painted wall

The Elementary Right

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“We seek nothing but the elementary right implanted in every man: the right if you are attacked, to defend yourself.” The mural shows two East Belfast UVF volunteers on manoeuvres.

Together with the We Are The Pilgrims mural that was painted at the same time across the street (both by Dee Craig), this mural can be taken as a good marker of the beginning of re-re-imaging, (that is, of new PUL ‘hooded gunmen’ murals) – see Visual History 11. In particular, this mural, unlike its counterpart, replaced a non-paramilitary mural – the Glentoran Community Trust mural.

At the old Bright Street on the Newtownards Road, Belfast.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06853 [M06851] [M06852] [M06854] [M06855] [M06856] [M06857]

Francis Hughes

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

For the 30th anniversary of the 1981 hunger strike, the Dockers & Carters mural was replaced by a large mural of republican heroes on Northumberland Street, with Francis Hughes at the centre.

(For more in-progress images, the completed mural, and a list of the portraits, see X00384.)

Northumberland Street, west Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06900 [M06901] [M06902] [M06903] [M06904] [M06905] [M06906] [M06907] [M06908] [M06909] [M06910] [M06911] [M06912] [M06913] [M06914] [M06915] [M06916] [M06917] [M06918] [M06919] [M06920] [M06921] [M06922] [M06923]

Hunger Striker Mosaics

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

For the 30th anniversary of the 1981 hunger strike, the mosaics of the Troubles-era hunger strikers are mounted around the blanket-men board and above the Phoenix in Clowney Street; for a few years they were previously at the Falls-Beechmount corner.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06885 M06884 [M06886] [M06887] [M06888] [M06889] [M06890] [M06891] [M06892] [M06893] [M06894] [M06895] [M06896] [M06897] [M06898]

In The East Of The City

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

An owner, with Ireland’s Saturday Night (which ceased publication in 2008) tucked in his coat pocket, shows off his greyhound.

The words of the poem – author unknown – read “In the east of the city, isolated alone, is a dear little place we like to call home. / Old strengthened by new, the homes and the streets, looking out for each other, a broad smile when they meet / The once terraced streets, some narrow, some wide, behind so many faces a story there lies / In the east of the city by the lagan’s fair side, looking back at its history our hearts fill with pride.”

Edgar Street, Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06876 [M06877] [M06878] [M06879] [M06880]

Our Brave Defenders

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Work-in-progress images from the new mural in memory of the dead from the 36th (Ulster) Division in St Leonard’s Crescent (the old Newcastle Street) in east Belfast.

The four main panels show the men of the 36th going over the top on the first day of the Somme (1st July 1916), the “angel of Mons” (WP), Ulster Tower (“This tower was dedicated to the glory of God. In grateful memory of the officers, non commissioned officers and men of the 36th (Ulster) Division, and of the sons of Ulster in other forces who laid down their lives in the great war, and of all their comrades in arms who, by divine grace, were spared to testify to their glorious deeds. ‘Throughout the long years of struggle …. the men of Ulster have proved how nobly they fight and die’ – 16th November 1918 King George V”), and Thiepval Memorial (“Dear men and brothers, going out/to fight for Ulster’s need/we hail you with a mighty shout/brave friends, and true in deed.//Your country holds you in renown/your names will never be dead/and some sweet angel has a crown/for each dear, manly head.”)

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06835 [M06836] M06837
M06617 [M06611] [M06612] [M06613] [M06614] [M06615] [M06616]

No More

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

A boy in blue and girl in green, from opposite communities in east Belfast, shake hands against the backdrop of the Harland & Wolff cranes. The poem “No More” in the middle of the mural is by community worker Jim Wilson, whose grandson Dylan is shown on the left. A smaller version of this mural, without the poem, is in Short Strand’s Edgar Street – see No More.

“No more bombing, no more murder
No more killing of our sons
No more standing at the grave side
Having to bury our loved ones
No more waking up every hour
Hoping our children, they come home
No more maimed or wounded people
Who have suffered all alone
No more minutes to leave a building
No more fear of just parked cars
No more looking over our shoulders
No more killing in our bars
No more hatred from our children
No more. No more. No more!”

By Dee Craig in Kenilworth Place, Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06759 [M06758]