'5 minutes from here' map of walk in collaboration with MFA students

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 5 Minutes from Here the collaborative walk with Master of Fine Art (MFA) students from the University of Ulster Under the M3 off Nelson St was our first port of call, a probable 3 minute walk from the art college, our initial point of departure. Jade was surprised to find so much foliage and greenery under the motorway but also pointed out an array of faded football stickers on the railings.

We walked parallel and under the M3 until we arrived at Corporation St. car park where the clampers were in  action. Our wall walking, on the invitation of Katrina, to circumnavigate the car park couldn’t muster a smile from the clampers but caught the eye of many an amused passing motorist. We jump from the wall in unison and progress across the Dunbar link to Talbot street and on down Donegall St to our next destination Commercial court.

Andrew points out an elevated, but semi hidden, Larkin afloat a wall down the dead end ally off Donegal St. The stature of the trade unionist of 1913 Lockout fame, by Anto Brennan, is a smaller copy of an original which presides over Dublin’s O’ Connell St. however this is not the only Larkin in Belfast, as we find out later. Moving on we duke down Commercial Court, home of the Duke of York as Erin wants to see the alley in the cold light of day. The geranium baskets are being stripped back for the winter under the watchful gaze of an owl and a kestrel. There are some Salvador Dali images here too but we leave with the image of the birds of prey flanking the alley.

We make our way down Rosmary St for a visit to the RGB gallery where the facilities house another Larkin in waiting. He stands, on the eve of the centenary of the 1913 lockout, flanked by 2 urinals and a mop bucket behind a washing line pegged with negative ends. A very un-public sculpture.

 Lastly we stride up Clifton St with Rosanna to find a derelict printers which stands Alamo like on some waste ground site of former Unity flats. The territory looks ripe for bush drinking with random piles of semi charred wood and plastic street cordons. There is a gap in the fence blocking access to a path running parallel to the motorway, this looks promising. We disperse with this in mind.