Bluebells flower in April and May, which is also the time of year when foxes are frequently seen, foraging to support their new offspring (Discover Wildlife).
This Peaball (web) creation (with support from @daisychaininc) is on a wall at Ellie May’s restaurant (web) in Dunadry, outside Antrim.
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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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The UVF hooded gunmen mural in Mount Vernon, which “greets” drivers coming off the M2 at the Shore Road, has been damaged by Storm Darragh, which had winds of 90 m.p.h. and more, with the apex and a further 6 feet of masonry coming down. (Belfast Live gallery of NI damage | BBC gallery of UK storm damage.)
This wall is NIHE property (pdf) and the need for repair or reconstruction might delay any repainting of the mural.
The mural in this location dates back to 2001 (here are images from 2006 and 2012) and was touched up in 2022 (T01300 | X10660). The original mural – which dates back to the ceasefire era (1995) – was on a gable at the front of the estate but the entire block of houses was razed – see T00138 | D00382.
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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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This new Glengormley street art pays tribute to an elephant from Bellevue Zoo during WWII.
In response to the blitz of April 1941, thoughts turned to what might happen if the zoo was bombed. Thirty-three animals that would be dangerous to the public (if they escaped) were executed. A zoo-keeper, Denise Weston Austin, brought Sheila, an Asian elephant, to her home on the Whitewell Road, where she lived for several weeks, before being returned to the zoo in time for the bombing of May. (See WP for dates of the Belfast blitz.) For photographs of Sheila and Denise, and the tale of how Sheila’s absence was discovered, see Wartime NI.
By DanLeo (web), with DaisyChain (web).
Ballyclare Road (just below Moss Road) in Glengormley, Newtownabbey.
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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Thirty-seven Israeli bombs fall on the women and children of Gaza, targeted at “babies”, “doctors”, “families”, “mosques”, “school”, “everyone”.
On the left (below), cartoon character of resistance Handala (WP) carries the Palestinian flag.
Bóthar Chaıtríona, St James’s, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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“From the river to the sea Palestine will be free”
“The Dark Dreamer – The Silkie mural by Loretta Lizzio is a recreation of the oil painting “Dark Dreamer” by world-famous Irish artist Patrick Jones who lived here in the family home.”
Patrick J. Jones (web) grew up in Belfast before leaving for London, England, in 1984 and Brisbane, Australia, in 1997. Lizzio, (web), who is also from Australia, reproduced Jones’s original (Fb) on the side of the Stax coffee-shop on the Cliftonville Road, renaming it ‘The Silkie’, though it depicts a mermaid rather than one of the seal-folk; compare with KMG’s interpretation of the Selkie myth in the city centre.
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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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The rosette at the centre of the poppy wreath shows the UK armed services badge (with the crown overlaid by the Ulster Banner) surrounded by a verse from Binyon’s ‘For The Fallen’ and “Tiger’s Bay – York Street – Sailortown loyal”. That group’s Facebook page is private and no home-page seems to be available for ‘North Belfast Friends Of The Somme’.
North Queen Street, Tiger’s Bay, Belfast, at the old Lewis Street.
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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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The new Grand Central Station opened at the beginning of September, replacing both Victoria Street train station and the Glengall Street bus station. The artwork outside the station (shown here) was completed by Dee Craig (Fb), depicting the rail-yards and mills of old Belfast, and physicist (and Belfast native) John Stewart Bell (WP).
One knock-on effect of the new station was that the tracks begin west of the Boyne Bridge and it is due to be dismantled – see Battle Of The Boyne Bridge.
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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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This is a second piece of street art by Dan Kitchener (web) in Bank Square, next to his painting of fast cars (Fast Enough So We Can Fly Away?): a painting of Jesus Of Nazareth for Hope/Crown Jesus Ministries (web).
Replaces JMK’s The Whisper And The Wish.
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This is a new mural to UVF volunteers (l-r) Robert McIntyre, William Hannah, James McGregor, Robert Wadsworth, and Thomas Chapman, who were killed between 1973 and 1978. Compared to the previous mural, the volunteers generally present a more relaxed appearance, lacking their jackets and parkas, though still brandishing a wide variety of weapons.
It is not clear who the two gentlemen in the top, wearing vintage UVF arm-bands, are.
Carnan (or “C. Coy”) Street in the Shankill. For the mural to the left (to Joe Coggle and Paul McClelland) see S. Company, C. Company.
Prepped for the launch:
July 7th: The plaster was taken back to the brick and then re-plastered and painted before the mural was added.
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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Friendly faces by Aches (web) on the side of the “Sandy Row” Holiday Inn, officially in Hope Street/Bruce Street, but more familiarly above the car-park where the Twelfth bonfire has previously taken place, starting in 2016 – see Stuff We Don’t Need – and continuing into 2024 – see News Letter.
October 20th:
October 13th:
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Paddy Duffy Collection 