These painted dandelions can be found outside the Cedar Tree florist in Ballyclare but their real counterparts can presumably not be found inside: According to Biodiversity Ireland (pdf), the dandelion is found almost everywhere on the island and is a species of “least concern”.
By Imogen Donegan (ig) in Main Street, Ballyclare.
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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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Art on the shutters of Carbon Muse (ig) in Wellington Street, Ballymena
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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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Street art by emic (web) and Alana Barton (web) in Pat’s Brae, Ballymena
The pair also collaborated on a piece that they called Ida in Carrickfergus.
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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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“Talk mental health” Mental-health board from Turning Point NI (web) in Mill Street, Ballymena, with the number for Lifeline.
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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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Commercial art on the shutters of Flowerworks in Mill Street, Ballymena
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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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Here are two long panels of images of the sights and activities in and around Ballymena (below some advertising for TeamKit) in the car-park between Ballymoney Street and Broughshane Street.
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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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This well-equipped rock-climber was painted by Peaball (web) on the side of Outdoor Adventure, which sells climbing gear, with assistance from DaisyChain (web) and the Department for Communities (web).
Church Street, Ballymena
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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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These shutters of a solicitor’s office in Mill Street, Ballymena, are painted with a view of the street from around the turn of the (20th) century.
The original photograph, by photographer Robert French, can be seen in the National Library Of Ireland. French died in 1917, which provides an upper limit for the date of the scene.
In the misty distance is the tower of St Patrick’s (CI) church (WP) and closer to the camera (on the right of the left-hand panel) is the steeple on top of the old town hall, which was built in 1684 (one of the old “seven towers” in the town) and rebuilt in 1928 (WP).
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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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The Braid River rises in the Antrim hills between Carnlough and The Sheddings. It then flows (west) past Broughshane and Ballymena before joining the Maine and flowing into Lough Neagh. The river is at the centre of this new piece of street art by Shane O’Driscoll (ig) in Ballymoney Street, Ballymena.
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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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The Flamingo Ballroom was open from 1960 to 1980 and the building was demolished in 2017 (BBC | BelTel) but it is fondly remembered by fans who got to see some of the biggest names in rock and pop, including the Rolling Stones, Chubby Checker, the Everly Brothers, Thin Lizzie, Rory Gallagher, and Pink Floyd, as well as Irish showbands (here is the bill from September 1961).
Here is an image of a sax player with local band the Cossacks with the tall flamingo inside the club – and this provides the inspiration for this street art by Woskerski (web).
Greenvale Street, Ballymena. (The face in the window in the image above belongs to the Goose Herder opposite.)
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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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Paddy Duffy Collection 