From The Plough To The Stars

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The source of James Connolly’s quote involving the phrase “from the plough to the stars” is unknown, on-line, at least. As a result, there is no definitive version of it. Here it is given as “The Irish people will only be free when they own everything from the plough to the stars” but more reliable sources – though still without citation – give it as “A free Ireland will control its own destiny from the plough to the stars” (RTÉ | People’s World). Whatever its exact nature, the remark might have been in the context of explaining the use of the plough in the stars, the Starry Plough, Ursa Major, for the flag of the Irish Citizen Army (History Ireland).

The Starry Plough currently serves as a symbol of the IRSP (web). The painting shown above is on an electrical box in St James’s Park (near the new Connolly centre); the other painting, below, which might still be in progress, is outside the IRSP’s Costello House on the Falls Road

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Millbrook Arch

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The Millbrook arch has three panels: “36th (Ulster) Division, Battle Of The Somme, 7:30 am 1st July 1916”; the Clyde Valley (Mountjoy II) “The SS Clyde Valley achieved notoriety for its role in the Larne gun-running operation 24th-25th April 1914”; “Sir Edward Carson signing the Ulster Covenant, Belfast City Hall 28th September 1912”.

Drumahoe Gardens, Larne

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Under Ben Madigan

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Here are four north Belfast landmarks that are still standing in the shadow of Cavehill, though not all of them are in great shape. From left to right:

Chapel Of The Resurrection (as seen from Innisfayle Park – Street View), originally built in the 1860s as part of the Belfast Castle estate and from 1938 until 1972 a (public) Church Of Ireland chapel (WP), after which it was left derelict until recently being turned into luxury apartments (Property News) as part of “Donegall Park Gardens”;

the Bellevue steps (official title, the “Grand Floral Staircase”) – the currently overgrown steps and a vintage photograph of the steps in happier times can be seen in Everyone Wants To Eat – leading to Floral Hall, which now provides storage space for the zoo – full history at ‘Lord Belmont’ | BelTel;

Belfast Castle;

(perhaps) the former Fortwilliam Park Presbyterian on the Antrim Road (News Letter | BelTel) – once Belfast’s tallest spire (BelTel) – which in 2019 became Immaculate Heart Of Mary/Eaglaıs An Ċroí Ṁuıre Gan Smál (web) saying only the (Catholic) Latin mass.

The art is on the walls of UPS estate agents’ at the top of Cavehill Road, north Belfast, by Danni Simpson (web) and Karl Fenz (web), who also did the swan, the fox, and the squirrel on other local establishments.

In 2003 there was “Shove ur dove” was graffiti-ed on the shutters.

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Anatomy Of Oppression

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In May and June, Palestinian artist Taqi Spateen (web | ig) toured various cities in England and Scotland (Leeds, Glasgow, Bristol, Stroud, London) as part of the Bethlehem Cultural Festival, producing a wall-painting at each stop. Thereafter, he came to Belfast, where he painted three pieces, beginning with this small piece on the side of the Sunflower bar in Kent Street, showing a person with a head encased in concrete trying to hammer themselves free.

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Never Forget, Always Remember

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The grenade at the heart of the ‘Grenadier’ emblem is an old spherical grenade, with a spout of fire; the classic “pin-and-pineapple” design dates to 1915 (WP Mills Bomb). Various regiments then put a symbol on the surface of the grenade (see e.g. East Belfast Volunteers); here, the Ulster Grenadiers flute band (Fb) have added Carrickfergus castle flying a Union Flag to the grenade at the centre of a new board erected on June 7th, 2024 (youtube video of the launch).

The battles listed on either side of the central emblem are battles in which the 36th Division took part, though by that time, grenadiers were not a specialised unit and each infantry platoon (of about 60 men – Schilling) would have both hand-grenade and rifle-grenade sections (Reddit) equipped with 100+ grenades (The World War).

For the 3rd battalion of the Ulster Volunteers, see The Central Antrim Regiment.

St Bride’s Street, Carrickfergus, next to and dwarfing the community mural seen in Meditate – Don’t Medicate.

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It’s Coming Back

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“Welcome to Carrickfergus, a host town of “The Twelfth” 2024. It’s coming back to our home town. Join us on “The Twelfth” to help celebrate the 334th anniversary of The Battle of the Boyne.”

Carrickfergus was one of nineteen host towns for Twelfth “demonstrations” this year (GOLI); the parade went from the top of Sunnylands, through the town, and out to the grounds of the rugby club (GOLI). “It’s coming back” is perhaps in reference to the fact that Carrickfergus is the town where William III landed in 1690 before making his way to Belfast, Lisburn, and the Boyne – see June 14th, 1690.

Irish Gate roundabout, Carrickfergus

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The Landing

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The image above is of William III landing at Brixham in Devon, England, but the central panel (immediately below) and the fake “blue plaque” celebrate the 1690 landing of William at Carrickfergus. The postcard reproduced in the central panel, as well as an old Londonderry mural which also reproduced it, can be seen in the Peter Moloney collection. For details of the landing, and William’s subsequent travels to Whitehouse, Belfast, Lisburn, and the Boyne, see June 14th, 1690.

In Lancasterian Street, replacing a board marking the death of Prince Philip in 2022.

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Stop The Genocide – Save Palestine

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“From the river to the sea Palestine will be free.” The South Link, Andersonstown, murals seen recently (at end of March) in Though An Army Besiege Me, My Heart Will Not Fear have already been repainted, switching images of Israeli weapons for the images of death, suffering, and destruction seen here. According to the Al Jazeera tracker, the Palestinian death toll is approaching 40,000, with almost 90,000 injured.

Also in South Link: Humanitarian Intervention. For a mural of body-bags, see Another Martyr In The Earth.

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To Whom Do We Owe Our Allegiance Today?

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The “hills” and “green fields” in which Kieran Doherty and Joe McDonnell grew up were the streets of the Falls and Andersonstown. By the age of 17 and 19, respectively, their tramping grounds were reduced by internment to cells in Long Kesh and HMS Maidstone; both of them were arrested in 1976 during (separate) IRA bombing missions and ultimately died in the 1981 hunger strike, McDonnell on July 8th, Doherty on August 2nd. (IRIS | Long Kesh)

This trio of RNU (Fb) boards commemorating the pair and the other 1981 hunger strikers is in Bingnian Drive, in Andersonstown – the ten deceased strikers are shown between the words to Luke Kelly’s poem For What Died The Sons Of Róısín (above | youtube) and Francie Brolly’s The H-Block Song (below | youtube).

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For A Bleaker Tomorrow

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One of Lidl’s slogans (and a “corporate responsibility objective” of the company) is to work “For a better tomorrow”. The electoral-style placard above urges “Don’t vote Lidl” and alleges that the company is “funding genocide for a bleaker tomorrow” and that its “policy is to fund apartheid, occupation, genocide” – perhaps through selling Israeli-made goods – particularly wipes made by Lupilu (ig video | Fb video | Fb | Change.org) – and through its parent company Schwarz’s acquisition of an Israeli cyber-security company.

The final image is of a Lasaır Dhearg tarp in Lenadoon: “Israeli goods free zone – there are no products ‘Made in Israel’ for sale in this area”.

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