Paddy Duffy Collection

Wildstroke

2025-03-162025-04-09Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The painting of electrical boxes began in earnest in Belfast in 2019 with the Belfast Canvas Project. The idea was also taken up in CNR west Belfast, though without the support of the Belfast Canvas Project.

The five shown here are in North Howard Link, Glen Road, Glen Road, Edenmore Drive, and Springhill Drive and the latter three reflect the ‘community’ theme that the boxes have had in CNR west Belfast – “deeds not words” is the motto of St Teresa’s primary, the second is from De La Salle secondary, and the last is of falling-down buildings (perhaps) inspired by the bombing of Gaza.

The first two (above – artist unknown – and immediately below – by Perla Mansour (web)), however, don’t fit with this theme and are more akin to the ape on Broadway and the abstract lines/clouds in Iveagh St.

For more on the painting of boxes in Belfast, see the Visual History page.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T06312 T06326 [T06327] T06328 T06331 T05881

A Box Of Crayons

2025-03-142025-04-09Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is a selection of east Belfast electrical boxes painted with street art.

Above: Face – emic (web) – Templemore Avenue

Below:

Beanie – ? – Portallo Street

Crayons – FGB (web) – Ladas Drive

Wasp – ?NRMN? – Castlereagh Street

Bee – NRMN (ig) – Castlereagh Street

Frog – ? – Mount Merrion Avenue

Be Glad – ? – Mount Merrion Avenue

Mole – ? – Mount Merrion Avenue

In Flight – Imogen Donegan (ig) – Albertbridge Road

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023/2024/2025 Paddy Duffy
T02824 T04277 T06285 T06286 T06287 T06289 T06290 T06291 T06315 [T06316]

Pink Moon Gonna Get You All

2025-03-142025-04-09Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is a selection of city centre electrical boxes, painted as part of the Belfast Canvas project, which first recruited artists to paint electrical boxes in 2019. For more on the painting of boxes in Belfast, see the Visual History page.

Above, Create – KinMx (web) – High Street.

Below:

Flowers In Hair – Emily Nayhree (ig) – High Street

Grim Reaper – ? – Gordon Street

Pink Moon Ghost Painter – Leo Boyd (web) – Dunbar Link

Band – David McMillan (web) – East Bridge Street

Murmuration – S Majury (web) – East Bridge Street

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T03563 T03564 T06350 T06351 T06298 T06314

Free Palestine

2025-03-142025-04-05Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

These electrical boxes are at the entrance to the Glencolin estate in west Belfast. The one above previously had an RSF stencil on it – see Restoration Of The Monarchy – but now bears an image of a Palestinian child in the ruins of Gaza flying a kite. (For the symbolism, see Tell My Story and My Kite You Made.

The arabic (“فلسطين”) reads “Palestine”.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
[T06320] T06321 T06322 T06323

Hands Off Palestine

2025-03-142025-08-13Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom are the stripes on an Israeli-flag-coloured snake that has Earth in its coils.

This is an RNU Belfast (Fb) mural in opposition to the Israeli invasion of Gaza.

Glen Road at Ramoan Gardens, west Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T06319 [T06318] T06317

Ag Croí An Phobaıl

2025-03-142025-03-28Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Gort Na Móna CLG (Fb) has been “at the heart of the [Turf Lodge] community”, inculcating “muıntearas, mısneach, féınluach, bród [friendship, bravery, self-esteem, pride]” in its young people “ó/since 1974”.

The text and emblem appear here against a montage of photographs over-washed in the club colours of maroon, saffron, and blue.

[A small typographic note: different fonts are used for the Irish on the left and the Irish in the middle; the font in the middle (correctly) lacks tittles/dots on the letter “ı”.]

Springfield Road, at the upper entrance to the estate and across the road from the electrical boxes seen in Lóıste Na Móna.

Marching Mental Health

2025-03-082025-04-05Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The shutters of the Peppercorn café on the Woodstock Road were painted with a WWI theme back in 2015 (In Flanders Fields) and were re-painted in late 2020.

The first panel (above) shows “our wee country” – Northern Ireland, on the occasion of its centenary.

The second features the “Light Of Foot” (web) programme supporting the mental health of bandsmen in Scotland and Northern Ireland. “Marching mental health”, “It’s okay to talk”.

The final panel reproduces (in reverse direction) John Singer Sergeant’s painting Gassed – for a photographic version, also in east Belfast, see Observe The Sons Of Ulster. “Their sacrifice, our freedom.”

Forever In Our Ranks

2025-03-082025-03-21Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This entry updates 2023’s Leaders Of Unionism Against Home Rule, which shows portraits of Carson, Crawford, and Craig, and describes their efforts in 1912, with creation of the Ulster Volunteers and the importing of arms into Larne and Donaghadee.

To the original board have been added the two plaques (shown above and immediately below), one on either side:

On the right: “In memory of our absent friends. Forever remembered by 1st East Belfast Mens, Cosy, East End and Laganville Somme groups. ‘They live in our hearts forever'”

On the left: “Jim Holt – forever remembered – forever in our ranks [of the UVF]. West End Somme Association, Glasgow.” There is a large board to Holt in Beechfield Street.

Isthmus Street, east Belfast

Soldiers Of The Republic

2025-03-062025-04-12Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“In our hearts your memory lives on”: the sixteen republicans executed in connection with the Easter Rising (in 1916) and the ten hunger strikers who died in the second (1981) hunger strike are remembered in a new board on Northumberland Street, west Belfast (Visual History).

64 republicans died during the Rising (An Phoblacht) and 3,500 arrested. 187 people were tried by court martial and 90 were found guilty and sentenced to death. Of these, 14 were executed over a period of ten days in May, 1916, including all seven of the signatories to the Proclamation (WP). Tomás Ceannt did not take part in the Rising; he was executed in Cork for shooting dead one of the RIC officers who were sent to round up the brothers Ceannt (WP). Roger Casement was executed in August, convicted of treason for attempting to smuggle weapons from Germany for use in the Rising. (Irish Times)

The sixteen are: Pádraıg Pearse, Thomas Clarke, Thomas McDonagh, Joseph Plunkett, Edward Daly, Michael O’Hanrahan, Willie Pearse, John Mac Bride, Eamonn Ceannt, Seán Heuston, Michael Mallin, Con Colbert, Tomás Ceannt, Seán Mac Dıarmada, James Connolly, Roger Casement.