painted wall

Lesbians Are Everywhere

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This is a fake mural, painted for the film The Most Fertile Man In Ireland (O’Connell 2005) which is set in Belfast. The mural doesn’t seem to have made the final cut but there’s another fake mural – Gloria Hunniford and Robert Emmet together in a frame of Celtic knot-work – at 7m40s, and another at 52m44s. You can play ‘spot the location’ for yourself by watching the film on youtube.

This one combines the Union Flag, Irish tricolour, Ulster Banner, and shape of the UVF emblem, with portraits of Ellen DeGeneres, Billy Jean King, KD Laing and Queen Elizabeth I.

(h/t Jonathan McCormick – Album 8)

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 1999 Paddy Duffy
T00345

James Buchanan

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“”My Ulster blood is my most priceless heritage …” – James Buchanan 15th US president 1857-1861″. This is the first of the murals in the “From pioneers to presidents” series to be painted in Belfast, depicting James Buchanan. Three murals had already been painted in Londonderry, to Theodore Roosevelt, James Buchanan (which contains more information about Buchanan and his heritage), and George Washington.

The words along the bottom read, “250,000 Ulster Scots emigrated to America in the 1700s and were the driving force behind the American Revolution.”

The small plaque to the right reads, “Shankill Ulster-Scots Cultural Society. The Buchanan Mural. This mural was dedicated to the memory of those early Ulster-Scots emigrants by Ms Jane Benton Fort, US Consul General, on Thursday November 4th, 1999. Sae monie hairts gaed far frae hame – bot ilka yin oor ain fowk [So many hearts went far from home – but every one [is/remains] our own folk]. This project was funded by Belfast City Council and Making Belfast Work.”

See the Visual History page on Ulster-Scots Murals.

Ainsworth Street, Woodvale, west Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 1999 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
T01196

UVF 2nd Battalion A Company Donegall Road

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“In loving memory of fallen volunteers [from the] Ulster Volunteer Force Belfast Brigade, Donegall Road 2nd Battalion, A Coy”. The two plaques unfortunately cannot be read.

The side wall shows volunteers with lowered weapons flanking a memorial “In proud and loving memory of Vol. Stevie McCrea, Friend Sammy Mehaffy”.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 1999 Paddy Duffy
T00445

Leana An Dúın Unbowed Unbroken

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The dying Cú Chulaınn (as portrayed in bronze by Oliver Sheppard, in a statue installed in the GPO in 1935) is used as a symbol for the locals from Lenadoon area of west Belfast who fought for freedom (“saoırse”): Tony Henderson, John Finucane, Brendan O’Callaghan, Joe McDonnell, Laura Crawford, Maıréad Farrell, Patricia Black, Bridie O’Neill (subsequently changed to Bridie Quinn).

There were originally portraits of all nine people in the apex when the mural was launched in 1996, but only three remain.

See also the Cú Chulaınn Visual History page.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 1999 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
T00109 T00160