From D-Day To VE Day

39 Allied divisions – 12 of them British – participated in the Normandy Landings – officially “Operation Neptune” – that took place on June 6th, 1944; in planning for the operation, the original “D-Day” was June 5th, but bad weather postponed it until the following day, when 160,000 troops stormed the beaches of the Bay Of The Seine. By the end of August, Paris had been liberated, and by the following May, victory in Europe had been achieved. 2024 was the eightieth anniversary of D-Day and 2025 the eightieth anniversary of VE Day, on May 8th.

This D-Day board and VE Day mural are in Edlingham Street, Tiger’s Bay, north Belfast. Also included below is a WWI memorial electrical box in Mervue Street, though as can be seen from the board (immediately below) the ‘graveside mourner’ silhouette is becoming a generic symbol of lost UK forces.

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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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VE Day Celebrations

The eightieth anniversary of VE (“Victory In Europe”) Day is May 8th. Commemorative events in Belfast include a walking tour of the city centre (City Council) and a dance on the HMS Belfast (IWM); for events elsewhere in Northern Ireland, see VE-VJDay80. Pubs will be open for an extra two hours (until 1 a.m.) on the day.

Shore Road, north Belfast. For the monument and the “Lest We Forget” board in the background, see Remembrance Sunday.

See also: VE Day | The Shankill Remembers VE Day | From D-Day To VE Day

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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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Óglach Bobby Sands

“Óglach Bobby Sands 9th March 1954 – 5th May 1981”. Sands was the first of the ten IRA and INLA prisoners to die in the second hunger strike. For the 44th anniversary of his death, a statue was unveiled in Twinbrook, near the Sands family home and next to the memorial garden in Gardenmore Road (Peter Moloney Collection).

The statue was created by Packy Adams (Belfast Media | Irish News) and appears to be based on the photographs by Gérard Harlay – discovered in 2019 – of Sands carrying a United Irishmen flag in a march that took place a few months before his (final) arrest in 1976 (Bobby Sands Trust). The new statue (which does not have planning permission) has a built-in flag-pole, to which an Irish Tricolour was added for the launch on May 4th.

May 3rd:

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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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HTN 2025 – Library Street

Here is a gallery of pieces from Library Street, painted for 2025’s Hit The North street art festival (Seedhead Arts).

From left to right (top to bottom in appearance here):
Rob Hilken (web)
NOYS (ig) official title “Auditor”
writing by TMN
Ajax Piper (web) from England
Claire Prouvost (web) from Dublin
Ohhi Ohno (ig) from Limerick
[writers]

May 4th:

May 3rd:

May 2nd:

May 3rd:

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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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2025 HTN – Kent Street

Here is a gallery of pieces from Kent Street, painted for 2025’s Hit The North street art festival (Seedhead Arts).

From top to bottom in appearance here, the works are by …

(North side of the street:)
Luck (ig) from Thailand (above and immediately below)
unknown
Karl Fenz (web)
My Dog Sighs (web)
Sanchai (ig) from Thailand
unknown
DanLeo (web)
unknown
(South side of the street:)
Mel Carroll (web)
Jacky Sheridan (web)
SillyMe (ig)
Glen Molloy (Fb)
Gabriela Joyce (web)
Alexandra (ig)
Danni Simpson (web)
FGB (web) + Katriona (web
Jam (ig)
Imogen Donegan (ig)
KVLR (web)
Lost Lines (ig)
JMK
(Above Union St:)
David McMIllan (web)
unknown
Holly Pereira (web)
Hicks (ig)

south side:

May 5th, vandalised after completion:

May 6th, re-finished:

May 5th, vandalised after completion:

May 6th, re-finished:

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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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HTN 2025 – Union Street

Here is a gallery of pieces from Union Street, painted for 2025’s Hit The North street art festival (Seedhead Arts). From left to right (top to bottom in this entry), the works are by:

FESA (ig) from Munch
SNAK (ig)
Ona Salvador (web)
ADW (ig)
Molly Hankinson (web)
Kerrie Hanna (web)
(below Kent St)
Shane Ha (web)
Kayde (web)
Alana McDowell (ig)
Niall OL (ig)
NRMN (ig)
Keyto (ig)
Codo (ig)
Leo Boyd (web)
Conor McClure (ig)
KAYOS (ig)
JunkGraff (ig) + Sinead Crumlish (ig)
and, on the other side of the street, Sky High (ig)

May 1st:

work-in-progress May 3rd:

May 4th:

May 3rd:

Below Kent St:

May 1st:

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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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below:
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