This is a mural of a painting of a mural of a mural. The original is the piece by Terry Bradley (web) and Friz (web) at the Titanic museum’s pub (see Dockers’ Rest), which was then reproduced in a different colour for the opening montage of the Kenneth Branagh film Belfast. The success of the film prompted the Department Of Justice to commission Bradley for a painting that could be turned into a mural and he reproduced the film version (BelTel). The mural that enlarges that painting was painted by DMC on Lanark Way, just above the security gates (Belfast Live).
“The dockers who feature in the painting are inspired by real characters and men Terry remembers walking home from the shipyard when he was a child. These hardworking men from Sailortown, Belfast, show a glimpse into the past of the shipyard pubs, where the men congregated after a hard day’s work.”
Here are two boards outside the Ulster Rangers Supporters Club (Fb) on the Shankill Road.
The upper one features a tram going under an Orange arch between the public baths on one side an Spin-A-Disc records on the other, surrounded by notable figures from the Shankill area.
Many thanks to Johnny Dougan of Shankill Area Social History (Fb) for the information below! Please e-mail or add a comment with additions or corrections.
Front, from left to right: Manchester United and Northern Ireland Soccer player Norman Whiteside (WP) and behind him boxer Davy Larmour and community worker Saidie Patterson (see WRDA), boxer Sammy (Cisco) Cosgrove, Senator Charlie McCullough (WP), Tommy Henderson, boxer Jimmy Warnock (original photograph here), Hugh Smyth (see previously Third Class Citizens), artist William Conor (see previously Conor’s Corner, Jack Henning (running), musician Belter Bell, writer Albert Haslett (Northern Visions interview).
Atop the tram: on the left is Jackie Redpath of the Save the Shankill Campaign (note other members of the group with placard on right; Northern Visions has a documentary about the Save The Shankill campaign) and Jack Higgins holding his book The Eagle Has Landed (WP). Up there too is Miss Sands, the music teacher in the Girls Model School, and historian Bobby Foster (Northern Visions interview). On the stairs are May Blood MBE and above her D.I. Nixon.
The lower board highlights the roles played by women during WWI as nurses and welders and in the Land Army. “She hasn’t a sword and she hasn’t a gun. But she’s doing her duty now fighting’s begun.” The forces are shown gathered outside the West Belfast Orange Hall, on the Shankill at Brookmount Street.
The Shankill Somme Association’s garden of reflection has added a number of new boards.
The board shown above is JP Beadle’s painting “Battle of the Somme: Attack of the Ulster Division”, which hangs in Belfast City Hall (militaryprints.com). It replaces a painting of a soldier in a field of poppies, seen in The Great War.
To its left is John Singer Sargent’s painting “Gassed”, showing the “aftermath of an indiscriminate mustard gas attack on British forces during the Battle of Arras 21st August 1918” (which also forms a part of a memorial in east Belfast) with the GK Chesterton quote “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is front of him, but because he loves what is behind him”.
Also new – and somewhat out of place – is the Northern Ireland Centenary board featuring James Craig: “It would be rather interesting for historians of the future to compare a Catholic state launched in the south with a Protestant state launched in the north and to see which gets on the better and prospers the more”. There are other “floreat Ultona” boards/murals in the Village (focusing on the B Specials and UDR) and in Rathcoole (where “Ulster welcomes her King and Queen”).
There are also three insignia on the gates (compare with M05717), to the Royal Navy, the Ulster Volunteer Medical & Nursing Corps, and the Royal Flying Corp.
Previously (c. 2017), the undead soldiers of We Shall Not Sleep were replaced with an image of the Cross Of Sacrifice memorial – the original is in Ypres, Belgium but there is also one in the City Cemetery – see One In Design And Intention. At the same time, the poppy plaques for individual local soldiers and the image of the Menin Gate were also added.
The Flanders Field board appears to have survived since 2012 – see Somme Memorial.
The final image below shows the new stone surround for the main memorial. See (again) Somme Memorial.
These three panels form a single installation at the top (Woodvale) end on the Shankill Road. The one above celebrates the ties between Belfast and the Stirling & District Campsie Club, a branch of one of the associated clubs of the Apprentice Boys Of Derry. It features the cannon “Roaring Meg” (“presented by the Fishmongers Company of London 1642″) which is used as the seal for the club, the club’s flag which includes a red hand of Ulster, the key to the gates, and the emblem and coat of arms of the Apprentice Boys.
“Formed on the 2nd May 1987 we have been at the forefront of loyalist culture in our area since then and were the first club in Scotland to have a Battle of the Somme Commemoration Parade. Since our inauguration we have formed many friendships with our brethren and bands from the province many of which are still active today. For many years the club has participated with Belfast Campsie Club at the closing of the gates parade in December. We have through the years had great affinity with the many bands from Belfast some who are unfortunately no longer with us. The club would like to thank the people of Belfast for their support and friendship through the years and to the people of the Shankill for giving us the privilege of this murals. No surrender.
The Campsie Club is the only Apprentice Boys Club to be named after one of the “Brave 13″. It is persumed presumed that Henry Campsie was the first man to shed blood in the Defence of Londonderry. Campsie was the inspiration behind the Shutting of the Gates and was severely wounded whilst leading his associates to secure the City Magazine and armoury. The emblem of the Roaring Meg was adopted as the Seal of the new club.”
The middle panel celebrates the Stirling Protestant Boys Flute Band and its association with the Shankill Road: “Stirling Protestant Boys Flute Band [Fb] were formed in February 2003 and to this day take part in parades across Scotland, England and Northern Ireland. The band has a great connection with our friends from Belfast, especially those from the Greater Shankill area. In November 2012 Stirling Protestant Boys were presented with the battle honours of the Young Citizen Volunteers and the 36th (Ulster) Division. The band would like to thank the people of the Shankill Road for their continued support.”
The third celebrates the Apprentice Boys contains a long description of the Shutting Of The Gates in December 1688 and the Siege Of Derry, which was ended with the breaking of the boom of the river Foyle in July 1689.
“The Woodvale Blitz occurred when German air raids took place during the spring of 1941. The first raid took place on April 7th/8th, the next raid came at Easter on April 15th/16th, the 3rd air raid would come on the May 4th/5th and the final air raid would take place May 5th/6th. These attacks on the city would result in over 1,000 civilians being killed and 1,5000 injured. This was the highest casualty rate of any air raids outside London during the Second World War. It was in these streets that the Woodvale area was indiscriminately attacked resulting in the total devastation of Heather Street, Ohio Street, Palmer Street and Disraeli Street resulting in the loss of many lives injuring 100’s more, most of those lives lost were families who had lived in the area for generations. The effects of the air raids and the devastation caused would last for many years to come.” The names of 79 victims are given on the right (see close-up below).
“The Woodvale Blitz April-May 1941. ‘But for the loyalty of Northern Ireland we should have been confronted with slavery and death and the light which now shines so strongly throughout the world would have been quenched’ – Prime Minister Winston Churchill 1945. We remember those who were killed, those who survived and those lives changed forever.”
This printed display celebrates the creation of the Woodvale Defence Association as “Defenders of our community since 1969” which in 1971 merged with other associations to form the UDA, whose youth wing is the UYM (lower middle, “terrae filius” = “sons of the soil”) and which uses “UFF” (upper left, “feriens ego” = “attack to defend”) as a cover for military operation. The final emblem is of the LPA (Loyalist Prisoners’ Association, “quis separabit” = “none shall separate us”). The mural replaced by this one is in the bottom left, while the bottom right contains an image of Long Kesh in 1979. The main photograph is of a 1972 march on the Shankill.
On the side-wall, lines from Laurence Binyon’s poem For The Fallen of WWI are used: “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old/Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun/And in the morning we shall remember them.”
Both pieces are a combination of printed poster and attached boards.
Joe Coggle and Paul McClelland were arrested as they sat with weapons in a car on the Falls Road in 1991; they were jailed for 18 years (Independent) but released under the Agreement. The Sunday World also report that the pair were involved in the killing of David Braniff in 1989. Both UVF men are said to be deceased; Coggle died in September.
Coggle had previously served 18 months for running over and killing Elizabeth Masterson in Beechmount in 1986 and her descendants objected to the mural (Irish News | BBC).
S Company was a predecessor to C Company; it existed from 1969 to 1974, when C Company was formed (see M08105 for an older S Coy – C Coy mural in Ballygomartin). A previous UVF uzi can be seen in M01186.
For the mural of five volunteers to the right (in the wide shot), see C Coy Street.
Here are five in a row on Donegall Street, in Belfast city centre, plus one from the other side of the street. Above is a 2018 piece by Alice Pasquini called ‘Glide’. The others are by … Bust (2022) Glen Molloy (2017) Glen Molloy (2020?) Lobster Robin (2022) StarFighterA (2015)
Seating under a roof has (unfortunately) been added in front of and below the Jim Larkin statue at the ICTU offices in Donegall Street Place. For images of the whole mural and statue of Larkin, see Till Labour Knows No Master.
Paddy Duffy Collection 