“How cool is it that the same God that created oceans and mountains and galaxies looked at you and thought the world needed one you too”, “Be the light”, “God is love”, “Let your light shine”.
Uplifting religious messages in Sixmilewater Park, below Main Street, Ballyclare.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07248 T07249 T07250 T07251 T07252 T07253
The memorial wall in Erskine Park, Ballyclare, marked the 80th anniversary of VE Day – May 8th, 2025 – with a pair of printed boards wrapping around the corner of the low wall.
For views of the gable and the low wall with armed-forces emblems and plaques to Girvan and Erskine, see The Men From Ballyclare.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07243 T07244 T07247
Modern UVF volunteers in balaclavas stand with heads bowed on either side of the Ulster Tower in Thiepval, standing among orange lilies and red poppies.
On the left the 10th Scottish Rifles (AWM) commence a raid, below the emblem of the Ulster Volunteer Force, and on the right, the Royal Fusiliers appear to march off to war in a press photograph (Flickr), below the emblem of the 36th (Ulster) Division.
In Grange Drive, Ballyclare, on the same as wall, and using part of the frame from, a previous UDA board: Young Guns.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07241 T07242
RJ “Mickey” Wilson (d. 2022) joins Robert Bennett, Joe Long, Milky Cordner, and Squeak Seymour in the UVF memorial garden in Fraser’s Pass. Wilson is also remembered in Ballybeen – see Armed And Ready Again. The other four are remembered in an adjacent mural – see East Belfast UVF.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07240 T07239 [T07238] T07237
Sightings of seals in the Lagan go back to the late 80s (DCTours) and became so much a part of the city’s culture that they (under the singular familiar ‘Sammy the seal’ standing in for multiple individuals and generations) have been celebrated in a set of three sculptures on Donegall Quay near the Big Fish (geograph | Belfast Live). Joining the sculptures is a new piece of street art by HMC (web), painted for Hit The North 2025 on an exterior wall of the Laganside bus centre.
In-progress images … May 3rd:
May 2nd:
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07234
T06623 [T06622]
T06599c [T06598] T06600
Six memorial plaques to members of the UVF’s 1st battalion (West Belfast), D company (Ballysillan) have been re-instated and two new one added alongside the 100 Years Of Conflict boards at Carr’s Glen. The plaques to Bingham, Phillips, McEvoy, the “officers and volunteers”, Stewart, and Taylor were on the old UVF mural on this wall (see the Peter Moloney Collection); the two new ones are to Kenny Howie and to Scottish supporters.
Left:
“Lt Col John Dowey Bingham killed by the enemies of Ulster 14th September 1986. Remembered by officers and members of the 1st Batt D Coy Ballysillan. Lest we forget” [(WP)]
“In memory of Major Patrick McEvoy. Lest we forget”
“In memory of Kenny Howie 21.4.1977 – 8.4.2013. Lest we forget”
“In proud memory of the officers and volunteers of D Company 1st Battalion Ulster Volunteer Force. For God and Ulster”.
Right:
“In memory of Major Thomas Stewart. Lest we forget” [d. 1996 in a dispute over money (Irish Times | BelTel)
“In memory of Martin Chin Taylor. Lest we forget” [d. 2000 killed by the LVF (BBC)]
“In proud memory of Volunteer David (Davey) Phillips, taken by cowards Sunday 12th July 1998. Sadly missed by his friends and comrades of ‘D’ Company Ballysillan. Lest we forget” [possibly d. 1998 (BelTel)]
“In memory of fallen volunteers 1st Battalion D. Company Ulster Volunteer Force Scotland”
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07228 T07229 T07230
“Óglach Kevin Hannaway, Irish Republican Army, hooded man. Unbowed & unbroken. Ar dheıs Dé go raıbh a anam.”
Kevin Hannaway died in January (2025), aged 77. In 1971 he was interned (Belfast Media) and subjected, along with thirteen others, to the “five techniques” – deprivation of food/drink and of sleep, subjection to noise, prolonged stress positions, and hooding (WP) – as well as being beaten and dropped out of a helicopter (Irish Times). The ‘five techniques’ were found to constitute torture in 2021 (RTÉ) and the PSNI apologised to the victims in 2023 (BBC | Irish Legal News).
Hannaway remained a republican throughout his life and was anti-Agreement in recent years (BBC). The board in Hannaway’s honour was launched on Sunday July 13th (Fb video). The panels of the board were siezed by the PSNI during a drug raid on a home in St James’s on the 11th but returned the next day (BelTel).
“IRPWA [web]. Republican prisoners still exist! Unfinished revolution. Unbowed, unbroken.”
Hugo Street, west Belfast. For a close-up of the Pearse Jordan plaque on the left, see the Peter Moloney Collection.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07232 T07233 T07231
“On the 9th of July 1972, during the IRA ceasefire, local families began moving into their new homes in Lenadoon but were obstructed by British Occupation Forces who opened fire with rubber bullets and, using a “Sixer” Saracen Armoured Personnel Carrier, rammed a McQuillan’s Quarry lorry carrying furniture and belongings as rioting took place across the district. Seamus Twomey, then the IRA Belfast Brigade OC, ended the ceasefire, ordering local IRA units to engage British Forces. Raging gun battles overwhelmed the British for several days, as the IRA liberated most of Lenadoon.”
The captions to the photographs along the top read (l-r): “British Forces fire projectiles at families moving into their new homes”, “A “Sixer” rams a McQuillan lorry, forcing it off the road”, “Seamus Twomey, IRA Belfast Brigade OC, ordered local units to engage the British”, “An IRA Volunteer takes up position in a nearby street”, “An armed IRA volunteer in Lenadoon in the 1970s, Carrigart flats”, “Local families evacuate Lenadoon as thousands march to Casement Park”, “Local homes bare [bear] the scars of war”.
For background, see this 24 minute Thames TV report (on youtube) about the dispute over houses in Lenadoon; RTÉ also has footage (one | two) of the evacuation.
“In proud & loving memory of all those who contributed to the struggle for Irish freedom – Léana An Dúın – Beıdh sıad ınár gcuımhne choíche”
Lenadoon Avenue, west Belfast, replacing the 1995 Gorta Mór mural. Launched Sunday July 12th.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07225 T07226 T07224 T07227
The growth-stages of the flax plant, from seedling to flower are illustrated from right to left on four unused shop-fronts along Linenhall Street, Belfast (next to the British Heart Foundation mural).
The official title of the piece, painted by Visual Waste (web) and sponsored by the Linen Quarter BID (web) is “Seeding Success”. After flowering, the plant produces fruit/capsules which contain seeds (WP image).
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07216 T07217 T07218 T07219 T07220
Three plaques at the Ballynafeigh Apprentice Boys social club on Blackwood Street:
“In loving memory of Allison Jane Smith – you’re missed so much by so many who knew you in Ballynafeigh”, “Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Northern Ireland – Northern Ireland centennial 3rd May 2021”, “In memory of all our past members”.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07208
Paddy Duffy Collection 