Ulster’s Brave Young Men

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The background to the Avenue Road “Memorial to the 36th (Ulster) Division and to other men of Ulster who served in the Great War 1914 – 1918” has been repainted in the purple and orange of the UVF and the wall simplified by the removal of two smaller boards to each side of the main board (above) which shows soldiers looking out over the edge of a WWI trench. (For the the previous boards, see the Peter Moloney Collection.)

The seat is dedicated to “Jack”, an 11-year-old member of the Avenue Road Memorial flute band who died in 2019 (News Letter), with boxing gloves and emblem of the NI soccer association. 2 Timothy 4:7 says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Avenue Road, Lurgan

The final image is of a board in nearby King’s Park Mews to a soldier who died on “the homefront” – Dublin during the 1916 Rising – Second Lieutenant James Howard Calvert of the 6th Royal Irish Rifles. Calvert lived at 41 Avenue Road, Lurgan.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07790 T07791 T07792 T07789
T07793

Mythical Andersonstown

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here are five mythological figures placed against a backdrop of Celtic Ireland, including standing stones, a dolmen, a stone circle, and the Janus figure on Boa Island (WP), from the wall of the PD/Cumann Sóısıalta Bhaıle Andarsan.

At least four of the five are copies of Jim Fitzpatrick paintings. From top to bottom (right to left on the wall) we see the figures from Breas ⁊ Cú Brea (which was long ago a mural in Derry), Medb Of Connacht, Nuada Journeys To The Underworld (seen in Nuada, Nuada Reborn, and elsewhere), a warrior-woman with spear (get in touch if you know the source), and The Coming Of Lugh (previously a mural in Ardoyne).

See also the Visual History page on The Influence Of Jim Fitzpatrick.

South Link, Andersonstown, west Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07775 T07776 T07777 T07778 T07779 T07780 T07781 T07782

At The Graveside Of Cú Chulaınn We’ll Kneel Around And Pray

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Oliver Sheppard’s statue of Cú Chulaınn dying – see the Cú Chulaınn Visual History page – memorialises nine IRA volunteers from the Lenadoon area, whose names are listed on the scrolls to each side and whose portraits appear in the apex: Tony Henderson, John Finucane, Brendan O’Callaghan, Joe McDonnell, Laura Crawford, Maıréad Farrell, Patricia Black, Bridie Quinn. Below the statue are the shields of the four provinces and the words “Léana An Dúın – unbowed, unbroken” and “saoırse” [freedom].

The mural dates back to 1996 (see T00160) and was repainted in 2009 (see M05134) and c. 2014 (see M11028, which includes a close-up of the plaque added in 2009.) In this version, nothing has changed in the composition of the mural and the photographic portraits and the Easter Rising centenary board have been retained.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07784 T07785 T07786 T07787 T07788

St James’s Community Farm

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

St James’s Community Farm/Feırm Phobaıl Naomh Séamus (web | Fb) started in 2015 with a dozen hens; it is now home to 38 animals, produces vegetables and eggs, and collects cans for recycling.

Belfast Media recently profiled the farm (in print) and is producing a series of short videos about the farm: one | two | three (on youtube).

Rodney Parade, St James’s, west Belfast, replacing the Garden Of Hope mural, and next to St James’s Youth.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07769 T07770

Maritime Festival

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The Belfast Maritime Festival (web) included a paint-jam on a hoarding around one of the construction projects in Titanic Quarter (web), with work by (top to bottom, left to right on the hoarding) Conor McClure (ig), Zippy (web), Danni Simpson (web), Lost Lines (ig), Mo (Imogen Donegan) (ig), FGB (web), HMC (web), Karl Fenz (web), KVLR (web), Ana Fish (web)

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07747 T07748 [T07749] T07750 T07751 T07752 T07753 T07754 T07755 T07756 [T07757] T07758 [T07759] T07760 [T07761] T07762
T07745 T07746