Saturday, March 08, 2008
King Billy makes a comeback
The Village area used to be known for its large King William mural (most notable was the pictured horse’s ability to walk on water). Demolition removed it a number of years ago but now he is to make a comeback with a King William mural to become a feature of the area again. It will replace a paramilitary mural of the grim reaper (a rip off of an Iron Maiden Album cover). The Arts Council Chief Executive, Roisin McDonough, said:
“The fact that it’s being replaced by King William is not an act of triumphalism. King William is not offensive to people in this area. It’s part of their legitimate Orange cultural heritage.”
It is one of 18 new mural projects.
Fair Deal @ 05:32 PM
Some nice new NAZI graffiti on display there as well as King Billy, FD.
The Village-The Land of a Thousand Welcomes..........
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 05:49 PMwee king billy had a ten fut willy
and he showed it to the woman next door
she thought it was a snake
so she hit it with a rake
and now he has a willy no more.Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 05:51 PMAnd a bargain at £18,000.
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 05:55 PMWhile some may welcome Loyalist vetted Arts Council projects in the Village, éirígí were focusing on a small victory by Village residents in having their deprivation addressed. Something of more longterm benefit than any ‘mural’ and given the media attention on one over the other I’m sure their battles to address neglect and poverty in the future will be as equally hardly fought as the first victory.
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 06:08 PM“Some nice new NAZI graffiti on display there as well as King Billy, FD.
The Village-The Land of a Thousand Welcomes..........”
austin, The Republic of Ireland are the Nazi supporters, you’re u-turn of history will not wash. The Irish president and the [play the ball moderator] Priest Reid can spout Protestants are Nazi’s till their hearts are content, but they will never suppress the abominable history of the Irish republics collusion with Nazi Germany. SHAME!
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 06:50 PMMark
It’s all part of the re-generation of the area.
The Village regeneration announcement received extensive coverage in the media (both print, TV and radio).
The eirgi statement attack including the assembly is a bit much as it was the assembly that found the money and made the decision.
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 07:01 PMDo you not mean..
Roman Catholic Priest!
Maybe you could enlighten us with any instance of collusion with the Nazis when you can`t and won`t admit that the British State ran and (still do),loyalist drug dealing murderers.
Have yet to see one Nationalist poster on this site denigrate or abuse the role of a minister with any derogatory term..
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 07:07 PMf_d,
To me the statement reads as a straight commendation of working class activism eventually shaming the establishment into action and a proper reflection that the establishment often fails to deliver its promises.
Without a strong local campaign there would have been no progress, that campaign wasn’t lead by elected representatives it was lead by ordinary people. For the political class to claim they won the battle is a tad rich when they didn’t engage in a decades long fight.
As it says in the piece the campaigning residents of the Village are a role model in challenging deprivation in the face of intransigence.
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 07:14 PMA complete waste of money, what a shambles.
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 07:30 PMMark
It has been a very good campaign. However, I just find the specific criticism of the assembly somewhat unfair. They have been in power for 9 months asked to act and they did. The campaign has also sought and recieved all-party support (despite a couple fo wobbles).
I must admit I do come to the overall topic with a sad heart.
I’m a long-term resident of the Village (14 years) and been involved in a number of local community inititatives.
From the day and hour I moved in the housing conditions were well documented even then. What gets omitted in the campaign today is that 12 years ago the Village was offered a regeneration plan and refused it (although NIHE’s ‘consultation’ was its usual ham-fisted that fed rather than addressed concerns).
I was one of the minority who voted in favour of regeneration back then. One of my neighbours was involved on the residents committee at the time and was put into coventry by some residents as she was in favour of it. I’m heartened that people have come to see the sense in regeneration.
However, it was a missed opportunity that condemned too many to living (and dying) in squalid conditions for over another decade. In particular I remember one pensioner who I got to know at a local lunch club, the slum conditions he lived in and that contributed to his death six years ago.
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 07:34 PMf_d,
I didn’t know about the previous proposal and can understand your view on a missed opportunity but as the campaign clearly demonstrates the area clearly has a strong community focus. Thus, I’m unsurprised at rejection of a H.Exec proposal, I’m well aware of how many of their projects that improved housing, destroyed communities and lead to huge social problems.
Hopefully this works out and improves housing and environment while growing community cohesion.
The Assembly aspect is a minor issue and is treated as such in the éirígí article, the main focus is where I think it should be - commending the Village community activists on their success.
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 07:48 PM‘austin, The Republic of Ireland are the Nazi supporters, you’re u-turn of history will not wash.’
Sorry UMH - Until you put me right, I thought it was the locals in the Village who daubed the Nazi graffiti but clearly it was a crowd of those pesky Southerners who appeared on the scene. First it was Aer Lingus, then Ryanair,now der comin’ over da border with der bleeding paintpots, the fly feckers..
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 08:04 PMFD
Great idea! The portrait of King Billy will bring a more feminine touch ;¬)
Isnt the village supposed to have a more cosmopolitan and multicultural population these days. Is it still as hard core Loyalist as whence it once was?
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 08:21 PM“projects that improved housing, destroyed communities and lead to huge social problems.”
Too true. I guess their only defence was that they just didn’t understand what they were doing. Everything was top town.
Good luck to the Village.
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 08:32 PMMeanwhile the BBC is reporting that some idiot or idiots are besmirching the population by painting racist slogans. Shame.
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 09:04 PMThe “UDA had decided that the mural should be replaced by the King William portrait”—how gracious of them. Couldn’t they think of something more original than yet another mural of William III? If you were to analyse murals alone, you’d conclude loyalist history is summed up by King Billy, Iron Maiden, the Somme, moustaches and disfigured hands. Maybe it is.
Anyway, I hope it’s painted with gold flecks for that eighteen grand (what have the negotiations over the past five years cost?). I’m sure it’ll be nice scenery for the locals on their trips to the outhouse.
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 09:20 PM0b101010,
Doubtless when it’s finished you’ll be taking a walk/drive over there so that you can be offended.
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 10:18 PMInteresting development. Once can only wonder what Iron Maiden thought of loyalists hijacking their symbol.
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 11:10 PMDoubtless when it’s finished you’ll be taking a walk/drive over there so that you can be offended.
Ouch. Admittedly I don’t need to leave my ivory tower and walk around the Village to take offence over UDA/Combat 18 being allowed to control regeneration of the area; nor to take offense at an amount higher than most people’s salaries in the country being wasted on turning a single painting of Eddie into Billy, while most of the Village live in 19th Century conditions. How callous of me.
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 11:25 PMMaud - Iron Maiden have collectively expressed their annoyance at the use of the imagery of the band mascot on loyalist murals. The image is of the mascot (Eddie) from the single cover of the song The Trooper, which is a Crimean War story, based loosely on the Tennyson poem. On Maiden’s Dance of Death tour date in Dublin the band were booed by a small handful of idiots when they played The Trooper (as the stage show has singer Brice Dickinson waving a tattered Union Flag in line with the historic basis of the song). 18 months later Dickinson, onstage at the RDS Arena in Dublin expressed his annoyance at both the murals and the booing. He told the crowd they’d be playing the song again. Of the many thousand there almost all (apart from one drunken prat) cheered. As Dickinson said ‘it’s about a war that ended more than a hundred years ago!’
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 11:29 PMA number of people have talked about wasted money. Perhaps they haven’t taken Economics 101 and don’t know that money doesn’t just disappear (Northern Banknote bonfires excepted).
The money gets spent over and over again bringing employment along in its wake.Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 11:37 PMPerhaps they haven’t taken Economics 101
Funnily enough I have, and the rest. I think I skipped the class on a mural-based economy.
Posted by on Mar 08, 2008 @ 11:49 PMIf this is to be a true to life/history portrait should there not also be a few of his male partners alongside him, after all he did have boyfriends too. That’s not a social condemnation or fundamentalist accusation but a historical fact so be true to the man. Wouldn’t loyalists, Unionists and Free Presbyterian firebrands want to tell the world the correct life story of their hero OR is it only 21st century partnerships and same sex City Hall marriages that draws their protests and ire. In addition the singer Tom Robinson could be invited to play his song ‘Sing If You’re Glad To Be Gay’ as they unveil it.
Posted by on Mar 09, 2008 @ 12:34 AMmark/ fair deal
You two have the most roundabout way of actually agreeing with each other - not sure if it’s funny or tragic yet ;o)
I thought the man who pushed things over the tipping point was wee Jack Skillen. The photos and footage of him and the Victorian (literally) conditions of his home would have embarrassed anyone into doing something positive.
I certainly won’t forget Jack standing in his bedroom (or was it his main room?), a bed to one side of him and his bath to the other. He only had an outside toilet. Poor guy, it woulda broke your heart.
I don’t think Ritchie realised how bad things were in the Village, and while I think she would have done something, the media coverage ensured it would happen more quickly than perhaps it was going to.
It would be uncouth not to congratulate the GVRT and other activists who worked to ensure the Village was no longer ignored - and while I suspect he doesn’t have a PC… well done Jack!Posted by on Mar 09, 2008 @ 03:00 AMWhat were the circumstances of Jack’s publicity, Gonzo, documentary?
Posted by on Mar 09, 2008 @ 05:48 AM
