment or e-mail.

How Real Men ‘Take A Knee’

2024-03-302024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is a survey of PUL boards (from left to right) at the shops in the centre of the village of Moygashel, just south of Dungannon.

First is a British Army soldier in a firing position. Compare this board to Now Is The Time To Kneel in Clonduff, Castlereagh, which suggested that the time for soldiers to kneel was in mourning for Queen Elizabeth.

The subject of the second image is obscure. Vanguard as a political and activist group dissolved in 1977 (WP) and the name and emblem have been taken up by the Vanguard Bears, a Rangers supporters’ club (see e.g. Defending Our Traditions).

Third is a children’s mural, produced (in part) by children from Howard primary school.

The ‘Time To Decide’ and UDR 8th (Co. Tyrone) battalion roll of honour were seen previously, alongside two others which are now absent, in Belfast Agreement Null & Void.

Beyond those is a tarp celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee, in 2022.

Finally, a Moygashel Youth Club (Fb) mural in disrepair.

Gaırdín Thomáıs Uí Chléırıgh

2024-03-302025-10-07Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Thomas Clarke/Tomás Ó Cléırıgh (b. 1858) has a long career in Irish fenianism, including fleeing to America after firing at police (at age 20) and 15 years of hard labour for an attempted bombing in London, beginning in 1883 (DIB). He is best known for his role, along with Sean Mac Dıarmada (The Mainspring), as architect of the Easter Rising. He is particularly honoured in Dungannon, where he grew up from the age of nine onward, the last posting of his British-Army–sergeant father. This statue in the Lisnahull area was unveiled (in this location) in late November 2021 (We Are Tyrone | NI World).

The circular placard is on O’Neill Park, across the street from the Garden.

The ‘East Tyrone Remembers’ board to IRA volunteers Sean Loughran, Patrick Carty, Patrick Quinn, Patrick McDonald, Kevin Murray, Paddy Kelly, Patrick Vincent – either this one exactly or a re-print of it – is mounted periodically. It first appeared in 2010 to be replaced by the Clonoe Martyrs. It was back again in 2013 and has been in place since 2017.

See previously from Lisnahull: Ireland’s Hunger Strike Martyrs