Slugger O'Toole

Conversation, politics and stray insights

Loyalist mural deconstructed…

Thu 13 July 2006, 2:47am

HERE’S a dummy’s guide to the symbolism behind one loyalist mural on the Shankill (pdf).

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Comments (13)

  1. Cahal says:

    Shouldn’t there be an arrow with the caption “evil, drugged up, child murdering terrorist piece of shit”?

    Also, the article refers to ‘paramilitary murals’. I think they mean loyalist terrorist graffiti.

    If anybody wants to know what kind of orange hole NI is, the fact that the UDA were a legal organization until the 90′s says it all.

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  2. Belfast Gonzo (profile) says:

    Thanks for the useful insight there Cahal.

    I think it would be interesting if Slugger readers would take pics of the new murals going up in loyalist areas. With £3.3 million going into them, they better be worth seeing!

    Stick them on flickr or post a link to any already on the net.

    It’ll be worth noting where loyalism sees itself going by how it represents itself in the murals. Will it be forward looking, or MOPEry?

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  3. Rory says:

    Still if Tina Turner is an icon for celebration by UFF groupies perhaps they might yet prove to be human after all.

    But a warning – lay off you spides! She’s mine! All mine, do you hear?

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  4. harpo says:

    ‘Shouldn’t there be an arrow with the caption “evil, drugged up, child murdering terrorist piece of shit”?’

    Err…no. I don’t see Sean Kelly featured on the mural at all.

    Seriously though, do you think that caption applies only to loyalists?

    The PIRA has killed children, yet many nationalists think that murals honouring the PIRA are acceptable.

    I personally don’t like murals honouring any terrorists, IR or loyalist. But from your comment I see that when it comes to paramilitaries, you probably think the PIRA were honourable paramilitaries and that the loyalists are what you say they were.

    To me they’re all the same. Loyalists put up loyalist terrorist graffiti, IRs put up IR terrorist graffiti. No difference at all.

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  5. willis says:

    I liked the idea that it was a coincidence that the 25th RAF Squadron shares a Latin motto with the UFF.

    I’m sure some of our Loyal posters will identify the well known Latin scolars in their midst, however I assume the motto was “borrowed with permission”

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  6. Rubicon says:

    Is the photograph accurate? I can’t recall the 2 cranes behind the mural and wonder if the picture is made up of 2 images. Anyone know?

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  7. doh ! says:

    rubicon

    considering the shankill is in west belfast, and H&W are in the east, close your eyes and concentrate, the answer should come

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  8. jim says:

    Here’s a link to a photo of a recently painted loyalist mural in the town of Newtonards. While it’s not quite as intimidating as men with AKs and balaclavas, there is still a somewhat militaristic theme to it.
    http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3512/3197/1600/Belfast1 003.0.jpg

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  9. jim says:

    Here’s another pic, which shows a detail of the mural as well as a couple of the kids who helped to paint it.

    http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3512/3197/1600/Belfast1 032.jpg

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  10. jim says:

    See also the following post: http://jcubelfastinstitute.blogspot.com/2006/07/murals-and-their-messages.html

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  11. circles says:

    Not only is the mural itself extremely poor, but the “explanation” was complete rubbish. Was that lifted by the Tele from Hello magazine?
    Been a long time since I’ve seen something so potentially interesting made so vapid. Well done the Tele. Whats next, a series of kiddies books based on the exploits of Johnny the Mad Dog?

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  12. Padraig Óg says:

    I think that loyalism needs more of these :)

    http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/mccormick/photos/no642r.jpg

    Feckin hilarious. One minute I’m terrified the next I’m p**in m yself laughing

    Camper than a row of tents

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  13. Occasional Commentator says:

    Am I the only one who doesn’t mind many of these murals, loyalist or republican? It’s part of our history and even if some of us don’t like some of these organisations, we can’t airbrush them out of existence.

    Although we must draw the line somewhere. The mural Padraig g referred to has got to go!

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