East Belfast – Page 2 – Slugger O'Toole

Thoughts on the Flag protests

Turgon on January 9, 2013, 1:55 pm

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The flag protests have now been going on for a month. During that time we have heard assorted apportioning of blame, descriptions of the events as marking a disintegration in loyalism (and by extension then unionism), calls on various people to display “leadership” and much merriment and contempt directed at the flag protest leadership: often vitriolic here on slugger. The protests are at core a political issue. The riots are clearly criminality and some of those attacking the police may …

Marching on a pin head as Belfast District LOL No 6 squares up to the Parades Commission (updated)

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on July 12, 2011, 2:23 pm

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This morning, I headed across to the Orange Hall on the Albertbridge Road. The 31 Orange lodges that make up Belfast District LOL No 6 were converging to start their parade down Templemore Avenue, turning onto the Newtownards Road, and later joining up with the main Belfast parade (made up of 9 districts). (You can catch the video of their 25 minute parade through East Belfast down below.) There was much banging, tooting and just a little accordion heaving as …

Some final bonfire porn from last night

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on July 12, 2011, 7:50 am

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Pitt Park bonfire soon after it was lit

Pitt Park – lower Newtownards Road – could be characterised by alcopops and the bonfire being set off fifteen minutes early … and then clambered over by the teenagers who had lit it. The SDLP election poster for Magdalena Wolska joined the city’s Lord Mayor on the bonfire, along with a message for Neill [sic] Lennon. The large bonfire in King George V Playing Fields was lit on time, but took light very fast, spoiling the anticipation and slow build-up …

Late night stroll with Niall Ó Donnghaile around Short Strand

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on July 12, 2011, 1:00 am

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Niall Ó Donnghaile

To get a different perspective on the Eleventh Night and the Twelfth Day, I went for a late night walk with Niall Ó Donnghaile around Short Strand about half an hour before midnight. While some young folk were congregating around the Mountpottinger/Albertbridge Road junction, the area was largely deserted – the only noise being the PA belting out music in Pitt Park, about a hundred yards away over the wall. Now a Sinn Féin councillor, and this year Belfast’s Lord …

Five minute guide to building a bonfire

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on July 11, 2011, 10:00 pm

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Bonfire in King George V Playing Fields in East Belfast

Three years ago as part of an organised tour that looked at the history around 1690 and then took in bonfires, parades and even the field, I ended up in King George V Playing Fields after midnight to witness the big East Belfast bonfire. Late this afternoon I talked to Rob about the construction effort that has gone into this year’s bonfire at that site. The guys were putting the final pallets on the top and ‘decorating’ the bonfire with …

OFMDFM: “We would ask everyone to give the official the time and space to conduct this work…”

Pete Baker on June 22, 2011, 10:16 pm

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The reaction of our indigenous administration to two nights of violence in east Belfast that was, according to the PSNI, at least partly orchestrated by the UVF in the area and included shootings by still-violent republicans and loyalists? Intensive face-to-face discussions “involving community leaders, police and senior loyalist and republican representatives” [dissenting ones? – Ed], and the subsequent appointment of an un-named “senior government offical” tasked with identifying “areas of concern”. From the BBC report Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness said they have …

Layout of Bryson Street interface

Moochin Photoman on June 22, 2011, 1:12 pm

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I thought i’d take the time to show those who perhaps do not have the local knowledge the layout of the interface which has been the scene of two nights of rioting. The RC Church (1) St Matthews sits at the corner of Bryson Street (2) and the Newtownards Rd. The green paint splat in the foreground shows the range of the rioters as this was where the PSNI Landrovers were parked last night to protect the entrance to the …

POTD – No More

Moochin Photoman on June 22, 2011, 6:32 am

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Aftermath Moochin PhotomanPhotographer and visual artist based in Belfast. I have facilitated community based workshops with groups as diverse as visually impaired individuals in Dungannn, Travellers across Northern Ireland, Young Offenders and many community groups across Belfast. My work has exhibited extensively here in Northern Ireland in group and individual shows and has been shown in North America and i had my first solo international exhibition in New Zealand. I have been the recipient of a number of grants from …

Second night of violence in east Belfast

Pete Baker on June 21, 2011, 11:37 pm

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A significant police presence at the scene of last night’s rioting has failed to stop a recurrence of the violence. From the UTV report Update From the BBC report Police have confirmed that dissident republicans were responsible for shooting a photographer during trouble in east Belfast on Tuesday night. It happened during a second night of violence at a sectarian flashpoint on the Lower Newtownards Road. Police said the trouble was orchestrated by the loyalist paramilitary group, the UVF. And …

Buying votes in East Belfast … at £6 a pop

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on May 10, 2011, 10:40 pm

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Stephen Stewart tallying East Belfast Assembly ballots - closeup

Having interviewed him up at Stormont a few weeks ago, I bumped into 18 year old Stephen Stewart again at the East Belfast Assembly count last Friday. He was completing another stage of his off-curriculum political education by tallying some of the ballot boxes along with his campaign manager. Unlike the rest of the party tally teams who were jotting down first preferences on their clipboards, Stephen and Alex only had two areas on their forms: STEWART and ALL OTHERS. …

One last hustings (#bele11) in case you can’t sleep …

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on May 4, 2011, 10:40 pm

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It’s the storm before the calm. It feels a bit like Slugger’s clearing out the draft folder of posts before they become irrelevant post-count when the focus switches away from the campaign and turns to the results and the consequences of the electorates’ pencil scribblings. In case Tuesday’s late night leaders’ debate whet your appetite for midnight political listening, here’s one last election treat. It’s a recording of last night’s East Belfast election hustings, held in Knock Presbyterian Church. I …

POTD – Black Tower

Moochin Photoman on April 13, 2011, 10:03 am

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The lorry pulled up as i was moochin past and my irony alarm went off Moochin PhotomanPhotographer and visual artist based in Belfast. I have facilitated community based workshops with groups as diverse as visually impaired individuals in Dungannn, Travellers across Northern Ireland, Young Offenders and many community groups across Belfast. My work has exhibited extensively here in Northern Ireland in group and individual shows and has been shown …

Launching the UTV Twitter Road Shows…

Mick Fealty on April 5, 2011, 3:11 pm

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As some of you may have seen last night or on Twitter, I’ll be hosting a number of Twitter Roadshows for UTV over the next few weeks. In all there will be four of events, starting next Tuesday evening at the Park Avenue Hotel, (our initial thread on East Belfast is still rolling) where the discussion will focus on issues relating to East Belfast (hashtag: #Bele11). There are only a small number of spaces available on the night, as I’ve said …

POTD – Cleaning up after a sectarian attack on St Matthews church in the Short Strand

Moochin Photoman on March 9, 2011, 12:00 pm

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St Matthews Church on the Newtownards Road has once again been targeted in a sectarian attack, the second in a week. Read more here Moochin PhotomanPhotographer and visual artist based in Belfast. I have facilitated community based workshops with groups as diverse as visually impaired individuals in Dungannn, Travellers across Northern Ireland, Young Offenders and many community groups across Belfast. My work has exhibited extensively here in Northern Ireland in group and individual shows and has been shown in North …

POTD They haven’t gone away you know

Moochin Photoman on March 5, 2011, 12:07 am

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a number of these flyers were posted up overnight/early morning today. There are no identifiers on them. The bottom line reads “Ask your MLA why’s he not spoke out about this or the press” Moochin PhotomanPhotographer and visual artist based in Belfast. I have facilitated community based workshops with groups as diverse as visually impaired individuals in Dungannn, Travellers across Northern Ireland, Young Offenders and many community groups across Belfast. My work has exhibited extensively here in Northern Ireland in …

DUP announce Assembly candidates, including a new face in East Belfast and two double-jobbers

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on February 28, 2011, 10:15 am

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Political parties have been slowly announcing their council and Assembly candidates ahead of May’s elections. This morning, the DUP are announcing their full slate of Assembly candidates, which includes two MPs. There will be interest in the three man DUP line up for East Belfast. The party’s council candidates attracted attention a couple of weeks ago as Orangeman and Belfast County Grand Master Tom Haire displaced an irate David Rodway in the Victoria ward. The East Belfast Assembly candidates are: …

Catching up with Dawn Purvis

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on February 16, 2011, 11:39 pm

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Often it feel like Slugger has a love/hate relationship with Dawn Purvis. The annual judging process is quick to give her awards, while critical commenters are even faster to cast doubt on her political credibility, particularly over the timing of her departure from the PUP last year to become an independent MLA. If you ask me, deep down Dawn Purvis is a political anorak who could carve out a career as a party strategist or advisor. While conveniently fitting her …

Just what we need another extremist Political Party

Moochin Photoman on February 6, 2011, 7:20 pm

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And so it has come to pass that the BNP have registered with the Election Commission to field candidates in council and assembly elections here. What with the general election down south this seems to have slipped under the radar very nicely for the extremist party. This photograph of scrawled graffiti was taken a couple of weeks ago off the Castlereagh road in East Belfast. Moochin PhotomanPhotographer and visual artist based in Belfast. I have facilitated community based workshops with …

POTD – Another scrawl

Moochin Photoman on January 24, 2011, 11:36 am

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This appeared last week near the Connswater bridge after reports of suspicious activity As the linked report notes there actually haven’t been any abductions Moochin PhotomanPhotographer and visual artist based in Belfast. I have facilitated community based workshops with groups as diverse as visually impaired individuals in Dungannn, Travellers across Northern Ireland, Young Offenders and many community groups across Belfast. My work has exhibited extensively here in Northern Ireland in group and individual shows and has been shown in North …

East Belfast Spoke Out

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on November 11, 2010, 12:00 pm

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The panel at 2010 East Belfast Speaks Out

Someone said it was only the second time that Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness had appeared together as MLAs (rather than ministers) on the same panel since they formed their FM/dFM partnership. They were joined by Dawn Purvis, Hugo Swire and Liam Clarke. Security constraints prevented the disclosure of full panel in advance, and the small matter of the Manchester football derby, meant that organisers worried the numbers attending might be low. But the hall in Ashfield Boys School was …